Winning the district championships in 2021 has been a dream come true for the boys’ cross country (XC) team. The team hoped to bring home another championship after the 2021 season. Following the retirement of former head coach David Van Houten last year, Neal Berman succeeded him as the head coach. This year, Global Studies teacher Dallas Alexander, who has experience coaching field hockey at LaSalle University and ran track collegiately for Dartmouth College, will lead the XC team. To understand the state of the team as it is now, one has to understand Alexander’s training philosophy and how athletes have competed under the new leadership.
Alexander’s summer training started after the first week of summer vacation. Everyone had to do independent workouts from June to early August. He also planned in-person practices once a week from June to July. Once the official preseason started in August, there were multiple practices each day. The team spent more time together than ever before and more emphasis was put on technical form. The book 17 Essential Qualities of Being a Team Player was a mandatory read for all runners. The team even met in Alexander’s class to discuss the lessons the team could take away from the book. Captain Alexander Goonwardene ’24 stated that summer training has changed because “there was a lot more of a focus on team mentality and expectations.”
Commitment is one of the most important requirements of the team. Absences from events have consequences, including the removal of athletes from select meets. “Absences from practices have consequences because practice improves your skill at any sport,” says team member Dylan Leone ’25, “In cross country, every day is important for you to get stronger, and any day that you skip makes you weaker.” If an athlete is injured, they are expected to check in with the coaches every day to discuss their physical therapy with the school trainers. After they receive treatment, they are still expected to attend the rest of practice. Alexander’s style of training emphasizes teamwork and generates a competitive and supportive energy between teammates. In addition to this foundation, Alexander brings a more tactical approach to running at LM. He coaches his athletes’ on proper running form multiple times a week and uses a lot of variety in his training to focus on all aspects of racing. A typical weekly practice plan usually consists of multiple days of harder/up-tempo runs followed by stretches of easy days. Alexander also trains his athletes in the pool to help improve their endurance and strength.
Goonewardene’s best 5K time this season at Rose Tree Park, the Central League’s home course, has improved from 16:53 to 16:22. Dylan Leone has had a similar experience. His best time this year at Rose Tree Park is 18:20, an improvement from his PR from last year of 20:46. Across the team, athletes have been hitting PRs and improving their times. All this serves as evidence of a successful system.
Alexander wants the XC team to succeed and embrace their potential. His training is serious, technically focused, and prioritizes one aspect each day that the team can improve on. It seems to be working pretty well as LM has crushed all of their competitions so far this year. This training might just bring LM another district championship and an impressive placement at states.
