Rivals XC coach discusses Coach of the Year award

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East Jefferson Rivals Cross Country Coach Alice Fraser was selected as the Boys Coach of the Year in the Nisqually League after an exceptional season of running.

Fraser made sure to thank her athletes for their efforts on and off the field.

“I have been honored to coach such an amazing group of athletes this season,” Fraser said.

“Not only are they dedicated athletes, but also an exceptional group of young people who demonstrate consideration, humor, support, compassion, and determination every day. I am looking forward to working with the majority of them during the upcoming track season,” she said.

Both boys and girls teams won their district championship races and competed at the state level, with seven EJ athletes making the Nisqually All-League list.

“It was very exciting for the boys and girls teams to both win the district championships,” the coach recalled. “Although the teams had to race at different venues that day, there was a lot of communication back-and-forth and both teams were successful and the mood was highly celebratory.”

“These athletes worked hard all season, ran well, and deserve these honors,” she added.

Fraser discussed her coaching style and how that benefits her athletes through collaboration and open communication among the runners and the coaches.

“I would describe my coaching style as collaborative and unimposing. I work closely with my assistant and husband, Ian Fraser, as well as with athletes to try to individualize training to best suit each athlete. I am a strong believer in open communication with athletes in order to tailor their training plan to maximize their goals and potential as best as possible,” she said.

Looking to next year, Fraser is excited to continue with her multitude of athletes with a lot of potential, but reiterated that the team is more important than any one runner.

“The team boasts some young runners with lots of potential, but it does take a minimum of five runners to score as a team. We are losing some very valuable seniors (Max Allworth-Miles, Glen Dawson, Lia Poore), but I expect that Camryn Hines and Sebastian Manza (rising seniors) will lead their younger teammates to a strong season next year.

“I anticipate that we will get some new recruits next season and continue to build our team,” she said. “It will be worth keeping an eye on Soare Johnston as he is the fastest freshman we’ve had in quite a long time.”

East Jefferson Rivals, Rivals XC