PRESEASON:

After a 19th place finish at the 2008 NAIA Nationals in Kenosha, Wisconsin the Warriors were eager to giddy-up and start their summer training, individually and as a team. Mike Collins, a very personal and dedicated coach, has built this program from the ground up wining numerous Frontier Conference Titles. His personal coaching style starts with emails and letters out to his athletes throughout the summer to keep motivated and dedicated to the team. As soon as each athlete receives their 2009 Summer training guide, it is now up to them to follow and execute their plan so they can bring to the table just one of the pieces in order to win that NAIA National Title. 

After months filled with thousands of minutes and miles ran, I find my way out to Lewiston, Idaho the first week of August to meet my team for the four years. With only a few more weeks until our first meet in Walla Walla, Washington surprised us, we embark on our team retreat at our coaches Montana property only a few hours outside of Lewiston. Four days and three nights of runs, food, games, and bonding is all that was needed for me to feel apart of a real team. 

Easy runs, after workouts, after long runs, after sleepless nights in the dorms... Our first meet was upon us. During a hard day of 8x 3 Minutes hard a guy on the team said, "This is what Walla Walla should look like!" Our coach had emphasize of our team to run as a pack, and that is exactly what we were doing. We were very deep as a team with a few dark horses in the mix to get the "W". The next week on all of our runs someone during the run would shout, "This is what Walla Walla should look like!" We all got a kick out of it and keep saying it as we run together. As a team.