This season has been a completely new experience for me. With two seniors gone off a team with only seven kids, it was a very empty feeling stepping to the line without them there, especially after the heartbreak of last year, losing states on a disqualification. Seeing as there were no seniors on our team this year, Curtis and myself had big shoes to fill as the oldest runners. Not all that much was expected to come of this year. Having two front-runners at meets was helpful, but usually not good enough to win. The weather this year certainly did not help either. It is extremely hard to gauge yourself against years past when conditions are so poor. But that's not to say that this year wasn't rewarding. I won my first cross-country race ever at the foundation invite and was rewarded with another invite win several weeks later. But the one race on the season that gets me is states. Good old states. At the half way point of the race it was perfect. The seven favorites running in a tight front pack. I felt good, even great, but the aloha hills took their toll. Not on the way up, rather the way down, as I just couldn't hang on to the lead pace on those rocketing decents. They gapped me and Ryan and we just never could make it up. It certainly wasn't the best race I have ever run, I'm not sure I would even call it a good race, but as I crossed the line in 4th and fell to the ground dry heaving and ready to pass out, I knew I had given the best effort I could on that day.
-Sam Williams
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