Marion boys XC running to success

MARION - Marion boys cross country coach Matt Thornton didn't hesitate to say this team has shown the ability to be considered the school's best in at least a decade.The Indians's success this season and their place in the Iowa Association of Track Coaches rankings make it tough point to argue. Marion has ascended the IATC polls are currently third in Class 3A, one season after finishing 13th at the state meet.“This is an amazing team,” Thornton said. “This is a rare team you don't see come along often. It's been fun to be a part of it.”The Indians returned its top six runners from last year's state team. Senior captains Zach Burhite and Nick Rael and junior Lukas Mees, who is ranked 15th individually, lead the returners and all that experience has been key to Marion's success. Thornton said it is beneficial when it comes to knowing what it takes to train, running and lifting regularly through the summer to pushing themselves to be in top shape for the season.“A lot of these guys were kind of disappointed with the end of the season last year being out of the top 10 in the state and really wanted to hit a higher mark this year,” Thornton said. “With that, they've put in their work and hopefully we can get that top 10 at state this year.”Mees leads the Indians with a season-best time of 16:53, Rael is next, running to a time of 17:21, which is just seven seconds better than Burhite. Senior Scout Morehouse is fourth on the team, coming in at 17:34. For a team that is ranked so high as a team, only one has cracked the state's individual rankings.“We don't have huge stars and we don't have three guys in the top 20 by any means,” Thornton said. “It's just a group effort. That team building idea that we're stronger as a team than individuals.”Thornton pointed out that Burhite and Rael serve as the leaders of the squad. Burhite comes from a running family and knows what needs to get accomplished. Both are his go-to guys on the team.“During practices, those two guys are the ones I really trust and rely upon to get things done and keep people motivated and running their hardest,” Thornton said.One of the Indians' biggest strengths is their ability to run together in a pack. The squad sticks as close to Mees as possible and then pushes each other to the finish line. The pack mentality helps the team performance, placing close together near the front of the field. Marion has a deep and balanced team that could have 10 different runners crack the varsity lineup.“All those guys are actually pretty close to one another time-wise. That kind of leads to our pack running,” said Thornton, noting the finish order changes every meet. “After Lukas, all those guys are crossing the finish line within seconds of one another. A lot of times it's just whoever has that little extra in their tank at the end of the race determines who crosses the finish line (first).”Competition within the team helps power the Indians to success against other teams. With more than 25 runners on the team, chemistry is as strong as ever. Thornton said there doesn't seem to be a division between varsity and junior varsity runners. Camaraderie leads to team dinners and just hanging out away from the sport.“They all get along really well and encourage each other,” Thornton said. “They do things outside of cross country together.”Thornton mentioned an earlier event at Cascade as a highlight, but his team's performance at the Cedar Rapids Invitational at Noelridge Park impressed him. It showed what the Indians could do against top runners.“We were kind of a small fish in a big pond,” Thornton said. “Going up against some of the strongest teams in the state with Prairie, Linn-Mar and Washington and all those 4A schools and we came in eighth. That says something about our team and how well we can compete against bigger schools and some really strong competition.”Marion is gearing up for the biggest competition of the season, focusing on getting better rather than rankings. The goal isn't just to crack the top 10 but to conclude the season in the top 5 at state.“We've been working hard,” Thornton said. “Just trying to get as many wins under our belt as possible, getting ready for the big end of the season push.“It's exciting to see them race and see who is going to cross the finish line compared to the last meet. It's been a fun season to see these guys do as well as they have.”