Aug. 19—JAMESTOWN — Times are looking good for the Jamestown High School cross-country team.
"We've just got to keep building from where we are at," JHS head coach Ken Gardner said. "As long as they keep working and keep doing what we ask them to do, we would certainly predict they will get faster and stronger."
Gardner and the 20 athletes who committed to run cross-country this season began practices on Aug. 10. The team will open up the season with its annual ORRiginals Meet on Aug. 22 at Parkhurst Recreation Area.
Layna Hoffer is one of the senior returners for the Blue Jays. Hoffer was named an All-Stater as a seventh and eighth grader and has placed at the NDHSAA State Track and Field Championships multiple times in her high school career.
"We still have high expectations for her," Gardner said of Hoffer. "She was one who participated in our summer running program. She looked good at (our first practice). As a senior and team captain we are going to expect some big things out of her."
In the Blue Jays 1-mile time trial during the first official team practice, Hoffer led the girls with a 6 minute, 29 second mile time.
Hoffer and her teammate, Clara Harms, attended a running camp in Buffalo, Wyoming, in July. Hoffer has been to running camp three times.
"I decided to go because it had been a fun experience in the past and it would be my last opportunity to go," Hoffer said. "It helps you to learn methods of recovery. In normal XC (cross-country) practices, you run and then go home and do your own recovery. At this camp, coaches are overseeing your recovery more, so you can learn what you should be doing to become a better runner."
Jamestown runners have gone to Buffalo for more than 30 years.
"The town itself is almost a mile high and the long run that they do, they peak out at 8,700 feet of elevation," Gardner said. "Being out there for a full week, there is benefit to your lungs and your blood.
"Those benefits do last for about three months so we will still be seeing the benefits of that by the end of the cross-country season," he said. "The big part for me though is the mental piece of it. Their hard work out there is an 11-miler up in the mountains. They know they can do hard things now. As a coach, being able to rely on them during a hard practice is a big thing."
Hoffer and Harms were joined by athletes from Andover (Minnesota) and Hopkins (Minnesota) at the camp.
"In the morning, we drove into the mountains and run our longest mileage, which was anywhere from 3 to 7 miles," Hoffer said. "After you finish, you drive back into town and sit in the stream for an ice bath. About mid-afternoon there is a pool workout, which is basically just short runs in the pool. Then in the evenings our workout is anywhere from a short walk to a relaxed short jog. On one of the days, we do our long run, which is 11 miles on one of the gravel roads in the mountains.
"It's a really fun experience and it really helps you to be a better runner," she said. "It is really fun. Being around so many other people who are dedicated to running really helps you to push yourself."
Last season, Hoffer's best 5K time was a 21:53. Her career best is a 20:06 in 2021.
The senior will have athletes on her team who will push her to be her best. During the 1-mile test, freshmen Izzy Maddock and Hattie Fitzgerald clocked times of 6:33 and 6:50. Harms rounded out the girls' top-four with a time of 6:54.
Hoffer is the only senior on the XC roster this season. The boys will be led by a crew of freshmen and sophomores.
At the first practice the boys were led by freshman Flynn Wiley. Tristan Champagne, Bryson Corell and Drew Brickner were the other athletes who rounded out the top-four. The boys' mile times ranged from 5:10 to 6:47.
"Having coached some of the more elite distance runners who have gone through Jamestown High School, now I probably need a little bit more patience," Gardner said. "As long as they stick with it, we are going to get better."
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