Take it on the Run: Sierra Canyon's Baxter Had a Great Cross Country Season

 Sierra Canyon High junior Brandon Baxter has what every coach wants in an athlete: "great coachability."

Hard work and a willingness to follow coach Troy Samuels' advice, along with a strong desire to win, helped carry Baxter all to way to the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno last Saturday.

"He listens to the plan and executes it," Samuels said.

The 5K race started in the cool (mid-50's) and cloudy morning. But the weather didn't discourage Baxter, who grew up on the East Coast.

"I like running in the cold and rain, it's a refreshing feeling," Baxter said.

Baxter finished 11th overall, out of nearly 200 runners. He clocked in a race time of 16 minutes, 17 seconds.

"He ran with a lot of heart, a lot of focus," Samuels said. "He showed what he's capable of."

When they first got to Fresno, Baxter had a chance to preview the course.

"The course was really nice," he said. "It was really flat with no hills."

Baxter was excited to run and didn't appear nervous, Samuels said. He was eager to finish off his season with a bang.

"I was excited for the last race, I wanted to go out in style," Baxter said. "I felt like I gave it all I had."

The race started out fast with the lead runners maintaining a five-minute-mile pace. This was a bit quicker than what Baxter normally ran. But Samuels told Baxter "put yourself out there," and that's exactly what he did.

"I thought to myself, 'I'm going to be paying for this later," he said, recalling the pain he began to feel in his legs by the second mile. "[But] this is the last race of the season, it's never good to give up because you'll regret it."

Around the one-mile marker, Baxter found himself in the lead. He headed the pack for about three minutes.

"Our plan was to get out quickly, get into the lead group," Samuels said. "[And] if he's not in front, you can't see him, he's so small."

Baxter was surprised the moment he noticed he was in front. He knew he was running against the best of the best.

"He said to me, 'Coach, I looked up and I was in front!'" Samuels said. "He stayed with the lead group for as long as he could."

Baxter felt good about his race, even though he missed the top 10 by five seconds. He felt a sense of relief once he crossed the finish line.

"It was a bummer, but you can't change those things," he said. "The pressure was off and I thought, 'Now it's time to go home and sleep.'"

There are no regrets, Samuels assures. It was Baxter's goal to run in the nationals this Saturday, but he understands that this is how athletics work; it's a competition.

"I'm pretty certain he'll be running in the nationals next year," Samuels said. "I'm incredibly proud of him."

Although his season didn't go exactly as he had hoped, Baxter knows that he worked extremely hard.

"I wasn't expecting to get sick. I'd have been much faster," he said. "I had no energy (in the last couple of races), I had a stomach virus."

Baxter lost a lot of weight, but after Thanksgiving, he seemed to regain his strength.

 "I got over it by Saturday," Baxter said. "I had eaten enough on Thanksgiving.

Baxter now has three weeks ahead of him to do absolutely nothing, before the track and field season (his favorite sport) and coach Samuels' winter training program.

"I'm going away to New York for Christmas," he said. "And I'll sleep and catch up on work."

He plans to visit old friends and family.

Also, the team's banquet takes place Dec. 13 at the Porter Valley Country Club where they will celebrate a very successful season.

As for next year, Baxter has big goals. He'll be a senior and he plans to make it to nationals.

"My goal is to win every race I run next year," he said.