Mercer Island High School invited us to a practice at Luther Burbank Park located on Mercer Island. Mercer Island is near downtown Seattle and they compete in the 3A division in Washington. The athletes ran on their home course at Luther Burbank. Afterwards, the team celebrated Coach Susan Empey's birthday with cupcakes and a dip in Lake Washington. Not only were we invited as guests at practice, but Emily Wisniewski of Crescent Valley joined the practice today.
During the summer season, how often does the team practice?
We meet for runs 5 mornings a week and twice a week in the afternoons for weight room sessions.
What are some special summer activities?
Thanks to living on an island, we’re lucky to be able to frequently integrate jumping in a lake to cool off after practice. And Friday “Destination Runs” keep things interesting, with some of our favorite destinations being a 2 mile (very damp, dark and slightly creepy) tunnel run on a converted rail line, the Snoqualmie River Trail and Bridle Trails. We also try to take advantage of no school and hold several “Girls Talks” (thanks Wildwood Running!) as a way to get to know each other outside of practice time and discuss important topics.
How do you build team culture?
Our team culture is always evolving and is primarily driven by the captains that lead us each season. We’ve been fortunate the past several years to have a dedicated squad who are fantastic at creating a fun, welcoming environment, but also setting high standards and encouraging teammates to embrace the process and dedicate themselves to the team. We strive for MIXC to be a program where everyone belongs and their contributions are valued regardless their speed — but to reap the fitness gains and team fun, athletes have to commit.
What are some events that the team is looking forward to in the fall season?
We hold a retreat the first weekend of the season at Fort Worden and it is consistently a season highlight. Those who commit to summer practices get first dibs since space is limited, but we try hard to accommodate everyone if we can. Race wise we’re mixing it up a bit this year. We will take the boys' and girls' varsity teams to the Woodbridge Invitational in September and as a full team, compete at the always fun Nike Twilight Invitational at Cedarcrest Golf Course in October. And the pre-meet pasta dinners are ALWAYS a hit. We are excited for 2024!
Photos from Mercer Island's practice - click HERE
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