GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- With young but seasoned runners, the Union Redhawks cross country squad is racing into the 2025 season with high expectations.
Head Coach Dan Droski has his sights set on more than just development — he's aiming for competitive success this fall.
“I’m looking for at least three kids to be all-conference and for our team to finish in the top three of the conference. I’d like to get one or two runners to state. We also want to win as many invitationals as we can,” he said.
Droski thinks he has the athletes to do it. “This year’s group is mostly freshmen and juniors. We’re going to be strong for the next few years. It’ll be a fun season.”
At the front of the flock is junior Arie Prins, who not only sets the pace on race day but also during team training sessions. "I want to be sub-17 minutes for a 5K and make it to state," said Prins. "I’m going to train every day. Consistency is key. I just have to run hard."
That level of consistency has become a standard for the program. According to Droski, his runners have been “logging miles” across all kinds of terrain, from dunes to hills to long runs. “We’re just logging miles,” he emphasized — a strategy mirrored by the athletes themselves.
“Arie and I run a 7.5-mile loop every day except Sunday, and sometimes we do 10 miles,” said junior Isaiah Meyer, who’s hoping to break the 18-minute barrier this fall. “I plan on achieving it via consistency and eating well throughout the season,” he added.
In cross country, teams are scored based on the placements of their top five runners. Therefore, improvement from last year remains a top priority, especially when it comes to closing the team’s one-to-five runner gap.
“With Arie out there in front, I’m hoping our #2 and #3 runners will close the gap behind him,” said Droski. “If they can stay on Arie’s coattails for most of the race, it’ll be good for the whole team.”
That competitive drive is being sharpened in every Redhawk workout.
"Most often we do a long run which could be 5-15 miles,” said Jude Klooster. “If it’s not that, it’s speed work on the track, sprinting 800s. Sometimes we’re in the weight room doing lots of bench.”
Josh Chapman added, “Other days we’ll do a hills workout or the stairs on Division Street. After running, we stretch.”
On the mental side, the group is growing in maturity and confidence.
“I learned a lot of strategy about how you want to go about racing and how to win,” said Prins. “Every season I learn how important consistency and working hard are.”
For Chapman, he approaches race day with a calculated mindset.
“Usually when the race starts, I try to get ahead of as many people as I can without sprinting,” Chapman shared. “Throughout the race, I pick people off one by one. If there’s just one person in front of me, I try to get ahead of them and stay there. At the end of a race, I usually go all out for the final quarter mile.”
The Redhawks are especially excited to compete at home during the Hawk’s Nest Invitational on August 19. According to Droski, “it’s early in the season, so it’ll be a good test for our guys. We want to be ready to roll before our first conference meets start in September.”
With a blend of youthful energy and veteran discipline, Union’s cross country runners look ready to climb the leaderboard individually and as a team.
