G-A cross country coach Chris Thomas (center) is pictured with the G-A boys cross country team members (left to right) Ashton Dingee, Carter Stevens, Nick Stevens and Landen Bouchard. Missing from picture is Knighten Rockwell.
Team running game ball from Delton to G-A October 11
By Bruce Rolfe
In many school districts homecoming typically focuses on the court and football team.
The Galesburg-Augusta boys cross country team will be added to that spotlight before G-A’s homecoming game against Delton-Kellogg October 11 when the team participates in a very unique event leading up to the start of the game.
The boys cross country team, consisting of Landen Bouchard, Carter Stevens, Ashton Dingee, Knighten Rockwell, and Nick Stevens, will be running the game ball from Delton to Galesburg-Augusta High School for the October 11 homecoming game against Delton-Kellogg, a distance of 17.5 miles. The run will culminate with the team running together through a tunnel of students onto the field and handing the game ball to a game official.
Two members of the girls cross country team, Ellesa Callender and Claire Callender, will be involved in the homecoming parade and will not be participating in the event.
G-A coach Chris Thomas said she thought of the idea as a way to bring some attention to the Ram cross country team.
“I’m trying to find something that would get other people involved, and have them see the program of cross country, because I feel like we have meets and people don’t come. But this way, running the ball in the stadium, they all see it,” explained the Ram cross country coach.
Thomas hopes the fun homecoming day event will also inspire more students to try cross country. “I’m hoping that we start getting more kids that want to be involved and see that, hey, this is something to do, because it is fun. It’s a fun program. You’re not going to get hurt necessarily or easily as other sports. And it can be an individual or a team sport. That’s the plus of cross country,” said Thomas.
The G-A mens cross country team will start together and finish together, however each runner will run a segment of the 17.5 mile route, rest in one of two vans that will be moving along the route with the runners, and return to the course later. As the runners rotate in and out another runner can carry the football for a portion of the route. Bouchard said he ran the entire course in the summer and may attempt to run the entire course October 11. He may adjust his ambition because the event is in between two cross country meets the team will be participating in.
The route starts at the Delton-Kellogg football stadium at approximately 3:25-3:30 p.m. Three G-A alumni, Hayley Hall, Ashley Rainey, and Gianna Mills, are expected to join the runners at exchange locations along the route. Thomas said she will offer the alumni runners the opportunity to join the team running into the stadium but was not certain if the G-A alumni will be a part of the entrance.
When the group gets closer to G-A High School, the route will take the runners to North 37th Street and Cranes Avenue, just south of Yorkshire Road on N. 37th Street at 5:45 p.m. At approximately 6 p.m. the runners are scheduled to be located just before G Avenue on N. 37th Street, cross G Avenue and run along it to North 37th Street.
At approximately 6:15 p.m. the runners are expected to be south of G Avenue on North 37th Street close to 4274 North 37th Street.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. members of the team will be just south of E. HJ Avenue on North 37th Street.
The team will regroup at Ambling Avenue at approximately 6:30 p.m. for the last leg and run into the stadium together at approximately 6:45 p.m.
“Once we get to the neighborhood over here (near Maskill Stadium), and all the boys will (come into the stadium). It will be exciting,” said Thomas.
Team members welcomed their coaches idea, especially the opportunity to be a big part of homecoming.
“I’m excited because I think we might have a new school tradition as long as it’s in range for homecoming. It’s nice because we actually get involved in it for once. I know we get our thing in the (homecoming) parade, but it makes it feel like everyone’s involved now. It’s nice to see that we kind of get a spot in it now,” said senior Carter Stevens.
“I think it’s really cool because the whole community other then the cross country team is getting involved in it. It’s a way for us to be a part of something big,” said senior Landen Bouchard.
“I think it’s going to be interesting. I’ve never been a part of something with the whole school, so it’s fun to be a part of it,” adds freshman Ashton Dingee, who said students in school are interested and intrigued by the event, the distance the runners will have to run and how they will do it.
Runners said after Thomas approached them about the idea, they quickly warmed up to the new idea.
“I really liked the idea and I still really like the idea. It feels like it’s good practice because we go out and run a section of it each day. We did the middle section first and then we did the end section yesterday (October 1). It’s just good training overall. Plus, it’s a fun event for the whole team to do,” said Dingee.
“I think it’s really fun because I enjoy running longer distances. This really is a good way to put our team out there and do something cool,” said Bouchard.
“I was a little skeptical. The only reason I thought it was alright is because I got to be a part of something bigger in the school,” adds Carter Stevens.
“I thought it was a good idea. I think it will be awesome to hand the football off to the football players,” notes sophomore Nick Stevens, Carter’s younger brother.
Thomas said she has organized a group of students to form a tunnel the runners will run by onto the field, something the team looks forward to.
“I’m just happy to be able to run on the field with all my teammates,” said sophomore Nick Stevens
Similar to their coach, the G-A runners also hope the unique event will generate more interest in the sport.
“I think it will help promote it, but I don’t see as many kids at our school, because most of them have other events like volleyball and football. But it could promote it to more people. But I think it is a real cool event,” said Nick Stevens.
Thomas said she is very proud of the team for embracing the idea of running the game ball from Delton to G-A High School before the homecoming game.
“I couldn’t do this without them,” she said.
In many school districts homecoming typically focuses on the court and football team.
The Galesburg-Augusta boys cross country team will be added to that spotlight before G-A’s homecoming game against Delton-Kellogg October 11 when the team participates in a very unique event leading up to the start of the game.
The boys cross country team, consisting of Landen Bouchard, Carter Stevens, Ashton Dingee, Knighten Rockwell, and Nick Stevens, will be running the game ball from Delton to Galesburg-Augusta High School for the October 11 homecoming game against Delton-Kellogg, a distance of 17.5 miles. The run will culminate with the team running together through a tunnel of students onto the field and handing the game ball to a game official.
Two members of the girls cross country team, Ellesa Callender and Claire Callender, will be involved in the homecoming parade and will not be participating in the event.
G-A coach Chris Thomas said she thought of the idea as a way to bring some attention to the Ram cross country team.
“I’m trying to find something that would get other people involved, and have them see the program of cross country, because I feel like we have meets and people don’t come. But this way, running the ball in the stadium, they all see it,” explained the Ram cross country coach.
Thomas hopes the fun homecoming day event will also inspire more students to try cross country. “I’m hoping that we start getting more kids that want to be involved and see that, hey, this is something to do, because it is fun. It’s a fun program. You’re not going to get hurt necessarily or easily as other sports. And it can be an individual or a team sport. That’s the plus of cross country,” said Thomas.
The G-A mens cross country team will start together and finish together, however each runner will run a segment of the 17.5 mile route, rest in one of two vans that will be moving along the route with the runners, and return to the course later. As the runners rotate in and out another runner can carry the football for a portion of the route. Bouchard said he ran the entire course in the summer and may attempt to run the entire course October 11. He may adjust his ambition because the event is in between two cross country meets the team will be participating in.
The route starts at the Delton-Kellogg football stadium at approximately 3:25-3:30 p.m. Three G-A alumni, Hayley Hall, Ashley Rainey, and Gianna Mills, are expected to join the runners at exchange locations along the route. Thomas said she will offer the alumni runners the opportunity to join the team running into the stadium but was not certain if the G-A alumni will be a part of the entrance.
When the group gets closer to G-A High School, the route will take the runners to North 37th Street and Cranes Avenue, just south of Yorkshire Road on N. 37th Street at 5:45 p.m. At approximately 6 p.m. the runners are scheduled to be located just before G Avenue on N. 37th Street, cross G Avenue and run along it to North 37th Street.
At approximately 6:15 p.m. the runners are expected to be south of G Avenue on North 37th Street close to 4274 North 37th Street.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. members of the team will be just south of E. HJ Avenue on North 37th Street.
The team will regroup at Ambling Avenue at approximately 6:30 p.m. for the last leg and run into the stadium together at approximately 6:45 p.m.
“Once we get to the neighborhood over here (near Maskill Stadium), and all the boys will (come into the stadium). It will be exciting,” said Thomas.
Team members welcomed their coaches idea, especially the opportunity to be a big part of homecoming.
“I’m excited because I think we might have a new school tradition as long as it’s in range for homecoming. It’s nice because we actually get involved in it for once. I know we get our thing in the (homecoming) parade, but it makes it feel like everyone’s involved now. It’s nice to see that we kind of get a spot in it now,” said senior Carter Stevens.
“I think it’s really cool because the whole community other then the cross country team is getting involved in it. It’s a way for us to be a part of something big,” said senior Landen Bouchard.
“I think it’s going to be interesting. I’ve never been a part of something with the whole school, so it’s fun to be a part of it,” adds freshman Ashton Dingee, who said students in school are interested and intrigued by the event, the distance the runners will have to run and how they will do it.
Runners said after Thomas approached them about the idea, they quickly warmed up to the new idea.
“I really liked the idea and I still really like the idea. It feels like it’s good practice because we go out and run a section of it each day. We did the middle section first and then we did the end section yesterday (October 1). It’s just good training overall. Plus, it’s a fun event for the whole team to do,” said Dingee.
“I think it’s really fun because I enjoy running longer distances. This really is a good way to put our team out there and do something cool,” said Bouchard.
“I was a little skeptical. The only reason I thought it was alright is because I got to be a part of something bigger in the school,” adds Carter Stevens.
“I thought it was a good idea. I think it will be awesome to hand the football off to the football players,” notes sophomore Nick Stevens, Carter’s younger brother.
Thomas said she has organized a group of students to form a tunnel the runners will run by onto the field, something the team looks forward to.
“I’m just happy to be able to run on the field with all my teammates,” said sophomore Nick Stevens
Similar to their coach, the G-A runners also hope the unique event will generate more interest in the sport.
“I think it will help promote it, but I don’t see as many kids at our school, because most of them have other events like volleyball and football. But it could promote it to more people. But I think it is a real cool event,” said Nick Stevens.
Thomas said she is very proud of the team for embracing the idea of running the game ball from Delton to G-A High School before the homecoming game.
“I couldn’t do this without them,” she said.
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