For a generation, the boys’ cross country squad at Hinsdale Central in suburban Chicago lingered behind its more accomplished local peers. Save an eighth-place finish at the 1997 Illinois State Championships, Hinsdale Central failed to qualify for the state meet every year from 1978-2007.
Over the last decade, however, the Red Devils have clawed their way into the discussion of Illinois’ elite. Led by head coach Jim Westphal and assistants Jim Kupres and Noah Lawrence, a coaching trio assembled in 2005, Hinsdale Central has morphed from also-ran to the 2013 and 2014 state champions.
Here’s how they did it:
Step 1: Increasing the numbers
Upon the coaching trio’s arrival, Hinsdale Central’s boys program claimed fewer than 40 athletes. Immediately, Westphal (a special education teacher), Kupres (a school social worker) and Lawrence (a social studies teacher) worked to drum up participation, promoting the sport in the building with face-to-face interactions and engaging freshmen during the orientation week activities fair. Westphal also reached out to junior high school coaches, obtaining a roster and making phone calls to kids and parents to spotlight the program.
“We were recruiting like college coaches,” says Westphal, a four-time NCAA All-American at Loyola University in Chicago and a two-time Olympic trials qualifier in the 5,000 meters (1992 and 1996). “Some kids would come out for a week and we’d never see them again, but a good number kept toughing it out.”
In subsequent years, the team’s numbers swelled. First to 50, then 75, then 100.
“When you’re able to get a deeper pool, it doesn’t guarantee results, but some kids will develop with continued hard work,” Westphal says.
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In order for athletes to improve, Westphal and his staff set clear expectations for athletes and parents, particularly as the program has blossomed.
There’s an attendance policy with defined criteria for excused and unexcused absences; a team pledge built on accountability, fraternity and healthy habits; and defined meet procedures regarding warm ups, stretching and cool downs. Before every fall practice, the team also gathers in a classroom, where, after taking attendance, coaches review workout data, provide motivational stories and share workout or race expectations without distractions.
“Every year, we’ve added something to become more focused on the task at hand,” Kupres says.
In subsequent years, the teams numbers swelled. First to 50, then 75, then 100
When the Hinsdale Central coaching triumvrate arrived in 2005, only a few athletes had approached 40 miles per week and the team’s then-top athlete ran over 11:00 at the season’s opening 2-mile time trial.
Slowly and methodically, the coaches added mileage and intensity, evolving workouts to fit the program’s progress.
In recent years, Westphal says, Hinsdale Central has intensified its quality and quantity at “a manageable level,” topping out at about 70 miles per week. Daily running regimens are then individualized and tailored to certain athletes, particularly the team’s top performers and its freshmen.
“As a coaching staff, we’ve had our differences of opinion, but we’ve always reached a consensus we believe our kids can handle,” Westphal says.
In subsequent years, the teams numbers swelled. First to 50, then 75, then 100
Hinsdale Central sits in one of the nation’s top conference for boys cross country. The West Suburban Silver features venerable York High, which has captured 28 Illinois titles since 1962, and four other high-achieving programs: Lyons Township, Downers Grove North, Oak Park-River Forest and Glenbard West. Early on, that competitive environment delivered struggle as well as motivation.
“Before we could run with the big dogs, we had to become big dogs ourselves,” Kupres says.
In 2008, Hinsdale Central qualified for the Illinois State Championships, its first trip under Westphal’s watch. The Red Devils finished 25th out of 25 teams.
“That was humbling,” Westphal says. “We were overwhelmed as a team and overwhelmed as coaches and determined to never perform that poorly again.”
After failing to qualify as a team in 2009, the Red Devils finished 14th in 2010. After a slight dip to 16th in 2011, Hinsdale Central then tallied a 12th place finish in 2012 before securing its 2013 and 2014 championship trophies.
“As we started to improve, we really believed we could do something special, especially if we put faith in our coaches and executed their plan,” says Billy Magnesen, the top runner on the Red Devils’ 2013 squad.
Step 5: Continuously building a culture of excellence
With two state titles now in its pocket, Hinsdale Central knows it must avoid complacency and entitlement.
“We need to continue welcoming kids into our team and holding them accountable because that’s how you stay at this level,” Westphal says. “Not everybody has to be all-state, but everybody has to strive to improve.”
That includes the coaches, whom Westphal acknowledges must continue to question, learn and stretch their minds.
“Now, it’s our challenge to continue to cultivate this culture of excellence,” Westphal says. “We’re far from done.”
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Central’s Core Workouts
Summertime 400s
Each week during the summer, Hinsdale Central hits the track for 400-meter repeats. Younger athletes start at 10-12 repeats, while the squad’s more seasoned athletes top out at 25 turns around the oval.
“This helps the kids get the turnover and snap they need to prepare for the season ahead,” says Jim Westphal, head coach, adding that the interval workouts also inspire camaraderie. “When you get through grinding workouts like that, there’s a collective sense of accomplishment that bonds these kids together.”
Fall’s Fast/Tempo Workout
Twice each fall, the Red Devils venture to a local forest preserve with rolling terrain for a 6-mile workout. There, runners alternate miles between near-race pace and tempo pace, which Westphal describes as “about 80 percent effort.”
“This tests our athletes’ ability to handle a fast tempo and to gut out a challenging workout,” Westphal says, noting that top athletes interchange 5:15 and 5:45 miles during the workout. “We’re trying to get kids to do something they don’t think they can do.”
