 Hello and welcome to the Dave Burdan show presented by Buffalo Wildlings. I'm Greg Royce joined by Stevenson cross-country head coach Dave Burdan And coach you had a pretty successful weekend up at the NCA Mideast regionals weekend made a little bit history for the first time You had a pair of runners qualify on the men's side for national championships and Pat Watson and Langston Gash Just talking about the race as a whole and also you finished seventh as a team Which is by fire best finish just talking about the whole the whole experience Yeah, so I'm our ultimate goal this season was to finish as high as fifth But I mean going into the meet we were ranked seventh so we finished where we were ranked But just a I mean a little bit history last year we were 15th and the year before that we were 21st So we're kind of making that progression and we only have three recruiting classes So I mean so it's really exciting to have Pat and Langston and really just three years Going to the national championships that normally takes a lot longer for that to happen It's exciting. Yeah, you look at a lot first the track and field cross-country program obviously last year and indoor You had your first Qualifiers both male and female for indoors first female qualifier for outdoors last spring and now first on the men's side cross-country Championship qualifier, so it's been exciting time for your program. Yeah, definitely And that's what kind of what I know coach Kamadeka and I tell recruits how they're gonna be able to be a part of a Lot of firsts here at Stevenson. So I mean going on next year. I mean we still haven't won that conference championship We still haven't made it to nationals as a team yet, and there's a lot of firsts still that happen on the women's side as well Yeah, talk a little bit about that men's race You just tell me how close it was at the front of the top 15 or 16 finishers really finish in a pack right the end Yeah, so so even though Pat and Langston were as far back as 11 and 13th place They were only 11 seconds out of first. So it was a really tight race I mean I told them just to kind of get out and get in that front group and kind of hang on and that's exactly what they Did and it was really exciting to see see them still there kind of towards the end and knowing confidently that that they were Gonna make it to nationals. Yeah, I'm still a little bit of suspense for Langston and that you know He had to wait till John's Hopkins was officially named to the field on Sunday, but Pat knew he was in on Saturday Yeah, yeah, so Langston was if you take the top two automatic teams out Langston was the eighth individual and they only take seven But we knew there was a very good shot that Johns Hopkins was gonna get in and actually Johns Hopkins and York are both Going so then the one Johns Hopkins guy that was ahead of Langston doesn't count. So now we were the fifth and seventh individuals So yeah, and you know to have four from the region and to finish seventh means you guys are right on the doorstep Yeah, you know potentially, you know with everybody back next year, you know potentially maybe making that jump and going to national Yeah, definitely. So Langston's a junior and Pat's only sophomore and I mean we don't graduate anybody So it's a really exciting time. I mean that their goal for next year is to get there as a team Yeah, and then on the women's side a little bit more history Kelly Winkabar finished 32nd overall The best place by a women's cross-country roster for Steve runner for Stevenson That hurt earned her all-region honors the first time you've had that on the women's side Yeah, so I mean we were talking about first before so Kelly was the first all-region runner that we've ever had and It's exciting. I mean she wanted to finish a little bit higher, but I mean She ran what she could on that day and it was exciting and then the woman as a team Finished 23rd, which is kind of right around where we were two years ago. I think we're 22nd So we're looking to really improve on that a lot next year. Yeah, and again the same thing on the women's side This is that you don't really lose anybody So you'll be you know continuing to build that program and hopefully, you know, maybe Kelly's got you know Another couple shots. I believe at national so as you continue to build that program as well They'll be more first. Yeah, definitely and and it's going really well with the woman I mean they're developing well and like you said, I mean it's a very young team So it's exciting to see where they are next year All right, so you head out on Thursday to two nationals out in Illinois. Yeah, what do you know about the course? It's an honest course. Normally. I mean Statistically like if you look at the history of national course, it's normally pretty flat and fast and this year It's actually got quite a bit of rolling hills in the middle So so I think that's actually going to help Patton Langston. Yeah. Yeah, so they went out They trained, you know out of Arizona this year and you know an altitude so I had a little bit hills out there Yeah, and then our conference meet and the regional meet we just ran were both unhaily courses. So so they're ready for it So it's exciting. I mean The I told them going into this weekend that if they made it to nationals It's kind of like the icing on the cake for the season But they still they're competitive and they want to do well But it's it's exciting because they're gonna kind of go out there this time would not really a lot of pressure Right and just kind of put their nose in it and see where they how hard they can finish Yeah, nothing to lose and obviously the expectation, you know, the goal was to make it to nationals Now whatever they can do. Obviously it's the first time and you know, maybe Hopefully they'll come back with a strong finish. Yeah, and anything's possible. So top 40 are all American and I mean, I feel like It's I mean, that's why they run a race and it's possible. Absolutely. All right, coach We'll the best of luck safe travels out to Illinois and we'll have you on here one final time next week to recap the nationals and You know look ahead a little bit not to next not in the next year But um, you know the track and field season shows you pick up a coach cam at that point. Yeah All right. Thanks for watching for David and I'm Greg Royce. This has been the David and show