Cougars,
Although we can only send our speediest 7 cougars to the state meet starting line, you all should take pride in the fact that everyone shares in this historic accomplishment, just as you all shared in the intervals, the tempo efforts, and certainly the recovery run days that may or may not have included a trip through the bog trail.  We have always sought to reinforce the idea that we are one team and that it is up to each individual on our team to dedicate themselves to the team, it's goals, and to find ways to be contributing members to the awesome cougar culture that we've been cultivating for many years.  Tom Corbin, a long-time former Cougar coach sent me this picture of the last Cougar girls team to be crowned State Champs.  His words summarizing the Cougar Culture ring as true today as when he wrote them over 40 years ago.  Check out the attachment.  

It's a fantastic accomplishment to sweep the D1 team titles.  The last time it happened was in 1996.  And to do it in the midst of a pandemic, when so many of you are facing social isolation and more anxiety and uncertainty than any teenager should have to face, speaks volumes to your character as young men and women and to your fortitude.  I'm sure these attributes will serve you well in the years to come.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this season possible, our parents, our administrators, SR and Joey C. for expanding the state meet to include team titles, our booster club who had the biggest challenge yet to keep everyone informed, all our athletes who dedicated themselves to the team this year, and especially to our assistant coaches, Coaches Turney, Lane, Jen, and Max, who literally put themselves on the front lines to give these athletes a chance to interact, train, and compete.  This was a season like no other.  And thanks to all for making it one for the record books.

CONGRATULATIONS COUGARS!
Practice this Week:
I will be at the Little Gym all this week at 2:30pm for any athletes that want to continue to train up until the Chugiak Meet next Saturday except on Tuesday (see below for Prospect Trailhead meeting location).

Near Point Hike Tuesday, Oct 13th, 2:15pm, Prospect Trailhead:
It's looking like a sunny Tuesday.  We will meet at Prospect Trailhead at 2:15pm for a team hike up to Near Point mountain. We will set off at 2:30pm and adhere to a 4 hour time limit so anyone wanting to summit has to do so by 4:30pm.  You must have a mask to come hike with the team.  Pickup will be at 6:30pm at Prospect Trailhead.  

Service High School to Prospect Heights Trailhead

One Last Practice w Awards on Thursday, Oct. 15th, 2:15pm, Little Gym:
Time to Celebrate???  Well no, not exactly.  We've been told "no" to any sort of banquet or awards ceremony that combines students and parents, even outside without food or drink.  So we'll just do what we do best.  The team will go for a run.  Coaches and athletes will bring all our team awards and trophies so all student athletes have the opportunity to get a selfie with the spoils of victory.  Coaches will have all the usual awards.  Always a team favorite, captains will have some Captains Awards to hand out.  And then we'll go for an easy run.

As always, all student athletes will be covid screened and be required to wear masks and socially distance from one another.

5km Race Opportunity on Saturday, Oct 17th at Chugiak, a Great Chance for a New Personal Record:
The Chugiak Stampede course is one of the fastest in the state.  It has only gradual uphills and downhills.  Since all ASD athletes only got to contend with hilly courses all season,  a couple of the other coaches and I decided we would put on one last race next Saturday, Oct 17th, start time tbd.  It's a chance for all of you to get out there and put up a time to either reach your season goal, impress a college coach, or simply lay it on the line one more time.


Regards,
Coach Kiskaddon

Arrival times:
​Varsity and JV girls and boys arrive at Kincaid at 10am.  You will start your races between 11am and 11:15am.

Open Racers will arrive at 11:45 am.  You will start your race between 12:30pm and 12:45pm.

Varsity and JV girls and boys arrive at Kincaid at 10am.  You will start your races between 11am and 11:15am.

Open Racers will arrive at 11:45 am.  You will start your race between 12:30pm and 12:45pm.
​

​All,

Quad Meet on Saturday, 9.26:
    Service will be competing in a Quad meet this Saturday against South, East, and Eagle River.  Due to the size of the Service and South squads, we have been told we must split the racing up into a Varsity/Junior Varsity race, and an Open Race.  It is not ideal for team unity, but it is in the interest of everyone's safety.

Varsity and JV girls and boys arrive at Kincaid at 10am.  You will start your races between 11am and 11:15am.

Open Racers will arrive at 11:45 am.  You will start your race between 12:30pm and 12:45pm.

We felt having 2 athletes go out every 10 seconds , sending out 12 athletes a minute, maintained a safe racing environment for our athletes last Saturday.  This Saturday, we will be sending out 4 athletes at a time every 20 seconds, still holding it at 12 athletes per minute, but allowing athletes a bit more competition at the start of the race.  The increased interval will create less competition in the latter stages of the race as it will be harder for athletes to make up a 20 second gap as opposed to last Saturday's 10 second gap.  We plan to continue taking measured steps towards more head to head race starts.  If we feel the race course becomes too congested, we will back track towards a less crowded format.


Regional Championships next Saturday, 10.3:
    Mark your calendars for the Regional Championships on Saturday, October 3rd.  Race format, timing, and course are pending.  We will not be doing a mass start.  Instead, we will continue to use the wave start method. 
    You will probably want to block out your calendars from 9am to 4pm for that Saturday.  This is the highlight of the Open and Junior Varsity season.  We are training the Open and JV racers to be at their peak performance for this meet.  Hopefully, everyone can help make sure the athletes get a chance to race.  Due to covid concerns, we cannot offer bus transportation to or from Kincaid.  We will also have to take the year off from our regional barbecue tradition.  

Near Point Hike:
    I am planning to uphold the annual tradition of a team near point hike.  Tentatively, we will meet at Prospect Trailhead at 10am on Sunday, 10.4 and hike up to the summit of Near Point.  Athletes will break into small buddy groups similar to how we have operated training runs this season.

Have a great week!


Regards,
Coach Kiskaddon

​All,
Attached is a map of the course for this Sat.  I don't want to have printouts this year at the meets to avoid crowding.

Verbal directions,
Fom timing field course goes up to lower tunnel, over and up part of roller coaster, down Elliotts onto Mize.  It adds the Arlene extension, comes back up Mize to the soccer fields.  We're thinking we may need to curve around a bit on the soccer fields and possibly come under the timing field bridge to make it a 5km.


Spectators,
One option to socially distance this week is to park at the archery range and walk down roller coaster or elliots.  You could cut though the woods from Roller Coaster to Elliots to see the athlete's twice.  There's also a nice single track short cut after Viola Swamp where you could easily see your favorite athlete(s) twice.

Spectators, please pass on that we need to wear a mask, socially distance, and avoid the timing field.

Regards,
Coach Kiskaddon