O'Brien, Burnsville Cross Country Share High Expectations

Burnsville senior Cole O’Brien was two seconds shy of a state boys cross country championship a year ago, but it took more than a regular offseason’s worth of work to prepare for 2011.

O’Brien, who finished second in the Class AA state run a year ago to St. Francis’ Adam Zutz last November, suffered a torn Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) and a bruised tibia during track last spring and spent much of the summer cross-training and rehabilitating.

Now, using a personal mix of dedication and innate talent, O’Brien has big plans for his Blaze squad this fall. Not only does he hope to win state individually, but he thinks Burnsville has a shot to do the same.

“We want to win state,” he said. “We’re really underestimated.”

The Blaze finished fourth in Class AA last year, and to win it all they’ll need a group effort led by O’Brien’s work ethic.

Coach Jeff Webber said when he first saw O’Brien as an eighth-grader, he recognized O’Brien had all the natural tools to succeed as a runner. He just needed to take the right steps.

After not running with the team as a freshman, O’Brien took fourth at state as a sophomore and began showing the signs of a champion runner. Webber said running 60 miles per week, getting proper sleep and following healthy nutrition patters transformed O’Brien into not only an elite state runner, but one who can compete nation-wide.

“He’s gone from a kid with potential and not understanding the discipline to really understanding the discipline and putting in the work,” Webber said. “He’s set his goals really high, beyond even state. He’s looking nationally, and I think he’s going to do it.”

O’Brien deflects much of his personal success to Webber and the Blaze program, which has a history of producing top runners.

Webber said he likes to let his runners figure out the proper steps on to running success on their own. That way their drive stems from internal motivation.

It’s a model that worked for O’Brien.

“Webber is a great coach, and I don’t think I’d want any other coach for high school than him,” he said. “Me and him have really come together as a student-coach. ... I got pretty lucky.”

Now, the Blaze hope their dedication will pay off throughout the fall. Led by O’Brien’s individual state championship dreams, Burnsville as a whole has a shot to turn heads in the South Suburban Conference and the postseason.

Webber said the team has the ability.

“I think we have the potential to turn some heads,” he said. “There are some things that need to fall into place.”

For O’Brien, who said his rehabilitation has brought him back to near his full potential, he sees the big picture. It takes a full season to prepare for sections and state.

He hopes good health is in the future for his teammates and himself.

“We don’t have too much depth, but we have solid, not very injury prone runners—except for me,” O’Brien joked. “I guess I’ll have to stay healthy now.”