Fall Sports Preview: Greene Co. XC
By BRANDON HURLEY
Sports Editor
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One thing is clear, there’s certainly no shortage of optimism and confidence throughout the Greene County athletic department.
Even if new cross country coach Jeff Lamoureux didn’t run a in high school, he feels a return to the state meet is a must.
There’s no holding back.
Despite a young, fairly inexperienced squad, the first-year coach wants his runners taking aim at the pinnacle.
Lamoureux replaces long-time and legendary coach Kelly Simpson,
The girls’ squad last made state in 2013 while the boys’ side has endured a lengthy drought, last qualifying for the state meet in 1986. The last girl’s conference championship came 24 years ago in 1993 while the boys last won a league title in 1988, almost 30 years ago.
Lamoureux has primarily coached basketball, at the varsity level for both girls and boys and is entering his third year as the Greene County girls’ junior varsity head coach. He also handles PA duties for the Ram softball team during the summer months.
“I’ve done a lot of coaching at the youth level for soccer and Little league softball,” the first-year head man said. “This is my first rodeo with cross country.”’
Despite not catching the running bug until later in life, Lamoureux feels he can use what he’s learned over the past few years – and even as he trains for a marathon – and share it with the young and eager Greene County athletes.
“I am a runner, and I enjoy it. I never ran across country. I look back and regret that because I enjoy running now and think that’s something I possibly could have had a little bit of success at high school,” Lamoureux said. “But I running late in life and and and you really enjoy it. You enjoy that feeling of accomplishment after a race and in setting goals. And those personal records.”
Lamoureux has three daughters on the Greene County cross country squad this fall, carving out a significant impact in a budding sophomore class. Kassie, Kirsten and Regan Lamoureux as well as Bailey Cunningham should push the juniors and seniors on the squad.
“I have a vested interest in the cross country program because I have three girls that run cross country,” the coach said. “It gives me the opportunity to spend time with them and help them reach their their goals.”
He has already endured a few of the ups and downs that come with coaching your child, let alone three.
“I’ve coached a couple of my girls in basketball, Regan and Kassie and there are some challenges to that. The biggest challenge is leaving things at practice, on the court or on the course and not try to bring it home with me,” the father and head coach said. “I’m sure this is true with a lot of coaches who had to coach their children, but you seem to be harder on them and your expectations are higher. I try to keep that in check, and that’s always going to be the case. You know what they’re capable of but also, you just have to be careful not to put too much pressure on them, more than the other kids.”
Depth should play a key role on the girls’ side. Cunningham, Ashley Harmeyer, Emily Betty and Regan and Kassie are the six returning-letterwinners from a year ago.
“The strength is we do have more numbers,” Lamoureux said. “They have some experience and that sophomore class is pretty strong with athletes. With leadership from our seniors, we are going to have a little bit of experience. That’s going to be a benefit.”
The boys squad struggled to field a full unit last fall, but with veterans Nick Killion and Brian Hardaway returning along with a deep set of underclassmen, the Rams will trot a team out at each meet.
“We have some experience with Brian Hardaway and Nick Killion coming back,” Lamoureux said. “We have some new, young runners. A freshman Josh Ewoldt, he’s going to help us out a little bit. We will field a team, that’s a positive and gives us something to build on.”
Lamoureux is confident once he gets a full year under his belt (he was officially hired July 31, just a few days before practice), he can grow the number of runners, and with that, establish some consistency.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to get out there and recruit a little bit. We will do a better job of that next year,” the coach said. “There are some kids out there that could help us, but for whatever reason, chose not to. We’ll try to work on that and build a program.”
While his expectations are high, he knows building a successful program doesn’t happen overnight. A commitment to practice and a dedication to growing the sport at the high school level are key components.
“Trust the process is something we talk a lot about with the football program and new athletic director, Mitch Moore. There’s a lot of true words spoken in that and that it is a process,” Lamoureux said. “We’re trying to get there. Cross country is a hard sell for kids. You’re asking them to go out there and run in the heat and at an uncomfortable pace for three miles. I can understand some kids’ reluctance to do it.
The coach continued, “I guess the challenge is to convince them that it’s going to be worth it at the end of the end of the day or end of the season. That their hard work is going to pay off and it’s going to be rewarding. My hope is that someday, we bring home some hardware, and are able to hang some banners in the gymnasium.”
The Rams open the 2017 season today (Aug. 24) with the Gilbert Invite in Ames.
Their first and only home meet is set for Sept. 7 in the annual Greene County meet at Spring Lake State Park. Expectations are high throughout the program as the runners prepare to hit the course this afternoon. Despite the turnover, Lamoureux expects his kids to hold themselves to a high standard. Coach Simpson’s legacy will not be forgotten and Lamoureux will not let the history sour. After competing in talented 3A field last fall, the Rams drop down to 2A for the upcoming season.
“Our ultimate goal is to win the prize and that’s just what it should be. Hard work, effort and dedication,” the coach said. “We’ll see what can happen. We’re building on a good program that coach Kelly Simpson established. He was a long-term coach that did a lot of things. We will do a lot of the same things that he’s done in the past and build on that. We don’t want to forget him and what he’s done. This year has a lot to do with what he’s done in the past.”
The state qualifying meets are set for Oct. 19 while the state cross country meet is scheduled for Oct. 28 in Fort Dodge.
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