The St Paul's Girls are a traditional 5A powerhouse and 2017 is no different. We spoke with Coach Tate to find out how his squad looked this year.
1. How many years have you been coaching high school cross country (and at your current school)?
42 years (starting 40th year @ St. Paul's)
2. What do you attribute as the main reasons for the success of your program?
Tradition, school and parental support, work ethic and consistency
3. What would be the best way to describe your style and philosophy of coaching and working with high school runners?
Being positive and encouraging a family atmosphere on teams
4. What are your core beliefs in your training plan and workouts for your cross country squads?
Moderate mileage based with aerobic development primary and building up to more anaerobic/repetition workouts as season progresses
5. How many runners do you return from your top 7 from a year ago?
All of them
Isabel Valenzuela, Katherine Rush, Palmer Waechter, Mary Howard Singleton, Sydney Jane Hendryx, Sarah Strickland, Virginia Terreson
7. Who are your team captains or leaders and what stands out about them as examples for the rest of their teammates?
No team captains have been selected yet; all of my leading girls are either sophomores or freshmen. Isabel is a natural team leader by example and commitment to improving herself and her teammates.
8. Who have you been most impressed or surprised with their improvement and/or fitness from their summer training?
Probably Katherine Rush, Sarah Strickland and Palmer Waechter have stood out the most
9. Any impactful freshmen or transfers to join the team this season?
I have some promising 7th graders that I am hoping will develop as the season progresses
10. What are the top invitational meets that your team will be attending this season?
Challenge of Champions, Sugar Bowl Invitational, Gulf Coast Stampede and Crimson Classic (tentatively scheduled at present time)
11. What will be the biggest obstacle or challenge facing your team this season?
Continuing to improve as a team and developing quality depth
12. What will be the biggest reason why your team is successful this season?
Staying healthy and improving at each position
13. What is a favorite annual or common pre-season workout or run for your team?
Nothing in particular stands out as favorites @ each part of the season, but we do try and transition to more quality and less volume as we approach the end of the season.
14. What are your top 3 goals for this year's squad?
#1. Have each participant maximize their performance improvement
#2. Develop good work habits and feel a sense of accomplishment
#3. Win State