For the past two years, the men’s cross-country team has brought the state title to CHS and has been ranke

d #1 preseason.  In addition, for the past two seasons, the men’s cross-country team had an assistant coach.

He is now the head coach.

Colin Altevogt, world language teacher and men’s cross-country head coach, has taken over as men’s cross-country head coach this past summer.

“We’re excited,” Altevogt said. “Three varsity guys are back from last season, including the best guy in the state, and our young guys are doing a great job.”

Altevogt previously was assistant coach for the men’s cross-country team, where he had “written the training program.”

Altevogt said that he still writes the training program as head coach, but he also “measures time standards.”

To make the team, which is 99 strong, Altevogt said they had to meet a benchmark running time. It differs from grade to grade.

Two of those boys who made the team are juniors Thomas Revard and Ben Veatch, both of whom are coming off a strong season last year and will run varsity this year.

“We think Altevogt is the right guy for the job, and we expect to do great things,” Veatch said. “Besides winning the State championship, which is a team goal, Coach Altevogt’s goal is to improve every runner on the team, no matter how fast he may be or how slow he may be.”

“We’re all family,” Revard said. “Altevogt is also working to bring the girls and boys cross country teams together again in terms of the meets we travel to so we have that ‘family bond’ thing that faded away when our previous coach took over.”

Altevogt is not only in charge of the cross-country team athletically, but he takes it upon himself to see the boys do well academically and make sure they go off to college successfully.

Altevogt said that if he saw the boys’ grades drop, he said he would “talk about it. I want to see these boys go to college.”

“I’m in a special SRT for student athletes who are Division I or Division II athletes who struggle academically. It provides me with a quiet place to study,” Revard said. “Daily life can be a challenge at times, especially since I usually have to make up sleep on the weekends due to athletics and the general academic load. For student-athletes like me, the most amount of sleep you can hope for is 8-9 hours of sleep.”

In addition, Altevogt said “Teaching helps me as a coach.”

Veatch said he really hopes the team will win the state championship this year. 

He said, “We have high expectations this year and hope to improve ourselves along the way.”

“My goal is not only to win the state championship for a third year,” Revard said, “but to be elected to the All-State team.”