Season starts next week for Wolfpack XC team

EPPJ Wolfpack Cross Country Elgin Nebraska Antelope County Nebraska news Elgin Review 2022 9017 4 col cmyk
Members of the first-ever Wolfpack cross country team are (l-r): Emma Kinney, Matthew Dilly, Corbin Kinney and Jovie Vaisvilas.

ELGIN — And now for something new.

For the first time as a sports co-op, the Wolfpack will compete in cross country.

Four athletes will put their names in the history books as the first cross country team to don the Wolfpack colors in NSAA-sanctioned meets.

A new team means a new coach. Tiffany Moser will head up the program’s inaugural season. Having competed in cross country in high school (Corning, Iowa) and at Morningside College, Coach Moser knows what it will take to make the Wolfpack successful when they line up at the starting line.

“They have a competitive side to them,” she said about the team. “They are all goal-oriented.”

Four athletes are training now for the first meet which will be held Friday, Sept. 2, at the Albion Country Club.

Corbin Kinney is the most experienced runner on the team, having competed in track for the Wolfpack. He helped lead the Wolfpack to a berth at the State Track Championships last season as a member of the 4X100 relay team.

“Corbin provides us with a lot of leadership,” Coach Moser said.

Three other athletes who hope to shine on the course are Matthew Dilly, Emma Kinney and Jovie Vaisvilas who, Coach Moser said, are rounding into shape. She said all four athletes are improving with each practice.

“To be a good cross country athlete, you need a lot of motivation,” she said. “that drive to want to be out there and trying to get yourself up on those times that you do not want to go out and run.”

Right now, in preparation to the start of the season, the team is running between 10 and 20 miles each week. Coach Moser expects, by the end of the season, the number will rise to between 25 and 30 miles.

“With it being so new to them,” she said, “I want to make sure they’re not overdoing it because I remind them of that. Workout days are important, but also having the rest day in there is just as important.”

Coach Moser said conditioning is key. She’s working with her runners on pace, saying she’s not looking for her team to sprint to the finish line, but to maintain a strong pace throughout the 5K (3.1 miles) course.

What makes cross country a great fan sport, she said, is that parents and fans alike can cheer the Wolfpack at different spots along the course in addition to the start and finish line.

The schedule is busy throughout the month of September and wraps up in October with district and state events.

There’s plenty to cheer about with this, the first EPPJ cross country team.

Come out and support the team this season!