MileStat.

com is reaching out to interview and recognize all of the head coaches from the victorious cross country state championship teams from this past weekend to give them the opportunity to reflect and share their feelings and thoughts on their team's successful fall seasons culminating with state team titles.

After last year winning Peninsula Catholic's first girls state team championship in any sport (the school opened in 1903), coach Susan Bender's cross country team did not wait another century to bring home a second state team title in holding off a challenge from TCIS rival Walsingham for the Virginia Independent Schools Division 2 cross country team championship. With only one senior among the top 9, the Peninsula Catholic girls and Coach Bender are destined to make it a third straight state title next fall. Interview with Pensinula Catholic girls cross country head coach Sue Bender

How many years have you been coaching? I have been coaching for 18 years. What advice did you give your team prior to the race or the week leading into the state meet? The advice I gave my team was to just do what they do best, which is to run. I advised them to be confident and to run to their capabilities like they did the week before at the TCIS Championships in which nine girls ran in the 22s or better. What was the race plan for the state meet and how did you feel it was executed? The race plan was to close the gap between all of our runners. My 1 5 runners narrowed their gap with an improvement of 58 seconds from the beginning of the year. In last years state meet there were 31

runners between our 4th and 5th girl which made the team scores within points. This year our top five were in the top 30 overall so I feel that the runners accomplished the job we set out to do. How did you feel your team raced at Woodberry on Friday? I feel the team raced to great performances this year at Woodberry. We had nine girls that ran faster than our 7th fastest girl last year on this course. They never gave up and kept their sight on defending their state title from last year. They knew they had to run well in order to do so and they exceeded my expectations. What were your feelings and emotions when you realized your team had won or during the awards? I was very proud of all the girls and their efforts this season. It felt like the longest wait during the awards ceremony. Since we ran in the last race of the day, we did not get to see the results before the awards ceremony. I knew we had a close race with Walsingham as they had challenged us all season. The girls and coaches were very nervous to find out the results. My team in 2006 had 6 girls in the top 22 and we lost by 5 points. I did not want to get my hopes up until I heard the results. It was an awesome feeling to hear Peninsula Catholic as 2012 Champions despite all of the challenges we faced with injuries throughout the entire season. It was a great feeling to know that all the hard work the runners put in during the season and overcoming the injuries paid off. What were the biggest challenges for this years team? This years biggest challenge was overcoming injuries. Throughout most of the season, there were six runners battling injury. Our top runner and last years individual State Champion, Martine Hunnicutt, missed five races this season and last years 5th, 6th, and 7th runners were unable to compete most of the season including the state meet. What do you think were the keys for your teams to peak and perform their best at seasons end? The key to my team peaking at the seasons end was to have a good mileage base building up to the tapering phase of our season. What would you consider as the low point of the teams season? How was the team able to respond? The low point of the season was when we held our Bill McGough Invitational meet and our first, third and fifth fastest runners at the time were unable to compete due to injury. I was really impressed how the other runners on the team stepped up their performances as needed to help the team bring home the 3rd place trophy. Was there a particular race, workout, or moment that you knew that your team was ready or had the potential to become state champions? The race in which I knew my team had great potential for the postseason was the Chesapeake Invitational. Despite the tough competition, PC won the race for the first time. I also knew early on in the season that the girls had a superior work ethic and were willing to take their training serious, thus allowing them to greatly improve the times needed to be competitive in the postseason. How would you best describe the group of kids that you coach? The girls that I coach are wonderful and talented! They make the team feel like a family. They are supportive of one another, have superior work ethic, make practice fun with a lot of humor and they are very humble in their success as well as gracious in defeat. They put God first in their lives and their actions towards each other and competitors show it! What role do your assistant coaches play with the program?

My assistant coach has been instrumental in her roles in the cross country program. She focuses on making the team health conscious as well as incorporating a core exercise program to fit into the training program. She is a great motivator and support system for the runners. A former runner of mine (Amanda Panholzer 08) also has come back this year to help the program, by running with the girls throughout workouts. What role do your parents have with the program? Our Cross Country parents help the program in many ways. They help in all the meets that we host with course preparation, marshaling, scoring, picture taking and providing snacks for all the runners. Anything we need as coaches, we just have to ask and our parents willingly and graciously provide. We also have a wonderful support system of parents of former runners dating back years ago who still come out and support our teams. What would be the best way to describe your coaching style? I am the type of coach who seeks out all and any girls in the school who want to run. I enjoy seeing the girls improve their times and seeing them feel good about what they have accomplished, especially if it is beyond what they ever expected. Each personal record no matter how great or small, gives me a sense of fulfillment as a coach, as much so as winning a state championship. I feel that high school coaching is a great opportunity to help develop the whole student athlete and to help each girl feel good about what she has accomplished. I base a lot of how I coach on my own running experiences as a former York High and Christopher Newport University runner. I mix the training with distance runs, intervals and speed workouts. I monitor the runners performances in races to determine what is needed in the weeks workouts.
Who were your leaders on your team and what was the importance to the squad? My leaders were Captains Jessica Armstrong and Molly McKenna. They led the team with motivational speeches and goal setting. They incorporated fun theme days before each race. They led by example with their hard work and dedication to the team.

Who was the biggest individual surprise or runner that most impressed you with their improvements this year? The runner who surprised me the most with her performance at the state championships and for the season was Laura Madril. She entered the state meet as my number 9 runner and finished as my 6th runner of the day. She ran a time that was only 10 seconds off her personal best for the season which she ran on a completely flat Newport News park course.

How would this team rank against some of the past teams that you coached? This years team is one of the best teams that I have coached. I had 12 girls who ran times under the 24 minute mark this season. My 2006 team was stronger at the top placing six girls in the top 22 at states in 22:15 or better.

What are your expectations for next years team? With only losing one senior and having seven underclassmen in the top 9 on the team this year, I hold high expectations for next years team. The girls got better throughout the season and built a lot of confidence. With the experience they have gained this year, they should be even stronger in future years