Milesplit Arizona Cross Country Journals
As our high school seniors finish their cross country season and submit their final journals, I would like to thank them for all their words of wisdom and encouragement they shared with us all over the season. It has truly been a pleasure getting to know all of them!!!!
Thank you Kailey! You are awesome!!
Kailey Rumbo
(Sr., Sandra Day O'Connor)
Final Journal Entry (November 9, 2009)
My senior season has gone by so quickly and the Region and State meets are over! I’m sad that they’re over with, but excited for what will come in the future. Both meets were not exactly what I expected, but I gained so much from competing in them.
The Region meet was an overall success, as my team won for its fourth time in a row! The race was at the O’Connor home course, and it played out well. I led the race for the first two miles, but my teammate, senior Gloria Tello, passed me up and won the race with me coming in second. I was hoping to win, but Gloria ran an awesome race and really deserved the title. The other girls on my team raced extremely well! Brooke Warren, also a senior, and the underclassmen Stefanie Nguyen, Jordyn Bentley, Stephanie Croker and Mandy Bonsignore truly stepped up their game and raced for one another. It was a close race, but we finished strong and won the meet. The O’Connor boys also raced great, finishing second as a team.
State was this weekend, and it unfolded differently than I pictured. Our team was ready to go, hoping to finish the season with a great race. The race was off to a good start, and I could tell that there were plenty of girls hoping for top finishes, as the lead pack was pretty large. However, I felt differently than normal throughout the race, and my body was struggling. Unfortunately, when I had only about 200 meters until the finish, I blacked out and fell to the ground, and was unable to finish the race. The good news is, I went to the doctor, and they are treating me for an infection. I should be back to normal soon. Needless to say, this was not how I wanted to finish my senior cross country season, but I have never been more aware of how much my teammates and coaches care for me. Coach Dempsey never left my side while I was at the medical tent at the course, and my teammates immediately sought to find me after they finished their races. They have continued to support me, and I couldn’t thank them enough. My coach has told me that one race does not define my whole running career, and I took that to heart and will come back strong for track in the spring!
Our boys’ team finished amazingly, placing fourth! This is the best that they have done in O’Connor history, and I am so proud of them! They really worked hard, and reaped the benefits. I also want to applaud all of the other racers who competed this weekend. There were some amazing races and great results, and I congratulate all of those individual and team title holders! I hope you all had a great season and good luck if you are planning to compete at the Nike Region and Footlocker meets!
-Kailey
Journal Entry #4 (October 28, 2009)
(Kailey at Mt. SAC ~ 350 meters before the finish line)
Just got back from last weekend’s 62nd annual Mt. Sac Invitational! What an experience. My team arrived in California on Friday morning, and visited the course and watched a couple of races. Even though I have been to Mt. Sac four times now, it always surprises me how many teams compete in the meet. Our races were on Saturday morning, so we had a nice Friday afternoon to relax and get mentally prepared. We had our weekly pasta dinner that night and saw a couple of other cross country teams at the restaurant. It was a perfect Friday and we were ready to run well the next day!
Our varsity girls raced early Saturday morning, and our junior varsity girls raced 15 minutes later. Unlike the past years, we competed in the class division races instead of the Sweepstakes race. It was a nice change; all of our girls placed well individually, and as a team we also did really well. I loved the race; the Mt. Sac course is probably my favorite cross country course I have ever run on. The race went fast, and I finished ninth in my race, with my teammate Gloria Tello right behind me in tenth. The rest of the team did amazing; we cut down on our split between runners one through five which was really encouraging. We finished in time to cheer on our JV runners in their race, who also finished well. They worked together and ran the tough course with amazing drive! I was really proud of how hard the team worked that Saturday.
The Mt. Sac experience this year was one of the best I have had. Because we took 13 girls this year instead of just 7, there was more team bonding and our team spirit grew. We got to see numerous other races, including those with other fellow Arizona runners who also did really well. At the end of the day, it was bittersweet that it was over. I had been going to the meet every year since my freshman year, and I am sad that I won’t be coming back next year with the high school team. But, it was an amazing experience, as it is every year, and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to travel to Mt. Sac.
-Kailey
Entry #3 (October 21, 2009)
(Kailey at the finish line at the O'Connor/Ken Denson Invitational)
Another two meets down and only three weeks until State! I cannot believe the season is so close to its finish. My team raced at the Doug Conley Invitational and the O’Connor Ken Denson Invite the past two Saturdays, both with very different experiences.
At Conley, my team went in with high expectations and we understood that it was one of the most competitive races of the season. However, we did not finish as well as we had hoped. It was a tough race for me individually, as well. After the race, we met as a team and got pumped up for the next week, and since then we have been working hard and we have grown as a team.
Last Saturday we ran at our invitational at our home course. I always love racing at our meet; it’s definitely one of my favorite courses and it is exciting because we know the course well. Our team was fired up about the meet because we had been working so hard the previous week, and this excitement helped during the race. We finished well, and a lot of us stepped it up and came through for one another. I felt really good during the race and was happy with my finish in fourth place. It was an unusually hot day for the middle of October, but all of the teams did really well in spite of that. I was very proud of my teammates, and I think they have all grown mentally and physically in the past weeks of training in preparation for Region and State.
This Friday my team heads off to California for Mt. Sac. I am so thrilled because we are taking about twice as many girls this year to compete as we have in the past, making a varsity and a junior varsity team. It’s such a different experience racing against teams from all over the country. We hope to do well and have fun!
I hope everyone is getting excited for their region and state meets! Good luck!
-Kailey
Entry #2 (October 7, 2009)
(pictured right; Kailey at the Adobe Invitational)
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Another couple of weeks have already passed by, and it’s October already! These past weeks have been so busy for me, juggling running and school activities. I did not mention it in the last journal, but as a member of the Student Government at O’Connor, things were getting very hectic as Homecoming week at our school approached quickly. We have been working so hard during and after school as well as on the weekends, planning everything from a parade to the dance, and this is difficult to fit in with practicing and other school work. I have found that applying for colleges and various scholarships also takes a lot of time, on top of training, and it can be very strenuous! But, I know that all of that work will be well worth it soon.
Two weeks ago I competed at the George Young Invite. This was the first time my team ran at that meet, and I really enjoyed it. The course was extremely challenging but I loved it! I finished well and was pleased at the end of the race. At that meet I really realized how many talented athletes there are running this year! There are so many underclassmen that are definitely going to prove themselves to be amazing in the upcoming years, and this is so exciting for Arizona running!
This weekend my team raced at the Adobe Invitational, and we did really well. After a long and stressful past two weeks, it was tough to race, but it was gratifying for me to win it individually. I was also thrilled with the rest of my team! For girls, we won the freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity races, and our guys also ran really well. It was a nice end to a crazy week.
October is going to be extremely packed with things to do. With a meet every weekend, I can see that the important part of the cross country season is nearing. It’s so exciting to race, but at the same time I find myself sad after the meets knowing it’s the last time I’ll ever run in that particular race. But even while it is bittersweet, I’m so enthusiastic about this last year of high school cross country and am ready to keep improving!
Good luck to all of you in the upcoming weeks!
-Kailey
Entry #1 Introduction (September 20, 2009)
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Hey everyone, my name is Kailey Rumbo, and I would like to introduce myself to you. I am a senior at Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Phoenix. I started running cross country and track for USATF in fifth grade, and at that time I really enjoyed the sport and I knew I wanted to run in high school. So, I began my freshman year running under Coach Dempsey, and have done so all through high school. Running is one of the most important parts of my life, but I also put a lot of value in academics. Sometimes it is very challenging to balance running with the advanced placement courses I am taking at school, and I definitely learned that through experience last year. But, I think those challenges have prepared me for my last year of high school and will hopefully make it easier to balance them this year!
From training since June, I am definitely thrilled that this season’s races have finally begun. It is rewarding to see that all of the hard work is beginning to pay off, and I was excited to race last weekend. The Scottsdale Running Company Invite was the first meet of the season for my team, and we were ready to run. When we arrived at the golf course, I noticed the threatening rain clouds in the distance, but I hoped we could finish the race before any rain pour started. This was wishful thinking; during the race before mine, it began to sprinkle, and it gradually picked up as my race neared. This heightened my nerves, but although it rained all through the race, it didn’t bother me much and I quickly forgot about it. The race felt good, and I felt like I had improved since last year. I finished with an improved time since last season, but I didn’t place as high as I would have liked. However, it was only the first race of a long season ahead, so I know I have time to progress even more. I am definitely not satisfied and can’t wait to compete in the weeks ahead.
I hope all of you are enjoying the beginning of your seasons so far. Good luck this fall and remember that this is what you have trained so hard for!
-Kailey