NAU 2021 National Cross Champions

Immediate congrats to the NAU mens’ cross country team for their national championship race in Florida. Just finished watching the ESPNU coverage of the races and WOW! Super win for the guys from up the hill.

Cooper Teare is my hero

That said, my biggest take-away from the event has to be the finish for a great athlete from the University of Oregon. Cooper Teare struggled to finish the race. Watching his final 100m may be the most difficult thing I have ever watched in sports. He collapsed, got up like a new-born foal, collapsed again. At this point he got to his hands and knees and started crawling to the finish line. My wife and I are standing in front of the TV set channeling all the energy and will we could muster and sent that force from our house in Phoenix to that race course in Tallahassee. He did finish.

Watching, my wife and I were crying, the emotion so overwhelming. Cooper Teare has been in our living room many times over the past year. We have watched all those silly YouTube videos he and his running group did and we feel like he is part of our family. He is such a terrific personality, it is easy to wish only success for him.

This is only one race in very distinguished career with many great races before him, but this race may be his most defining. The courage he displayed today tells more about him than a 3:50 indoor mile or a 4th place Olympic Trials 5k finish. The race tells you all you need to know about the heart of a champion. This finish is the one we will all remember for a very long time!

Peace.