Cross Country Poster 2012

This fall, the Knights have been running like crazy prepping for the season and competing in meets across central Iowa.  We reported on their first meet in a previous blog post and you can read it here.  Pictured is the official 2012 WA Cross Country poster, but what in the world are they carrying?  Head Coach Jason Anderson saw this log as a team building opportunity.  Resurrecting a strategy that he started more than a decade ago, the team has to work together to lift the half ton post and lift over their head.  Read more about the origins of the log after the break.


In addition to being the cross country coach, Anderson is also a Program Director of a dorm.  Over ten years ago, he was hiking with students away from campus when they spotted the abandoned log.  A student leader at the time suggested that they pick it up and carry it to campus.  Anderson agreed and figured it would be a good lesson in humbling them.  In his mind, there was no way that they would be able to lift it, not to mention bring it back to campus.  The students proved him wrong and together carried the log the three miles back to campus while continuing to carry their ruck sacks.  According to Anderson, it was a very cool experience and although he does not use the log much today, he brought it back this year for the cross country team to work together.