With the second week of cross country workouts completed, the status of the Siloam Springs program wasn't totally clear, but the Panthers and Lady Panthers appear to be heading in the right direction.
Numbers have been as high as the 80s for high school and junior high combined since workouts resumed June 1, which is a good thing to see, according to head coach Sharon Jones.
"Our numbers are great," Jones said. "I feel like we have the kids we thought we'd have."
Jones said there were a few sophomore girls that haven't returned to the program, but other than that the Lady Panthers return nearly all of their high school runners from last year.
Jones said they're also missing a few high school boys, but numbers have grown in that area so their absence has been absorbed.
"We've got the biggest roster in high school boys that we've ever had," she said. "So as far as numbers, I'm thrilled."
In particular, team leader Michael Capehart and freshman boys Noah Granderson and Nate Hawbaker have stood out.
"Those two freshman boys who battled it out last year are both in great shape," Jones said. "Michael's in good shape. Everybody else I'm not sure. The boys did not turn in running logs (during the covid-19 break) like the girls did. But our miles are not there. What we normally would be at right now, the majority of our kids they're not there. Our kids did not run on their own like they should."
Runners were asked to complete running logs during the covid-19 break.
"Some did, some did not," Jones said. "I think that's what we're all going to see out of this is the majority did not run like they should have on their own or what they would have had they been in another sport. But I'm hoping the rest of the state is going to be in the same boat we are. I've already talked to the Greenwood coach last week at length. He never has the numbers that we have. He's in the same situation. Most of his kids are really out of shape. He's got a few that stayed in shape."
Jones said she set up Google Classroom with her cross country athletes and tried to keep tabs on them through email and text messaging.
"That's where I did most of my encouraging," she said. "I was shooting emails constantly to kids on Google Classroom or through that, checking up on them and really trying to encourage them. 'Hey, I saw you only ran eight miles last week. You know you're not going to be where you want to be in August or September if you don't pick up the miles and get out of the house.' Just being able to look and see what they're doing by them keeping a running log and them being able to communicate like that, I didn't have any Zoom meetings. I'm not against Zoom meetings. I think kids are Zoomed out. I know we were Zoomed out. I didn't want us to be one more meeting."
The good news is, the Panthers and Lady Panthers are used to making up miles quickly in the summer months.
"We're used to building miles quickly because we don't have a year-round program," Jones said. "Whereas a lot of these schools, they're in practice all the time. We may be on a level playing field more than ever this year. Because these kids like Lake Hamilton, who have an athletic period and they're in offseason all year long, for the first time ever we may be on a level playing field with them. They all of the sudden did not have that athletic period to train in all year."
The cross country teams will continue workouts three times a week in June up until June 21, which was to be the start of the dead period.
The Arkansas Activities Association has waived the dead period for this year and is giving schools the option of whether or not to waive it or observe it.
Siloam Springs athletics director Ken Harriman said the decision will be up to the individual coaches.
"Our plan is to let each head coach utilize this time as they see most beneficial," Harriman said. "Regardless of how they choose to do that, all of them agree they will allow their players to miss workouts during these weeks without repercussions. Some coaches wanted to take the week of the fourth off, while others would rather take the last week of June off. Our facilities will remain open and some of our coaches will be here. Like the kids, some of our coaches and their families have scheduled vacations also."
Jones said cross country will observe the two-week period as normal and then crank back up with four practices a week in July. When school starts in August, practice will increase to five days a week.
