As the fall air turned crisp and the leaves began to change, the boy’s Parkway West Cross Country team trained for the biggest event in their season: the state cross country meet. On Nov. 1, the cross country team traveled to Cape Girardeau for the district meet and placed second in the district meet, giving them the opportunity to race at state.
Seven runners qualified for the state competition: junior Zack Miller, junior Chase Otto, junior Peter McAllister, senior Thomas Prine, senior Ani Venkata, junior Xavier Merriman and senior Wade Patten, along with three alternates: junior James Hawver, junior Jon Patrick and junior Tom Peters.
Among those who qualified for state, junior Xavier Merriman and senior Wade Patten share years of hard work, discipline and determination.
At the meet, the Longhorns’ hard work and determination paid off. Patten led the team with a time of 15 minutes, 43.7 seconds, earning 11th place overall in the Class 5 Boys 5K run, while Merriman followed behind, finishing 61st with a time of 16 minutes, 34.4 seconds. Their performances reflect months of dedication, discipline and the drive to represent Parkway West with pride. For Merriman and Patten, every single stride is a reflection of their teamwork and the unbreakable spirit of a Longhorn.
Every afternoon after school, you could find the two teammates on the road or on the trails pacing each other stride for stride. Their routine has become second nature — the early mornings, long runs and countless miles building both endurance and confidence for the next meet.
“We’ve been training hard to practice every single day,” Patten said. “We also focus on the little things outside of practices, such as eating well and getting good sleep.”
It’s not just about running for these athletes; it’s about the mindset. Cross country is a sport that tests strength and mental endurance just as much as physical ability. The two runners know that preparation begins long before the day of their race.
“Usually we have the same schedule for practice throughout the week,” Merriman said. “Monday is a long run, workouts on Tuesday and Thursday, Wednesday and Friday are recovery runs, then we have a meet on Saturday and rest on Sunday.”
Each practice is carefully planned. Some days focus on speed, others on endurance or recovery.
“Workouts are usually on the track where we do repeats of 800s, 1K or mile intervals around race pace,” Merriman said. “Recovery runs are around [a] 7:30-7:50 mile pace for six miles most of the time, and the long runs are 8 to 10 miles.”
On race day, everything they’ve practiced is put into motion. The day starts early — often before sunrise — and the atmosphere is filled with excitement and nerves
.“The bus typically leaves at 7 a.m. for a 9 a.m. meet. We start our warmups around 8:15 a.m. and run two miles. We [get] our spikes on and head to the start line. We do some warmups, and then we race. After the race, we do a 2-3 mile cooldown and stretch,” Patten said.
Running six days a week for them may sound exhausting, but it is the consistency that fuels the success of the racers. Merriman and Patten know that cross country isn’t about one good race. It’s about the steady grind through every workout, every hill, and every drop of sweat. As the state meet approached, the team tapered, lowering their mileage to keep their legs fresh for race day.
“Now that we’re near the end of the season, we have cut down on our mileage, so our runs are shorter, and we have less on workout days,” Merriman said.
Recovery and rest are equally important parts of preparation. Both runners make sure they’re well-rested before the big race.
“I try to get eight hours of sleep throughout the week, but before most meets, I like to get around nine hours,” Merriman said.
As the team prepared to race at the state meet on Nov. 7, they carried the lessons and experiences of the season with them — the long runs under the hot sun, the early morning grinds and the determination to improve each day. For Merriman and Patten, qualifying for state isn’t just about the medals or rankings; it’s about the bond built through shared efforts and the pride in seeing their hard work pay off.
“When getting ready for a big meet, it helps to look back at all of the hard work I’ve put in this season and the past seasons,” Merriman said. “During races, it’s crucial to have teammates to pack with to help you keep pushing forward.”
