Marshfield Cross Country: Grateful to Compete, Positive Attitude the Key to Success

By
David Keech
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Marshfield (OnFocus) – The Marshfield Girls Cross Country team is headed to state, and the Tigers are a squad that is grateful to be competing at state.

On Saturday, Marshfield  will head to Arrowhead High School for the Division 1 Cross Country Meet. Tigers’ Head Coach Daniel Akin  said the team’s positive attitude has been instrumental in Marshfield advancing to state.

“The kids’ attitude has been amazing this entire fall, they made the season what it was.  They were glad to see their friends and meet new ones.”

The Tigers overcame safety restrictions on practicing with some creative planning, despite an incredibly large numbers of athletes on the team, Akin shared.

“They never all practiced at the same time. One group went from 330 to 500 and the other went from 400 until 530.  This changed on a daily basis because we have a large team of almost 60 runners,” said Akin.  “They appreciate having a season and how it was constructed.  We didn’t even start practicing until September 1st in the Valley Conference, and I do want to acknowledge the fact that our conference made us feel very safe as we only conducted Dual Meets with other teams in our league throughout the regular season. Mr. Delaney(Nathan), our athletic director, was helpful in allowing us to practice on our campus at different times.”

“We enjoyed each day for what it brought us” – Marshfield Tigers Head Coach Daniel Akin

When the season began in September, no one knew how the fate of athletics might evolve. For Marshfield, the goal then was not to get to state, but to simply enjoy the season.

“Going to state was not a goal at the beginning of the year, enjoying a season was and having fun as well.  We enjoyed each day for what it brought us.  The weather was fantastic, the kids brought positive attitude more so this year and they believed in themselves and each other.   They are running their best times of the year when it matters the most, late October,” Akin explained.

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This week has provided ideal weather for the team in its preparation for state, Akin explained.
“We had some fun this week, the pressure was last week with two qualifying meets.  A number of varsity boys have helped us practice this week and we enjoyed having almost 20 runners at practice.  They did some sharpening workouts on the new middle school track and did some recovery in our high school pool,” said Akin.
No doubt about it, Akin has the Tigers ready to get after it on Saturday, and it’s clear this team is also thankful for the opportunity to race this season.
“These girls are ready to race well, and they are grateful for the chance to compete,” shared Akin.
Have some words of support you want to offer the Marshfield Cross Country team? Click HERE to offer your support.
David Keech
Author: David Keech

David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]

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