Suffering alone, together

“Cross country might look like an individual sport because yes, everyone is out there suffering solo, but it’s the shared struggle that turns a group of runners into a team,” explained head coach Lindsey Graden, whose Ennis Mustangs are poised to challenge for a team medal in the class B state championship meet. 

“Since we moved to Class B a few years ago, this is the first time we have had more than enough runners for full girls' and boys' teams. All season we have been able to compete as individuals and as teams,” she continued. “A place at State would mean a great deal to our program.”  

In addition to the challenges of fielding a team of teenagers for a sport that features suffering at its forefront, the growth of the school as a whole in Ennis and its change of classification have provided additional challenges. 

“It has been quite a few years since Ennis has placed at the state level and when they did it was class C,” said Graden, who took over as head coach of the program in 2023. “The move to class B has meant we need more runners to make a qualifying team, and the competition is a step up. While the boys' team is aware that placing is possible, our focus has remained the same for both boys' and girls' teams: show up, work hard, and stay on course with our training plans. In the end if we place that would be amazing, and if not we will know that we trained the best we could and we had fun along the way.”

As Graden weaves the concepts of suffering and fun together, almost interchangeably, throughout the course of the interview, one can’t help but wonder how do you encourage a bunch of teenagers to embrace suffering when our whole society appears dead set on avoiding it? 

“There have been some long-standing traditions that the team looks forward to that build our cross-country family,” Graden explains. “For years, our first practice has been a midnight headlamp run around town, because who doesn't want to start a workout at midnight? There are also spontaneous swims in the river at the end of a hot run, "ice bath" soaks in the river, team and individual practice challenges, team dinners, competitive card games, and popsicles.”

While ice baths, popsicles and other traditions help develop the team, Graden is quick to point out that the magic is not hers to create alone. 

“The assistant coaches are very instrumental to the growth of the program,” she points out.  “Coach Cory Hardy is the most positive person I've ever met. Always smiling, always upbeat, and somehow juggling a million things while still showing up for our runners. He’s a walking advertisement for outdoor adventure and community involvement. Then there’s Coach Katie Coyle, our middle school mastermind. She’s not just coaching, she is always recruiting to build the future of the program. She sends up athletes who are not only physically ready but mentally prepared to tackle the high school grind.”

Hardy, a business owner, Ennis town commissioner and accomplished endurance athlete, added his thoughts to the development of the cross county team culture. 

“They are definitely groups of runners that gravitate towards one another,” he explains. “You have the class structure and the males and females, but having a group this large allows us to compete as a team. That definitely generates a lot of team spirit and camaraderie.” 

While some runners compete for the camaraderie, Hardy sees something more basic as the primary reason to be part of cross country. 

“Being out in this beautiful valley of ours and exercising,” was his answer when asked about his favorite part about cross country.  “We are not limited to a football field or a gymnasium for our practices or competitions. I feel this group of kids all recognize the beauty of our training grounds and how each racing venue is unique.”

Graden’s favorite memory of the season involves facing personal and team challenges in a unique venue. 

“My favorite memory this season was taking a group of high school girls to compete in their first endurance trail run, The Nitty Gritty in Red Lodge,” said Graden. “We trained for it throughout the summer and competed in it as a preseason meet. The single-track terrain seemed to be only up or only down, sunshine followed by rain, thunder, lightning, basically all four seasons in one race.”

While this sounds memorable, it is an interesting choice as a favorite memory for a season until Graden explains the why. 

“What sticks with me every season is watching athletes battle through races and workouts and then come out stronger on the other side-this is part of why coaches coach. Every season we get to witness runners become tougher, grittier, and more confident. They do things they didn’t think they could, and we get a front-row seat to the show. Running teaches many lessons, my favorite is learning to be comfortable with discomfort.  There are no timeouts, no subs, no drink breaks, or pats on the back once the race begins. You just have to grit it out on your own until the end.”

Those difficult, gritty lessons are attracting more and more kids every year in Ennis and elsewhere. Hardy shared a memory about the moment the growth of the sport really hit home for him. 

“We had a meet in Missoula several weeks ago and watched 700 runners take off from the starting line,” he began. “That is such an incredible site to behold.  Cross country has grown substantially in popularity and has huge mass starts that I have never witnessed until these last couple years.”

The growth of the sport at Ennis High School could largely be attributed to Graden’s philosophy regarding the sport. 

“I believe everyone needs to be a part of something, doesn't matter what it is just get involved and don't be afraid to try something new or to be uncomfortable,” she explained knowing that the success of the team this year will largely come down to how uncomfortable she made her team at the right times. 

“When the dust settles, I know that each athlete on our team has a huge heart when it comes to giving it their all and I am already very proud of each one of them for the goals accomplished this far,” she said. 

While the suffering is key to the process, it is Graden’s positive influence that will likely keep the team focused in the final meet of the season. 

“Consistency is the key,” she states. “We stick to the race plan and focus on the things we can control like our training, effort, mindset, and positive encouragement amongst each other. If everyone shows up feeling confident and races the way they know how then let the chips fall as they may.”

The state cross country meet will be held Oct. 25 at the University of Montana Golf Course in Missoula.