Top Returnees from 2014 XC Season
| 1) Adam Sandstedt | 16:25.48 | |||
| 2) Quinn Miller | 16:36.00 | |||
| 3) Will Rumpf | 16:42.00 | |||
| 4) Sam Baumer | 16:42.00 | |||
| 5) Nick Wright | 16:51.40 | |||
| Average Time: 16:39.38 Total Time: 1:23:16.88 1-5 Split: 25.92 | ||||
| 6) Grant Sykuta | 17:03.40 | |||
| 7) Mason Mislan | 17:18.80 | |||
Top Returning 3200m Times from 2015 Outdoor Season
| 1) Adam Sandstedt | 9:40.61 | |||
| 2) Quinn Miller | 9:56.57 | |||
| 3) Sam Baumer | 9:57.74 | |||
| 4) Will Rumpf | 9:57.98 | |||
| 5) Nick Wright | 10:00.24 | |||
| Average Time: 9:54.63 Total Time: 49:33.14 1-5 Split: 19.63 | ||||
| 6) Andrew Glass | 10:49.75 | |||
| 7) Connor Liebhart | 10:52.96 | |||
Top Returning 1600m Times from 2015 Outdoor Season
| 1) Sam Baumer | 4:31.85 | |||
| 2) Quinn Miller | 4:33.87 | |||
| 3) Adam Sandstedt | 4:37.47 | |||
| 4) Nick Wright | 4:37.59 | |||
| 5) Will Rumpf | 4:37.86 | |||
| Average Time: 4:35.73 Total Time: 22:58.64 1-5 Split: 6.01 | ||||
| 6) Grant Sykuta | 4:44.43 | |||
| 7) Jacob Ripley | 4:47.15 | |||
Q&A With Coach Blackburn
Give a brief recap of last season.
I was very proud of our boys last season, finishing 3rd at the State Championships after graduating our 1, 2, 3, 4 guys from the season before. We focused on training and racing together and closing our gaps from 1-5, and from 1-7 and it worked out pretty well for us.
How has training been going for your team? What is your current focus for training?
For both of our teams, our focus is to transition from primarily base mileage and work into our second phase of training which consists of continued aerobic development, mixed energy system workouts every micro-phase, and a focus on developing volume tempo work.
Who have you been most impressed or surprised with their improvement and/or fitness from their summer training?
I have been very impressed with the number of boys we had working this summer and especially our depth with our current levels of fitness.
Who are your team captains or leaders and what stands out about them as examples for the rest of their teammates?
Quinn Miller is probably our most experienced varsity runner and has done a nice job in helping to assemble the guys in various ways. Our other senior Varsity runners; Grant Sykuta and Will Rumpf use their personalities and natural methods of leadership to combine with Quinn and some of our younger guys like Sam Baumer and Nick Wright to create a solid group for our Varsity guys. We also have a a number of athletes in our various training groups that do a fantastic job of doing what they can to maintain our tradition. They oftentimes get overlooked, but we couldn't do what we do without any of them.
What will be the biggest obstacle or challenge facing your team this season?
I believe our biggest obstacle will simply be our competition. We see such a great amount of competition throughout our state. Within our team itself, probably the stress that comes with depth for our individual kids and the mentality of competing for spots can be draining; physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What will be the biggest reason why your team is successful this season?
I think the dedication and commitment to one another will determine how successful we are this season.
What are some staple workouts your team does during the season?
Tempo mile repeats with little rest, Long Steady-state runs, and Controlled fartleks are some of our multiple phase workouts.
What are your top 3 goals for this year's squad?
1. Enjoy the journey.
2. Stay in the moment
3. Fulfill our potential.
Any impact freshmen or transfers to join the team this season?
Kylan Rottinghaus from Carbondale HS, Carbondale, Illinois.
Final Thoughts/Comments?
I believe both of our teams can continue to be successful as we have attempted to define it at Rock Bridge.
Kern's Notes
Lafayette looks like they have a team to dominate the rest of the field in Class 4 Boys. Rock Bridge High School returns a solid nucleus that will be in the hunt to stand on the Trailer again in November. Pre-Season Rankings has Rock Bridge as the odd man out in the team standings coming into the 2015 season. But looking at the early indicators for 2015, very few points are separating the 2nd-7th Ranked Teams. See the earlier posted article on http://mo.milesplit.com/articles/160164-top-25-returning-teams-class-4-boys. I wouldn't count out Rock Bridge. Not only could they get back onto the Trophy Stand but they could even improve on their 3rd Place finish in 2014.