As Eli Gaeddert enters his senior cross-country season at Goessel High School, he is approaching the year with a simple goal: make it his best and most enjoyable season yet.
Gaeddert will face a different challenge this fall. He will be the lone boys runner representing Goessel, meaning he will spend the season competing without another male teammate alongside him.
“The biggest change for me is that I have no other guy teammates and will be the sole representative of the Goessel men’s team out on the course,” Gaeddert said. “However, this has allowed me to look forward to some bigger meets.”
While competing alone presents a different experience, Gaeddert enters the season with plenty of motivation after a standout junior campaign.
Last season, he posted a personal-best time of 16:02 at Wamego Country Club and won the Class 1A individual state championship. Now, he is looking to take another step forward during his final high school season.
After track season ended, Gaeddert shifted his focus toward cross country. His summer training centered on building a strong aerobic base, eventually reaching 40-45 miles per week.
“For me this has not looked entirely different from much before,” Gaeddert said. “However, I built up to sit around 40-45 miles towards the end of the summer to give me a solid base going into this season.”
Gaeddert has also spent time working on an aspect of running that can be just as important as physical preparation: the mental side of racing.
“I have been continuing to work towards my mental during running and specifically during races,” he said. “For me this has been an area I have tried to improve more because XC is not just about my level of fitness.”
That mental preparation could be especially important as Gaeddert pursues an ambitious list of goals during his senior season.
His first priority is enjoying his final year of high school cross country. Beyond that, he wants to break the 16-minute barrier and eventually move into the 15-minute range. He also hopes to defend his state championship.
“I have several goals for this season,” Gaeddert said. “The first is to have an enjoyable last year of HS XC. Secondly, is to break the 16 minute mark and finally break into the 15 minute marks. Lastly, is to see if I can bring home the state title again!”
Although Gaeddert will compete without a boys team around him, he will still have an opportunity to support his school at the state level. He hopes Goessel’s girls team can qualify for state and give him teammates to cheer for during the championship meet.
“Unfortunately I do not have any other guy teammates but I hope the girls will bring a team to state this year,” Gaeddert said.
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