A year ago, Vince DeGrado sat in the hotel while his Allen Community College cross country team searched for success at the NJCAA Region 6/Jayhawk East Conference Championships.
All season long, DeGrado had been unable to provide his runners with the necessary coaching and motivation during competitions due to a suspension he earned in the 2018 indoor track season.
Imagine going to parent day, and youre the only kid there without a parent, DeGrado said. How would you feel if you were a kid? Your confidence would be down. That is exactly what my kids were dealing with last season.
DeGrado was able to attend one meet last season. No coincidence, it was the Red Devils best performance. Although DeGrado was able to return for the outdoor track season this past spring, he says the impact a coach can have during a cross country race is instrumental.
When the kids reach the 6k mark in an 8k race, they say they are looking for me to provide guidance, DeGrado said. As a runner, you are starting to contemplate if you want to push or not. When you have a figure that you dont want to disappoint, or has your back, it enables you to keep going.
With DeGrado back at the helm, the men’s cross country team is ranked eighth in the nation.
ACC most recently competed in the Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, Minn., and finished ninth as a team. DeGrado said the course was one of the toughest ge has ever seen. Josh Doria was the Red Devils number-one runner finishing 19th with a time of 26:16.7. DeGrado has been impressed with Doria, highlighting his leadership by example.
Looking at the splits, and the live results throughout the race, the highest we ever were was seventh, and then fell back to 10th, but rose back up, DeGrado said. That meet made me feel good that we didnt hit a wall, and fall off.
This weekend, the men and women will be in action as they head to the Chili Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark. The course will be flat and fast, enabling the Red Devils to enter fourth gear.
The goal for the Red Devils is to win a national championship. DeGrado accomplished the feat in his time at Cowley Community College, but still vies to accomplish the goal at ACC. Changes to the rules put that goal farther out of reach, DeGrado said. With their athletic programs in mind, schools today are allowed to recruit an unlimited number of international students. DeGrado doesn’t believe in targeting such students, describing it as managing, not coaching.
Although the men are ranked eighth, DeGrado has higher expectations.
I think we are a top-five team, I really do, DeGrado said. We are going to make a run at the Region title, even though Cloud County is ranked number one. Cloud is ranked number one because of the internationals they have brought in, not because of coaching. If you look at their success before all internationals came in, they werent in the ballpark with us.
While the men are flying high, the women are still a work in progress. DeGrado emphasized the women are making strides, but injuries have derailed their progress.
For the women, they need to be more selfish, DeGrado said. Yes, it is important to be selfless, but be selfish in making sure your running is going in the right direction for you.
Luckily for the men and women, the Region VI championships will be held in Iola. DeGrado intends to create a tough course, naming it the death march. The Red Devils have been spending time at the course, along with adding mileage to their legs.
With their leader back in the fold, ACC is primed to make a run at the Region VI championships on Oct. 26.
