They don't race against others. They race against themselves and for their teammates.
"Even in high school, it's the team aspect that is a lot of fun," Wawasee cross country coach Jerid Stoffel said. "And (running cross country) is also a challenge that a lot of people can't do. It's about being physically, and mentally, tired, but pushing yourself to the limit and setting higher goals."To become a good cross country runner, one can't just sit around eating Doritos and sucking down Coca-Cola all summer long. Instead, they get up and hit the pavement each day, preparing to make a postseason run for their school. That is exactly what senior Ryan Smythe and sophomore Jose Meija are doing for the Wawasee Warriors right now.
"I start training for this at the start of the summer until now," Smythe said. "We run between four and five miles a day, two or three on easy days."
That work has paid off with Smythe and Meija set to compete in the New Haven Semistate Saturday at 3 p.m. With a top 15 finish there, a runner can move on to the state finals.
"It's how bad to you wanna push yourself," Stoffel said of moving on to state.
During his four years as a Wawasee cross country runner, Smythe has been the No. 1 guy each year. As a freshman, he was a regional qualifier, advanced to semistate as a sophomore and reached the state finals with the rest of his team as a junior.
"As an eighth grade runner, he had good times," Stoffel said. "So I knew he'd be good."
This season, Smythe's role on the team has shifted a bit. As a junior, he was surrounded by seven seniors, but this time around, he's the one of only two seniors on the entire team.
"Last year, I didn't fully understand the seniors, and kind of gave them a hard time," Smythe said. "This year, I've kind of carried the guys on my back and grew up a bit."
As a senior leader, Smythe has set the pace for such runners as junior Ross Stichter, who suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the season, and Meija, his running mate at Saturday's semistate.
"I just try to follow in his footsteps," Meija said.
To this point, Meija has followed in Smythe's footsteps.
As a freshman, Meija was alongside Smythe, Stichter, Doug Slabaugh, Haven Hoffman, Jared Wurtzel and Scott Gingerich on their 15th place finish in the state finals.
Following Stichter's injury, Meija and Smythe were the only two remaining this season.
"There were a couple meets this season, that when we all stood in a circle before the race, (Meija) was the only recognizable face from last year," Smythe said.
And while both runners have been to this stage of the postseason before, they know what to expect.
"I'm not as nervous as I was last year," Meija said. "It's just another semistate race for me. Last year, as a freshman, I had never been in a race that big before."
But that doesn't mean nerves still aren't prevalent.
"I'm still nervous," Smythe said.
At last Saturday's regional, both runners finished in 16:36, with Smythe taking 13th place and Meija 15th. So by cutting it pretty close to advance to semistate, both runners are hoping for improvement at semistate.
During his senior season, Smythe has confounded Stoffle a bit, going from a 16:10 runner to a 16:36. But it's a situation the coach believes can be fixed.
"My opinion of Ryan Smythe is that he gets himself in a good position in the first mile," Stoffel said. "But when the lead pack begins to pull away, he doesn't go. In the past, when the pack began to pull away, he said, 'Yes.' Right now, he's not doing that."
At semistate, Smythe plans on flipping that switch.
"Last year, I came in ranked 22nd and finished eighth," Smythe said of last year's semistate. "I love the course (at New Haven), so I know I can (move on)."
For Meija, Stoffel just wants to see him have a good race, but Meija is wanting more.
"I wanna get out," the sophomore said. "My mindset to get out is gonna have to be heart, desire and going with the lead people."
Regardless of expectations, the two guys know what they have to do.
"We're underdogs," Smythe said. "There's no pressure on us. We gotta go do it."
