As the 8th grade class begins the transition from middle school to high school, I wanted to take a moment of your time and let you know about a great opportunity at SM South. The SM South Cross County (SMSXC) program has a rich and storied tradition and we would like to invite all incoming 9th graders to consider joining the SMSXC family.  

The SMSXC team is a co-ed (genders compete in races separately), no-cut, no-bench sport offered at SM South.  Our fall season begins in the mid-August and ends in late October.  We offer a Varsity, JV and C squad based on a runner’s ability level.  Athletes have the opportunity to move to different squads based on performances during the season.  We also formulate our practice plans (distance and intensity) to the individual athlete based upon their ability and experience levels. One of our concerns is the individual health and well-being of each athlete, so we want to build our practice plans to accommodate each runner. A goal that we have for the runners is to help them improve and hopefully reach their full potential. We also hope that they learn life-long habits and exercises to continue throughout their life.

For cross country, the gear and equipment costs are relatively minimal compared to other sports and activities. Runners need to have a pair of running shoes that will fit them correctly and provided appropriate support for the runner. There are many great stores in the area that provide specialized customer service for runners and help them find the right shoe. If you need some suggestions, please contact a coach. The runners will also need shirts, shoes, and socks that are appropriate and provide comfort to the runner. When the competitive season starts, many of the runners (especially JV or varsity level runners) will want to buy spiked racing shoes. We will offer optional team gear for sale when the season begins. The competition uniform and team warm-up outfit are provided by the team to the runners. If you have further questions about equipment, please contact a coach.

We offer competition for all squads with some unique experiences.  We compete in a Twilight meet that is run later in the day under the lights. Our teams have the opportunity to compete at Rim Rock Farm, the KU XC course, which is arguably one of the best courses in the nation.  Our varsity travels to Iowa for a very competitive meet. The runners also have the opportunity to travel to and compete at the Nike Cross Regional (NXR) races in Sioux Falls, SD in November. Our program consistently prepares athletes to compete at the college level.  Our team GPA is among the best of the team sports at SMS and we emphasize that our team members are students first.    

If your student is interested, we do host a summer running program beginning June 1st and going through early August.  We meet Monday-Thursday from 7am until 9am at Roe Park.  Due to the recent health concerns and stay at home orders, all summer programs are being planned tentatively, but may need to be adjusted based off of input from the CDC, state and local health agencies, and SMSD. The summer running program is designed to acclimate prospective athletes to a running program and we cater the workouts to the individual.  This is a free program and we do not have any required forms to fill out. We encourage those interested in participating in XC to run with us to get to know the others of the team and to build a running base. We do know

that everyone has busy schedules in the summers, so if there are conflicts on certain days or for a week or two, there is no worry.  

The team has three coaches. J.J. Wannamaker is in this 12th year with the program and 11th year as the head coach. He teaches Biology courses and serves as the Science Department Chair at SMS. D.J. Hilding is in his 6th year with the team and teaches Physical Education courses at Indian Woods MS. Matt Schmoekel is in his 11th year coaching with the team.

If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact Coach Wannamaker (sowannam@smsd.org) or Coach Hilding (dennishilding@smsd.org). you may also find information on our website: https://smsxc.wordpress.com We hope that you will consider being part of the SMSXC family!

Tentative 2020 XC ScheduleAug 17 – Monday – First Official Practice – 3pm – SMS Wrestling Room (all squads)Aug 22 – Saturday – Family Run & Picnic – 7am – Indian Creek Park (all squads)Sept 5 – Saturday – Belton Invitational – 9am – Belton HS (MO) (all squads)Sept 12 – Saturday – Olathe Twilight Inv – 6pm – ODAC (all squads)Sept 17 – Thurs - SMSXC Harrier Classic – 3pm – JCCC – (JV & C teams)Sept 19 – Sat - Heartland Classic – 10am – Pella, IA – (Varsity only)Sept 24 – Thurs - BV Southwest Meet – 4pm – BVSW – (JV & C teams)Oct 3 – Sat - KC XC Classic – 8am – RayPec HS (MO) – (all squads)Oct 10 – Sat - SMW Classic – 9am – JCCC – (JV & C teams)Oct 17 – Sat - Sunflower League Champs – 9am – Rim Rock Farm (all squads)Oct 24 – Sat - KSHSAA 6A Regional – 9am – TBA – (Varsity only)Oct 31 – Sat - KSHSAA 6A State – 10am – Rim Rock Farm – (Varsity only)Nov 5 – Thurs – SMSXC Team Banquest – 6pm – SMS Cafeteria (all squads)Nov 15 – Sun – NXR Heartland Meet – TBA – Sioux Falls, SD (extra fee required, info later)