By Anthony McNeill,

Coach Oliver may be better known as a basketball coach, but this year he is also coaching cross-country. To find out more about this unique sport, I sat down with Coach Oliver and asked him a series of questions.

During my interview with Coach Oliver he told me that his cross-country track team is doing pretty good and that he is proud of them. According to Coach Oliver, his players do a lot of weight lifting, running, etc. to stay in shape for the competitions. I asked Coach Oliver if that type of conditioning takes a toll on players and Coach Oliver said yes but that’s what kind of sport it is. They do a lot of running and working on leg strength, cardio, etc.

I asked Coach Oliver how his team competes against opponents. “They always compete good”, he responded. “They are very competitive, athletic, and well rounded”. I also asked Coach Oliver what makes track different from other sports. He explained, “What makes track different is that it’s constant running and building stamina.” He added, “You’re running for distance, not start and stop”.

We talked about strategy against other opponents and Coach Oliver told me he tells his athletes “start at a slow pace, then after the first mile speed it up. It’s just good pacing”. Later in my interview with the coach, I asked him if he had a “clutch athlete” and he told me yes but he also said he is not giving a name. He said you’ll just have to see for yourselves.