Beaming with excitement, cross country coach Bryan Cheek watches the flood of runners descend the starting hill of the 5K race at the FHSAA State Cross Country Championship at the Apalachee Regional Park on Nov. 16, 2024. For the cross country world, this moment is the pinnacle of the season. Still, for Cheek’s program, making it there is not the dream; it is the expectation.
“We go to the state meet every year because that’s what we do. There’s no other option,” Cheek said. “I make everything about our program point to the state meet. We don’t talk about wanting to be there, we talk about being there.”
Without countless early morning practices, which runners attend 48 weeks a year, qualifying for this Tallahassee race would be impossible.
“You can’t just set a goal and hope. You map out the path in detail and execute at every level with full commitment,” Cheek said. “Every conditioning run [throughout the] summer and every workout is programmed to get us there. It’s the fabric of our program, and we have an amazing group of athletes that buy into that thinking.”
At 6 a.m., before any other students arrive on campus, the cross country team is out on the field, warming up for a run. Each day is carefully structured to prepare runners for weekend races. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, they log “easy runs,” focusing on higher mileage at a slower pace. Tuesdays and Thursdays, however, are reserved for tough workouts designed to build speed.
Cheek said that each runner’s coaching is personalized.
“I’m going to respond to the level of coaching each athlete wants and earns, but I refuse to coach motivation. You need to bring that,” Cheek said. “For those that want to participate at the highest level and commit to that level of work, there is almost nothing I won’t do. If you do the work, I’m here to help you get to the finish line.”
Senior and Captain Francis Lewandowski said the commitment to daily practice is challenging, but rewarding.
“Waking up each morning for practice has got to be the hardest part of cross country,” Lewandowski said. “But once you get yourself out of bed and drive over there, it really brightens your day to show up and run in the morning.”
Lewandowski began running on the first day of eighth grade after his dad had signed him up, hoping to continue the legacy of running within the family. Now, as one of the top runners on the team, Lewandowski said he credits all his success to Cheek’s program.
“Slowly but surely, with the guidance of Cheek, I was able to get faster,” Lewandowski said. “I learned how to perfect my stride, what shoes to wear and what I needed to eat before my races. He essentially prepped me for everything, and these days I’m running faster than I ever thought I would be.”
Sophomore Selah Vignier, who joined the program in seventh grade, also said she credits her personal success to Cheek’s mentorship.
“He really is a great coach,” Vignier said. “He motivates me to persevere even when I think I can’t do something and always pushes me past what I thought was possible.”
Cheek became an assistant coach in 2015 when his son Brayden Cheek started running for the program. Then, he became the boys’ coach in 2019, and took over the whole program in 2022. Cheek said his coaching philosophy has remained consistent over the years.
“My goal as a coach remains the same today as it was when I started: run a healthy, balanced program with high participation that builds a community of future runners,” Cheek said. “We can’t all run for a college, but we can all run while in college and beyond. I don’t care if you run a 30 minute or a 16 minute 5K; you get my best coaching if you put in the effort.”
Since his coaching debut in 2015, the team has been to the FSHAA State Cross Country Championships every year except 2020, setting both team and individual school records year after year. Cheek said the expectations for the team this year are high.
“This year I am blessed with the deepest teams and most talented athletes I’ve ever coached,” Cheek said. “We have the highest expectations for the post season and plan to make noise on the podium at the state meet. We have obstacles in front of us like anyone else, but we’re upsetting some favorites with gutsy performances, and we will be ready to compete at the highest level come post season.”
Vignier said she credits this season’s success to team chemistry.
“We’ve all been together for multiple years at this point,” Vignier said. “Even the new kids that have come in have already connected because we do so much together. Obviously [we] practice together every day, but we also hang out on our weekend long runs and many other fun team activities.”
As a part of the team’s summer training, varsity runners travel to Boone, North Carolina for a week-long camp. Both Lewandowski and Vignier said this camp makes the cross country community feel more like a family than a team.
“In Boone, everyone is super happy to be running, which is rare,” Lewandowski said. “We run early, then after 10 a.m. you get to do whatever you want with the team you’ve grown to love so much.”
Lewandowski said his favorite part about being in Boone is spending time with Cheek.
“Normally during the season, we don’t get to see Coach past 8 a.m.,” Lewandowski said. “In North Carolina, we get to see Coach in his entirety and he’s the same happy guy he is in the morning, and it makes all of us happy.”
Cheek said his favorite part of coaching is the generosity of the athletes and parents.
“I’m always confused when people ask why I do this. Who doesn’t want to be a high school cross country coach?” Cheek said. “I very intentionally choose to start nearly 300 days a year with the brightest, most inspiring, charismatic people that I’ve ever met. I am honored to be a part of this family.”
Along with Cheek, Lewandowski said he wouldn’t trade his experiences for the world.
“Running cross country and having Cheek during my time in high school has changed my life,” Lewandowski said. “My life would be completely different if I didn’t have my teammates and Coach every morning of every day.”
