Summer's End

With only two weeks left until practice begins the summer is almost over and school is close to starting. But, with that in mind it is not a summer to be forgotten because the kids took full advantage of all the fun activities.
In June, right after school released, 15 runners we to Flathead Lake Distance Camp and had a blast meeting new people and having their minds opened to just how diverse high school running can be. July was followed by some local road races where they did particularly well. First the Let's Climb A Mountain team including Corey, Dakota, Mariah, Sanne, Amie, and Devon won their division (pictured to the right). Results can be found here.

Next up was the famous Toaster Splash which starts by the toast popping up from the toaster. First off alum Aaron won the first to the mile race while on the girls side Sanne and Amie 'split' that award. In the end the boys won the team award and received lunch at Qdoba with Devon finishing 5th overall and Matt finishing 9th. On the girls side Sanne and Amie continued together to the finish with Sanne finishing 10 seconds in front of Amie for a 1-2 finish. Both teams are pictured to the left near the stream that they have to cross within the race.  Results can be found here.

As for the coaches, they have not missed out on summers travel with Coach Martin spending two weeks in the beautiful Colorado Rockies with his wife visiting their son Reese. Coach Hisaw also got away to Alaska for a week and will spend part of August in Yellowstone amid plenty of relaxation time at the lake. While Coach Portwood rafted in Oregon, Climbed Mt. Rainier and is looking forward to more outdoor adventures in August and September.

A couple of reminders for runners and parents:

• Physicals are on August 10 at 5:30pm at the Cheney Clinic for $20
• First day of practice is August 22 at 3:10pm in Coach Martins room (218)
• We leave for our retreat at Twin Lakes on Tuesday August 23 at 8:00am from CHS. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR PURPLE CARD, PERMISSION SLIP, AND $20 OR ELSE YOU CAN NOT GO!! (Parent letter for retreat is here)
• Tentative Team Time Trial is scheduled for Tuesday August 30 at Salnave Park which will be followed by the parent meeting. So come out to watch your kids race and stay for hot dogs and season information afterwards. 
• First day of school is August 31, get excited!
• First XC meet is September 10
• If you have any questions, comments, concerns please feel free to contact us.

Summer Running

With the start of the fourth week of summer running we have had some good times and many kids have been very dedicated to putting in the miles for the upcoming cross country season. Two days after school got out the team took 16 athletes to the Flathead Distance Running Camp just outside of Big Fork, Montana. They enjoyed meeting other runners from around the United States, running at elevation on some sweet trails, setting some team goals for the fall, and learning from some of the best coaches in the nation.

Up next for the Blackhawks are a few summer races. This coming weekend is Let's Climb A Mountain in which 6 athletes are going to participate in the relay with legs from 3 to 8 miles long from the Clock Tower in downtown Spokane to the top of Mt. Spokane; 34 miles total and nearly 4000 feet of vertical gain. Also this weekend is Happy Hoofers from City Park in Cheney in conjunction with Rodeo weekend. Later in July the Toaster Splash in Deer Park is on the 16th and Cherry Pickers Trot is on the 21st. Information on both of these races can be found at Bloomsday Road Runners Club website.

Important information to keep in mind:

• Keep track of your summer mileage and work toward the 250 mile club which will receive a shirt and possibly a kayak trip...
• First day of practice is August 22nd starting with a meeting in Coach Martin's room.
• Retreat this year is on August 23rd, the second day of practice, make sure you have all of your paperwork in order so you don't miss out on this great experience.