With a talented and determined roster intact, Spartans hope to be successful at the Regional Meet.
by Jake Hazan
photo by Kevin Fleming
Eight meets into the cross-country season the boys and girls Spartan runners are looking to continue their success, heading into the State Regional Meet on October 16. Head Coach Bret Butera is proud of the success, and more importantly the hard work that the team has exhibited to achieve their success.
The boys’ cross-country unit has provided a consistent and exciting year for the TJ faithful, with a combination of talent, leadership, and commitment spread across the roster.
Star Junior Runner Ben Makovsky has followed his sophomore accomplishments with another incredible year for the Spartans this season. Ben is the #1 runner on the team, after finishing #5 out of all Denver Public Schools runners last year. At the September 13th meet at Bear Valley Park, hosted by the Kennedy Commanders, Ben won the entire race with a time of 17:36 in the 5k run. Coach Butera described Makovsky as a gifted athlete saying, “… he can take it to the next level, and this translates into great runs.”
Makovsky hopes to move even farther up the ranks this year. “Last year I came in 5th place; this year I hope to at least improve to the #4 spot,” he said.
A pleasant addition to the team in 2008-2009 was Freshman Garrett Sapakoff. Butera describes Sapakoff as a “natural talent” who is already excelling in his initial high school cross-country season. Sapakoff has established himself as the #2 runner on the team, and hopes to be in the position of the #1 spot in years to come. Butera also explained that Sapakoff is always full of energy and adds a unique aspect of liveliness to the team. According to Butera, Sapakoff is willing to give it everything he has and, “…lays it all out on the line”.
The #3 runner on the team, Peter Taylor, is another component of the TJ Cross-Country team that is vital. Not only is Taylor a talented runner, but is also a vocal leader on the team. Being one of the older and more experienced athletes, Taylor is continuously offering support and encouragement to his fellow Spartans.
Sophomores Emilio Hernandez and Alex Carter are also up-and-coming runners. Butera is ecstatic about their dedication and commitment to the team, and sees heaps of potential for the both of them in the future.
On the ladies’ side of the track, Ally Volk leads the way for the girls’ cross country team. Coach Butera is incredibly pleased about having Volk on the team, mainly because of her extreme love of running, describing her as a “lifestyle runner”. Volk competed in three half marathons this past summer in Hawaii, and strives to be a marathon runner when all is said and done. “Cross country is just a small part of a bigger picture for Ally. She runs because she loves it,” said Butera. Volk, being only a sophomore, is sure to bring more pride and success to the cross-country program in years to come.
Even with the immense amount of talent and success accomplished by the squad this year, Coach Butera is not in it for the glory. “I do it because I like these kids and wanted to help them develop as a team. It is amazing to me to watch them run as hard as they do,” he said.
The love on the cross-country squad isn’t just flowing from Coach Butera, it’s coming right back at him as well. “I think Coach Butera is a very good coach, especially since this is his first year. He has set his authority well and has given great running tactics throughout the year,” said Makovsky.
As for the State Regional Meet, which is quickly nearing, Butera said that his team is feeling confident and comfortable with the location of the race. After all, his team is especially familiar with the course at hand: Bible Park.
The cross-country squad just raced at Bible Park, on October 7 for the DPS City Meet. Knowing the ins and outs of the park will make this race an exciting one for the Spartans.
“For the Regional Meet, we have the circumstances laid out for us. We have been practicing at Bible Park quite a bit and we know the terrain well,” Butera said. “We are at an advantage, especially for me as a coach, because it is easier to give tips and suggestions in practice, rather than going into the race with no previous knowledge of the course.”
With a sense of home-turf advantage, the TJ cross-country program heads into the October 16 regionals looking to run hard, with Coach Butera proudly watching from the sidelines.
