Phil Hagedorn

Past Entries

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Entry 2

Entry 3

Entry 4

Entry 5

Entry 6

October 27, 2003

The coming weeks comprise the heart of our season. The races we run these next four weeks are the reason we ran during the summer, the reason we've trained since the beginning of classes and the reason we've busted our butts every Saturday morning.

I always look forward to the postseason with tense anticipation. Will the team prove itself in the races that count or merely fade into the obscurity as in seasons past?"

The exciting part of all this is that I feel fully justified in saying that this year's team has the potential to prove the naysayers wrong, to render their pessimism null and void. Should each member of this team step to the starting line with his duty in mind and, during the course of our conference championship, our regional championship and finally our national championship, perform his duty this team has the potential to go far.

However, it must be a concerted effort. The beauty and the agony of cross country lies in a dependence upon your teammates in addition to yourself. In one sense, it is agonizing to depend upon another's performance.

Yet it is an incredible feeling to seize victory as a team. This two-faced nature of cross country rears its head in the postseason when every race and every second and every place make a difference and determine the success or failure of a team. I for one am truly excited to have the opportunity to test my mettle alongside my teammates.

Phil Hagedorn is a senior from Atlanta. He would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.