10/25/2004 - Men's Cross Country
"A Gem In The Rough"
"We may have found a gem in the rough," Navy head coach Al Cantello said about freshman runner John Olsen following his second-place finish in his first-collegiate race. |
Student-Athlete Feature: John Olsen (Fr.), Men's Cross Country
By Doug DeBiase, Navy Sports Information
At a restaurant during a recent road trip this season, Navy men's cross country coach Al Cantello told freshman runner John Olsen that he needed to carry on the tradition of a plebe singing in public in front of the team.
Looking over at a nearby table full of women celebrating a birthday, Cantello sent Olsen over the group and had him sing happy birthday.
To the surprise of his coach and teammates, Olsen walked over without hesitation, bent down on one knee and sang happy birthday to the table.
"I wasn't too concerned if it was embarrassing or not," Olsen said of the experience. "I didn't think too much about it and just went over and sang in front of the group. I had fun with it."
Cantello added: "I was impressed. He wanted to sing Paliacchi, but couldn't get the words right. I got a good laugh out of it. He was calm and not nervous in his singing. The team had a fun time with it."
It's that same kind of carefree, just have fun and not over think too much approach that has served Olsen well during his rookie campaign with the cross country team.
"When I think too much out on the course, that is when I don't run as well," said Olsen, who is one of the top-seven runners on the Navy team and the first plebe to earn an N-Star during the 2004 athletic season as Navy recently topped Army, 25-34, at the USNA Cross Country Course. "When I'm out there, I just focus on where my teammates are and I stay with them. I follow their lead and stay close with them. That's the best way I know how to run a race."
The amazing thing about Olsen's accomplishments - four top-15 individual finishes this season - was that he didn't start to compete in the sport until his senior year at Curtis High School in Staten Island, N.Y.
"I swam throughout most of high school and I didn't even consider cross country until I visited the Academy during the summer between my junior and senior years," he said. "I came to the summer seminar on the Yard and I ran the (Physical Readiness Test) and was timed at 8:14 over the mile and a half.
"My squad leader asked if I ran in high school and was shocked to find out that I didn't. I thought about it and gave it a shot when I returned home for my senior year."
Following his senior year, Olsen came to Navy and quickly found himself trying to gain the attention of Cantello, the varsity runners and the other incoming recruits.
"It was reassuring to know that we had a jayvee team, because that was what I was expecting to make," Olsen said. "Coach kept telling me I could make that squad and develop myself, because I was still so new to the sport."
He would check the times of the varsity runners to see where they stood, but to keep pace with them, Olsen just focused on them in practice and followed them throughout the course.
"I didn't try to get too caught up in the times," he added. "When we went out to practice, I would just hone in on where they were and follow them as close as I could. I figured they were running the top times on the team, so if I could come in right behind them my times would be up there as well."
Cantello quickly took notice of Olsen and had him compete in the season's opening meet, on September 4 at the Mount St. Mary's Invitational. Olsen didn't disappoint and placed second overall in the individual standings.
"We may have found a gem in the rough," Cantello said following the race. "He ran hard and that's what I was looking for from him when I told him he was going to compete in the race."
"That wasn't the varsity running that race," Olsen said. "It was a big race, though, because it was for a remaining spot on the varsity team."
Olsen's performance earned him a spot on the varsity team a week later when the Mids competed in the Indiana State Invitational, and again he didn't disappoint by placing eighth out of 66 runners.
"I was amazed at how I ran in my first varsity race," Olsen said. "There were some really good runners in that race and to finish where I did was awesome."
After two more solid performances in the Navy Invitational and the Great American Festival, Olsen received the opportunity to run in the Star Meet against service academy-foe Army.
"I was excited for that race because everyone knows about the Army-Navy rivalry," he said. "The seniors on the team like captain Barry (Carmody) wanted to beat Army one last time. I was pumped up for it."
Olsen finished 13th out of 23 runners in the race to help the Mids capture the first N-Star for the Academy this season.
"We still have some races to run this season, including the Patriot League championship, but I've really enjoyed myself so far," Olsen said. "It's hard to imagine it all sometimes, but I keep working hard because I know I can improve even more."
