By Christopher Hunt
No matter what rankings are released or predictions are made, Warwick Valley coach Mike Potter is going to drill an underdog’s mentality into his team.
The fact is that Warwick Valley is one of the early favorites to win a boys state championship this season. But if you listen to Potter, he makes a good case.
“We’ve had more second-place finishes in the 4x800 and distance medley relay over the past eight years between indoor and outdoor nationals than any other team in the country.”
Potter threw that stat out because it’s the freshest wound but it’s only one of the reasons that the team has something to prove this season.
“We’ve been more successful on the track than we have been in cross country,” he said. “We get bashed lot because we don’t run well at Feds or Bowdoin Park. We didn’t run well at NXN.”
After a fourth-place finish at the state meet in Class AA, the Wildcats finished a disappointing third at the federation championships took another hit at the Nike Cross Nationals, taking 10th.
“We learned a lot last season,” Potter said. “We took our lumps. I kind of put them in big time situation last year knowing that they’d all be back this season.”
Warwick Valley returns six of its top seven. The team agreed that they were young and still inexperienced last year. Potter now has a veteran team that is battle-tested and most importantly closer than they’ve ever been.
The group spent a week on Long Beach Island with Paddy Grandinali’s family then another week at Tim Luthin’s family house in The Great Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondack Mountains.
“That was the most I’ve ever run in my life,” said Luthin, who will be among the top runners in the state this season. “All we were doing was running, eating, sleeping and hanging out.”
That kind of camaraderie hasn’t existed on the team since the 2007 state championship squad. Luthin was the only freshman in the top seven and the only returnee after the team graduated five runners and lost Alex Leuchanka when he transferred to Shenendehowa. Warwick essentially spent the next two years rebuilding; finding the identity that they believe they have discovered.
Warwick Valley has always been known more for its prowess on the track than on the cross country course. Potter shouldered the blame. He said training he subscribed to for this group didn’t work. So he tailored the training regimen to resemble the program they use during the track seasons.
“We going to be more aggressive,” he said.
They want to shed any stigma that they have a group of track guys racing cross country. The season will be in no way a preparation for track.
“Our main focus is obviously to win a state championship,” Luthin said. “I’m the only guy that has state championships under my belt. I think other guys on the team want to be a part of that. NXN is, of course, on our radar as well.”
By no means does Warwick have a deadbolt on the state title. Fayetteville-Manilus and Shaker were both tied with Warwick for first in TullyRunners.com pre-season rankings. The Harrier’s top 25 ranked Warwick 12th in the country and FM 19th.
“We’re all very hopeful,” senior Ian Sullivan said. “We know there’s a lot of still competition out there. We know that FM and Shaker are there.”
They won’t waste any time getting tested either. Warwick will open the season at the Richard Spring Classic at Detweiller Park in Peoria, Ill., the site of the Illinois state meet. They’ll face Illinois state champs York, No. 5 in the national pre-season rankings. Potter said it won’t be a statement race but it will serve as a measuring stick early.
“I think we’re more confident,” Luthin said of the team. “We were a young team last year. It’s just about confidence. Confidence is going to play a big factor for us.”