On the hottest of hot summer days, most people are sitting in their air-conditioned houses, sipping on lemonade and watching Jersey Shore while a small group of people are training for the upcoming fall cross country season, running for miles up and down the American River Canyon. A couple of these studs include senior Kirby Riecks and junior Cameron Brown.
“[In 6th grade] my parents paid me $20 to go to each practice the first week,” Riecks reflected. “Then I realized that most of the people were really cool and I kept going with it.”
Riecks has been on the varsity cross country team ever since her freshman year. After six years, how has she not gotten burnt out on her daily routine of running for miles?
“The thought of finishing and not letting my team down helps me push through my races,” Riecks commented.
For many, the thought of running miles at a time seems exhausting and timely. However, Riecks has a different take on this idea.
“The feeling after finishing a well-run race is exhilarating,” Riecks added.
Of course, in order to endure these long distances, Riecks seeks inspiration from her teammates.
“Shannon O’Flaherty’s song that she sings to us before races really helps me get in the zone.”
After running for six years, Riecks has decided to continue running; however, she will not be running competitively for her college of choice.
On the other side of the spectrum is Cameron Brown: overall first-place junior varsity cross country runner in his freshman year, now a second-year varsity placeholder. Brown has been running ever since 8th grade.
“In P.E. in middle school we’d run the mile and I liked it, so I thought I’d try out cross country,” Brown explained.
Rather than the exhilarating feeling that Riecks runs for, Brown’s main reason for participating in cross country, other than to stay fit, is the plethora of fun-loving people and family-like atmosphere that his teammates create.
“I’m competitive, so I like to beat people…I sort of turn my mind off and get in the zone,” Brown commented.
For inspiration, Brown turns to something that some see as more powerful than Placer senior O’Flaherty’s singing. Instead, he turns to someone who is talked about on a regular basis and is to those both in and outside of the cross country world.
“The legend of [Prefontaine] inspires me,” Brown admitted. Steve “Pre” Prefontaine was a long-distance runner who once held the records in the seven track distance events. In fact, during his senior year in high school, he ran a two-mile race in a mere 8 minutes 41 seconds. So it’s no wonder why Brown would look up to this American wonder.
“I even wrote a poem about Pre…it’s pretty good,” he added.
For Brown, cross country comes naturally. However, there was a time when it was incredibly difficult for him to even finish one race.
“In freshman year I pretty much walked a whole race because I was throwing up all night the night before due to a bad chicken fillet.”
Brown and Riecks have proven themselves to be valued teammates not only due to their spirit and dedication, but also because of their quirky characteristics.
“Kirby and Cameron are both dedicated and they’re always at practice, but they’re also two of the most entertaining on the team. Plus, Cameron runs with the girls on occasion,” commented Placer junior cross country runner Abby Myrick.
“Between Kirby’s positive attitude and Cameron’s determination, they bring out the best in the team,” stated O’Flaherty.
“It takes a certain kind of person to succeed in cross country,” Brown added. If this certain kind of person requires devotion, passion, and a plethora of idiosyncrasies, then Brown and Riecks are the perfect embodiments of cross country runners.
This year, the Pioneer League Finals will be held on November 4th in Torrance, CA, where Brown and Riecks are sure to be racing their hardest, whether their minds are blank or having O’Flaherty’s singing echoing through their heads.