Crossing the finish line of his high school cross-country career, WCHS senior Nate Swanson has made himself known as one of the greatest WCHS Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Track and Field athletes ever. He became the first Bulldog to earn the title of boys county champion in two consecutive years and he recently finished in fourth place at the state championship race. After achieving such success, Swanson has reflected on how he has developed as both a runner and leader.
“I had some big mentors that got me into not just the exercise and team aspect of running, but also just the sport of it,” Swanson said. “They did not exactly know the science, but they knew the methods behind the training and following the pros, so they really got me into the whole thing. I would look up to them and chase after them during races and workouts, so they really pushed me to be better.”
However, Swanson’s mentors were not the only influences that made him want to run. He first got into running with his family without the initial intention of doing so competitively
“My dad is not a competitive runner, but he runs just for fitness so I would do that with him,” Swanson said. “Starting during elementary school, I would go for runs with him and I just enjoyed that a lot. So then in middle school, when I found out cross country was a sport there, I knew I wanted to do it and I had a lot of fun with that so I knew I wanted to keep doing it when I got to high school.”
While Swanson runs indoor track in the winter as well as track and field in the spring, he says that the team aspect of cross country is unmatched. Since cross country is placement-heavy rather than time-heavy, it is a different environment.
“Cross country always has my heart,” Swanson said. “You really get that team aspect. In track, you are a team, you are trying to score points for the team, but you are mostly trying to do things for yourself, like chasing your own personal record. But, for cross country, the times do not matter and it is all about how you are placing because that place is what helps your team. All five people have got to run well [in order] to win, so that team aspect is really fun.”
Conditioning and recovery are huge for athletes, as is training seriously and on a schedule. Through his own practices, Swanson offers his teammates a great example of how to do this.
“It is all about consistency,” Swanson said. “You need to be getting to practice every day, not be skipping, not slacking off and running to your friends’ house. It is just all about showing up and putting in that little bit of work each day. You do not want to have one crazy day in the week, you do not need to go out and run some nuts workout once a week and do nothing for the rest. If you just give B+ effort every day, that is going to make you a good runner and help you improve.”
Swanson’s efforts and love for the team environment have never gone unnoticed. His coaches took notice of his leadership qualities early, which has given him lots of confidence.
“Nate learned from the upperclassmen his first two years,” WCHS social studies teacher and cross country coach Paul Jacobson said. “He knew he would have to step up and be a leader for the younger guys, and he has done a great job and been a great role model on how to train smart and properly.”
One of the hardest parts about being a student-athlete as a senior is knowing that it is your final ride. Beyond just playing the sport, teams bond over the years and form very close relationships. Leaving usually means saying goodbye to many teammates for good, but Swanson plans on sticking around and continuing to see the team develop.
“I will definitely miss the team,” Swanson said. “We get a great group out here every year, we are all really close. I hope that after I graduate, I will be able to stop by a few races and come back to watch them run because I will definitely miss it. We really do have a great culture here.”
