1 - Conference - Congratulations to Sophia Gary (100 meter high hurdles) and Bowen Shuttleworth (800 meter run) for finishing first in the Liberty Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Also advancing to regions with all-conference performances or regional qualifying marks are Clayton Chadwick (discus), Daphne de Oliveira (shot put), Sophia Gary (discus), Madilyn Henshaw (400 meter dash), Leah Kappel (3200 meter run), Jacob Knight (110 meter high hurdles, 300 meter intermediate hurdles and discus), Porter Landefeld (200 meter dash), Melody Linville, (400 meter dash), Gavin Middleton (1600 meter run), Katarina Olsen (100 meter high hurdles), Sophia Park (discus), Ta'Juan Perry-Elem (100 meter dash), John Vartanian (shot put) and the 1600 meter relay of Madilyn Henshaw, Sydney Knott, Savannah Landefeld and Melody Linville. Good luck at regions on Wednesday and Thursday at Robinson High School.

2 - The 6A Occoquan Region C and 6A North Region D combined meets will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, 5/23-24/18 at Robinson High School.  The tentative time schedule and Yorktown lineup may be found on "team files".

3 - UNIFORMS! Anyone not competing in the region championships is asked to return their uniform ASAP to Mr. Stripe in the library. This applies to cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track.  If you are an 8th grader from cross-country or a student from the HB Woodlawn program or Arlington Community High School, you may send your uniform to Mr. Stripe at YHS in a bag (please remember to include your name). Names of those not having returned uniforms by Wednesday, 6/6 will be sent to the Finance Office.

As Outdoor Track is starting today, I thought it would be appropriate to send out a brief message about my future with the Yorktown running (Track and Cross Country) teams.  Beginning with this outdoor season I have decided to step down from coaching in order to, among other things, spend more time with my own kids (including coaching their youth athletic teams).  This is not a rash decision, but one that I have been considering for some time now.

Over the past 19 years I have had the great privilege of being a part of the coaching staff of the Yorktown Track and Cross Country teams.  Most of these years I was an assistant, and this year I took over as head Cross Country Coach.  I have coached some talented athletes over the years, but more importantly I have gotten to work with so many amazing people.  I have also gotten to coach with several people, who are not only my colleagues, but also I consider my friends.

I want to thank all the parents and student-athletes who have made my coaching experience so great.  I will always love Track/Cross Country, and I will miss being around the sport every day.  But it is working/interacting with the athletes that I will truly miss the most.  I also want to thank Coach Stripe for giving a former Wakefield Warrior the opportunity to coach at Yorktown over the last 19 years.  I would also like to thank Mike Krulfeld for giving me the chance to lead the Cross Country program this past Fall.

I am not done with Track and Field.  I fully intend to get back into coaching at some point down the road.  Afterall, I have about 50 more years of coaching to equal the years Coach Stripe has been coaching.

                                                                                                    Andrew Prantner

Thanks to all of our athletes for their hard work, and thanks to all of the parents who came out to the meets this season.  The wrap-up to each cross country season happens at the Fall Sports Awards Night.  This will take place next Tuesday, November 14 at 7:00pm in the Yorktown cafeteria (Initially the event was supposed to take place on November 20, but at some point the date was changed).  I look forward to seeing all of you there.  If you are able to come, please bring a dessert to share.

We have two more weekday meets left on our schedule- this Wednesday, October 11, and next Wednesday, October 18.  Both of these days happen to be early release days at Yorktown.  Students who are going to the meets will need to meet at Yorktown at 3:30 if they are going to ride the bus to the meets.  Both meets will be held at Bluemont Park in Arlington, so students may get rides from their parents to the meet.  If not on the bus students should plan to be at Bluemont by 4:30 at the latest.

There will be no cross country practice on Monday, October 9 (Columbus Day).  Originally the practice schedule indicated that there was practice.

The Glory Days Invitational will be held on Saturday, 10/7 at Bull Run Regional Park.  Bus time is 8:30 a.m.  "Meet Information" and "Lineup" may be found on "team files" on the cross-country page of yorktownsports.org

Thanks to DC Road Runners for volunteering to score our meet at Burke Lake on Thursday.  In addition, they have provided a large number of photographs from the meet.

The link to the photos is available below.  There are links to "men's" and "women's" near the top.  Feel free to download any pictures.

https://www.dcroadrunners.org/races/race-results/2017-results/3228-2017-yorktown-cross-country-invitational.html

Information (line-up and race times) on the DCXC Invitational Meet this Saturday has been posted on the cross country page at yorktownsports.org.  You can find it in "Team Files" which you will see if you click on "More".

You can find driving and parking instructions as well as other helpful meet info at www.dcxcproject.com/dcxc-invite/. You might need to copy and paste the url into your browser for it to work.

Tomorrow is our first weekday meet.  It will be held at Nottoway Park in Fairfax.  All of our runners can complete at this meet.  Bus time will be 3:30, and the meet should start at 5:30.  Runners need to bring in their emergency cards if they have not already.

Before we leave for our meet tomorrow we will have our team photo taken.  We will meet at the amphitheater in front of school for the photo.  If you would like to order an individual photo, forms were handed out at practice.  You can also find an online form for individual photos under "Files and Links" on the yorktownsports.org homepage.

Information for this Saturday's Monroe Parker Invitational (9/9/17) has been added to "Team Files". Please look for "Monroe Parker information" and "Monroe Parker lineup".

The last regular season meet of the 2017 season, the Georgetown Prep Invitational, will be held on Saturday, 10/21.  Information and the lineup for this meet may be found on "team files".

We've just received updated information from meet management in regard to the Monroe Parker Invitational.  Please remember, cars are not permitted into the park without a pass.  Satellite parking is located at the Fairfax Baptist Temple Academy (6401 Missionary Lane, Fairfax Station, VA  22039). Shuttle buses will take you to and from the park. Park in the lower lot at the church as there is another event at the church. Athletes, parents and spectators are not to be in the church.

All attendees should pay attention to the course, especially in the start area.  For those who have not been there before, the start and road area is chaotic, cluttered and crowded, and you need to pay attention to the course marshals/officials. Do not go past any barriers nor walk on the golf course.  NO ONE IS ALLOWED NEAR THE TRAIN TRACKS - ANYONE FOUND THERE MAY IMPACT THEIR SCHOOL'S ABILITY TO ATTEND IN THE FUTURE!  More helpful information may be found at "Monroe Parker information - Part II" on "Team Files".

To access "Team Files", click "MORE" on the horizontal toolbar of the cross-country page, and at the far left you will see "Team Files".

Today we will meet at the track, as usual.  Because of the Yorktown football game we will end in front of the school instead of the track.  See you all then.

There will be some changes with the cross country uniforms this season.  We will still be sporting the same Yorktown Blue jerseys that we have been wearing for the last several years.  We will, however, be wearing new Navy Blue running shorts.

We will be handing out the uniforms starting the first week of school, and the uniforms will be handed back in (washed) at the end of the season. 

If you do not like the style of the new running shorts there is a second option.  You may purchase Navy-colored Spandex running shorts from the links below (only).  You will, of course, keep these shorts at the end of the season when you turn in your jersey.

Girls Spandex Shorts (Choose Navy for the color)

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/Nike_Womens_Power_Race_Day_Boy_Short/descpage-NIWPBS.html

Boys Spandex Shorts (Choose Navy for the color)

http://www.runningwarehouse.com/Nike_Mens_Power_Race_Day_Half_Tight/descpage-NIMPHT.html

Upcoming events and info:

1. Tomorrow (Wednesday) evening is the Spike Night at Pacers in Clarendon.  This is an event where athletes can receive a discount on running shoes, spikes or other running-related items.  There will also be free give-aways.

2. Next Monday will be our annual Labor Day practice/Parents Meeting at 9:00am at Sharp Park (across from CVS at Williamsburg Circle).

3. If you have not let me know about availability for the Monroe Parker Meet, please do as soon as possible.

4. If you have not turned in your emergency card yet, please do so as soon as possible.

Due to the constant rain and colder weather today we will not have practice this evening.
 

Today (Friday, August 18) practice will be cancelled due to thunder and lightning.  A coach will be at school to let any athletes know who show up.

Three items to share with you:

1.  Tonight we will be taking a team photo, which will be going in the football program (our yearbook photo will be taken in September).  Please be at practice at 6:10, and meet out front of the school if you can make it.  We will proceed to the track, and start practice immediately after the photo.

2.There is team apparel which can be ordered if so desired.  This is optional.  A flyer was handed out earlier this week with information about this.  You can also go to https://goo.gl/forms/sAVCDsp4JhgW3Xnu2 for the form to fill out.

3.Please look over the invitation meet scedule, and let me know as soon as possible which meets your athlete can attend.  It is especially important that I know, before school starts, who can attend the Monroe Parker meet on September 9.

This is a reminder that cross country practice will start tomorrow- Monday, August 14.  We will have August practices Monday through Friday, starting at 6:30 each night at the Yorktown track.  If athletes are out of town, or cannot join us for other reasons, they should try to get in some running on their own.  This will make it easier to jump right in when they are able to attend practice. 

*Please note that students may not practice with the team until they have turned in a completed athletic physical form.

Listed below are some key upcoming dates for cross country:

1.  This Thursday, August 17 is picture day.  This picture is for the football program. (The photo for the yearbook will be taken some time in September) Athletes should come to practice at 6:10 for the photo.  We will wear street clothes for the photo, as we have not handed out uniforms yet.

2.  On August 30 there will be a "Spike Night" at Pacers Running Store in Clarendon which was specifically set up for Yorktown cross country runners.  At the Spike Night there will be discounts on running shoes, spikes, and other items.  There will also be free give-aways for the athletes who attend.  Athletes will receive a flier at practice this week with more info.

3.  On Labor Day (September 4)  we will have our annual Labor Day practice/Parents meeting.  The practice/meeting will take place at the park across from CVS at Williamsburg Circle.

Dear potential Cross Country athlete,

You are receiving this email because you have run cross county or track at Yorktown previously, or have expressed an interest in running cross country this season at Yorktown (Please disregard this email if you are no longer at Yorktown).

I hope you are having an enjoyable summer, and I (Coach Prantner) would like to encourage you to join Yorktown’s cross country team this year.  This year will be a little different than the past 30 years in that Coach Stripe will not be the head coach of the cross country team.  While there will be some changes, many things will remain the same.

As always our goal is for you to see personal improvement as the season progresses.  As you improve, so will the team.  Our teams have done very well over the years and we would like to continue this successful program with your help. 

The time to prepare for cross-country is now.  I can’t emphasize enough how important summer preparation is for success in the fall.  Practices will start out with shorter, slower runs, but the workload will increase with the start of school.  Summer conditioning will make this task seem fairly easy!!! Many of you are staying in shape with various summer activities, but we recommend running as well to build a foundation.  Be practical, do not overdo it!

August practice will begin on Monday, August 14.  All August practices this year will begin at 6:30 p.m., and will begin and end at the Yorktown track.  During the first week of practice we will hand out a copy of the pre-school practice schedule and a tentative meet schedule (All info will be posted on yorktownsports.org also).  For those unable to attend August practices due to camp, vacation, work, etc., you may run on your own and we will see you when you can be here or when school starts; but please contact us so we know of your intent to run. 

At your first practice we will collect your parental consent and physical examination forms- if we haven’t already. THESE MUST BE COMPLETED IN ORDER TO PRACTICE!!!  NO FORMS, NO PARTICIPATION!!!  The physical examination must be completed after 5/1/17 and will cover all activities during the 2017-2018 school year.  If you did not get the forms at the end of the school year, they may be downloaded from yorktownsports.org.  Just click on the “Files & Links” link on the top of the main page to access these forms. Yorktownsports.org will be our primary form of communication throughout the season. 

There are two dates, Wednesday, 8/2 and Wednesday, 8/9 when we will be in front of the school on Yorktown Blvd. collecting the aforementioned paperwork from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. if you care to bring it in before the first practice on Monday, 8/14.  This is also a good time to chat and ask questions. This minimizes the likelihood that you may have to sit out practices and helps to avoid the crowd on 8/14. 

If you have any questions about cross-country at Yorktown, you may e-mail me at andrew.prantner@apsva.us

Sincerely,

Andrew Prantner, Cross Country Coach