In early November, North Atlanta’s XC season culminated with the 6A state championship, held in Carrollton, Georgia. Sadly, the team did not perform at the level they have in the last 2 years; a girls state championship in 2021 and a boys state championship in 2022. After months of disciplined work, the team fell short of the high bar they set during their respective state championship wins. The boys’ team finished 5th and the girls 8th. Yet, the disappointing finish has created tremendous motivation to look forward to next year.
Community coach, Jonathan Bair, realizes many of the athletes who competed were disappointed with both their personal results and the team results. However, a message Coach Bair reinforces daily serves to redirect athletes’ attention from focusing on results. He encourages athletes to adopt a mindset focused purely on the process. “My message as North Atlanta’s coach is that the result does not matter. If we focus on the process of improvement, a favorable result will come,” said Bair.
The 2023 version of the boys’ team was young, although senior Teddy Meredith served as an experienced teammate that many of the less experienced runners were grateful for. Although the boys did not enjoy the team result following the state meet, Meredith was able to boost the morale of the team by fighting for a 4th place finish overall. In the process, he bettered many runners who dominated much of the 2023 season. Meredith said, “I was super excited to get 4th overall, especially this being my last year running in high school.”
Injuries blitzed this year’s team, knocking out three talented sophomore boys who regularly earned points for the team. Meredith acknowledges the team’s setbacks with a mature mindset, accepting the reality the team had to deal with. “The injuries this year left us vulnerable,” said Meredith, “but it is just a part of the sport. It was something we had to deal with.”
On the girls’ side, four seniors are leaving following the 2023 campaign. New leaders will be needed in 2024. One likely candidate is rising junior Scottie Brown, an athlete featured in the Warrior Wire (Scottie Brown: Stellar Sophomore Strides for Success). Brown knows next year the team will lose important scorers, but believes the girls’ team can “do very well because we have a few young girls who have serious potential.” said Brown. “If everyone puts in the work we will have a good chance of doing well next year.”
While the 2023 cross country season results were disappointing, the team is extremely motivated going into track season and next year. By not focusing on results, but rather understanding that the process is the destination, the time will come when the North Atlanta running warriors achieve victory on the championship stage again.
