Gallery • 5 Photos

Ethan Rossmeisl

High school runners Jason McAteer, Aiden Huh, and Joseph Chambless start off strong. Coach Coleman's warmup regimen has them pumped for the 5.5-kilometer run.

The DIS cross country team traveled south for the first-ever South Korea Association of International Schools (SKAIS) invitationals at the International School of Busan (ISB) on Oct. 5 to compete against ISB, Busan Foreign School (BFS), and Gyeongnam International Foreign School (GIFS). Despite the smaller league and altered practice times, the athletes didn’t break the Top 3. However, many runners broke their personal records (PRs).

From the start of the season, Coach Coleman changed the practice times from Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-6 p.m. to Mondays and Fridays 2:50-4:20 p.m. “There were many reasons for the change. It’s more accessible for the students who take the bus, and it also makes sense to have a school nurse available during practice times in case of injuries. We also wanted practices to align with other sports time,” said Coach Coleman. 

However, the new change created setbacks for former runners. “I felt like I wasn’t given a chance to try both of the sports since I had to choose between futsal and cross country. I was looking forward to earning another medal, but I felt like the chance was taken away,” said eighth-grader Yul Sakong, who won second place in last year’s middle school cross-country divisionals and finals. 

Injuries also blocked some racers’ paths. Sophomore captain Jayden Hayward won second place in last year’s finals but tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in April at the Korean International School Activities Conference (KISAC) Soccer Tournament. “I sadly couldn’t compete in the SKAIS tournament, but I’m planning to play for the KISAC. Initially, I didn’t feel much about the injury, but as time progressed, I really felt the weight of the situation,” Hayward said. 

Before the high schoolers hit the trail, middle school racers led the charge. With only four members, the middle schoolers kicked off their 5.5-kilometer run after the elementary course wrapped up. While none of them earned a spot on the podium, they successfully paced themselves throughout the race. 

New trailblazers set high hopes for the next meet with outstanding results relative to veteran seventh and eighth graders. “I was scared and excited at first but when I achieved fourth it was really good. I was kind of sad I couldn’t win third place, but I was happy enough to finish fourth, so it was okay,” said sixth-grader Sally Park.

The high school round took off on the same course (5.5 kilometers) right after the middle school race concluded. “I had some butterflies in my stomach before the game started. There were a lot of good runners out here today, especially the one who got first place. It was very daunting, but I pushed through it,” said freshman Jason McAteer. Although it was his first race, he finished one spot short of the podium and ranked highest on the team.

McAteer, along with the other cross country members, strive to break more PRs at the KISAC Meet and SKAIS Finals, where they have a home-trail advantage. “I’m planning to train with more dedication through running more frequently before the finals, and eventually earn my spot up on the podium,” said McAteer. 

“[The tournament] went wonderfully, and I couldn’t ask for better results. I’m proud of everyone. We had lots of new [personal records] and we’re looking forward to the next meeting,” said Coach Coleman. 

The divisionals provided an invaluable experience to the athletes and set the stage for the KISAC tourney and SKAIS finals, both hosted at DIS. They plan to drill around Bongmu Lake as they strive to bring medals home at the KISAC race from Oct. 25 to Oct. 26.