Desert Vista head coach Dr. Jeff Messer poses with the Thunder after their second straight large schools Arizona State Cross Country Championship title. Messer, who has a PhD in exercise physiology and teaches the subject at Mesa Community College, enters his third season with the Thunder after coaching crosstown rival Xavier Prep for six years. Desert Vista finished fifth at NXN last year and have won two consecutive cross country state titles. They are ranked No. 8 on the MileSplit National Pre-Season Team Rankings.
MileSplit: How many years have you coached at Desert Vista?
Dr. Jeff Messer: I am entering my third (3rd) year as a cross-country coach at Desert Vista High School.
Do you also coach track?
I also have the privilege of serving as an assistant coach (girl’s distance) in the Desert Vista High School track-&-field program.
How many state titles have your teams won?
Our girl’s cross-country teams have earned two (2) state cross-country championships during my tenure at Desert Vista High School. Those championships were earned in 2013 and 2014. Prior to my opportunity to serve as a Desert Vista High School head coach, the girl’s cross-country program earned state championships in 1998 and 2000.
Who are your potential top 7 returners?
Currently, we have thirteen (13) student-athletes competing for seven (7) varsity positions. Those student-athletes include Madi Bucci, Kellie Cameron, Sabrina Camino, Mya Carrizosa, Emily Crall, Sarah Crall, Mandy Davis, Kelly Harris, Baylee Jones, Caroline Pass, Emily Smith, Mason Swenson, and Haley Wolf.
Are there any top freshmen or transfers coming in who you could see making an immediate impact?
We believe that Emily Crall, Sarah Crall, Soraya Holley, Sevanna Hanson, and Holly Hansen will make a very significant, positive impact throughout the upcoming cross-country season.
How has summer training been going for your team? What do you focus on during summer months?
Summer training has progressed very well. Our primary 2015 summer training foci have included maintenance of good health, corresponding training consistency, commitment to ancillary training, and, more generally, a philosophical commitment to honoring the process of relentlessly excellent preparation.
Who are your team captains and how do they lead your team?
We have yet to select 2015 team captains. Those selections will occur in late-August prior to our initial 2015 competition. Our team captains will be highly empowered as team decision-makers who have very significant input as to the commitment, unity, selflessness, and, ultimately, accomplishments of this year’s team.
What are your top 3 goals for this year's squad?
Our program commits relatively modest attention to discussing team goals. Our primary foci are always and inevitably process-oriented. In that regard, our primary 2015 foci include a relentless commitment to academic excellence, a very deep, genuine, and enduring care for and commitment to teammates, and a correspondingly relentless commitment to honoring the process of absolutely excellent, complete preparation.
It's always tough to replace a low stick runner like Dani Jones, who graduated this spring as a nine-time Arizona state champion and placed third (first in team scoring) at NXN last fall. But you do still have a Jones leading the squad in your projected No. 1 returner, Baylee, who is the younger sister of Dani. How are the sisters alike and different and how do you think the team dynamic will change this season with a new leader?
We certainly do and will continue to miss Dani Jones. Notwithstanding her outstanding accomplishments as a student, citizen, and athlete, Dani was a defining, unifying leader for our program. Most importantly, Dani is an incredible individual who served as a tremendous friend and role model for all our coaches and student-athletes.
Baylee Jones possesses many of the same leadership qualities as her older sister. While Dani was certainly a transcendent leader for our program, my conjecture is that Baylee will continue to evolve into a very effective leader through, for example, her very consistent role modeling. Moreover, I sense that our 2015 team will be characterized by a robust group leadership model.
My expectation is that Baylee will indeed be a critical participant in the envisioned group leadership dynamic.
You return 5 runners from last year's No. 5 squad at NXN. Where does NXN fit into your priorities compared to the state meet? Do you see this team finishing in the top five again?
We return a very capable and highly motivated group of student-athletes. Again, I emphasize that we commit relatively minimal attention to discussion of outcomes. Certainly, the 2015 Arizona State High School Cross-Country Championship constitutes a focus competition. That championship will include perennially strong programs such as Highland High School and Mountain View (Mesa) High School. Chandler High School appears poised to be exceptionally competitive both this year and for the foreseeable future. As always, Xavier College Preparatory provides a prolific standard for Arizona cross-country excellence and should have an extremely strong 2015 team. Collectively, the state meet would present a fantastic opportunity to test the strength of our process in preparing to compete with the very finest, most accomplished Arizona high school girl’s cross-country programs.
Our 2015 team is planning to compete in the NXR-Southwest Championship. We would need to earn the privilege of competing at the 2015 NXN Championship prior to seriously contemplating our competitive prospects for that great event. The NXR-Southwest Championship thus constitutes yet another focus competition for our 2015 team.
There are a lot of young runners poised to return. How does the experience of competing at the national championship affect the mindset and poise of younger runners?
The student-athletes who competed at the 2014 NXN Championship gained valuable experience that has been both motivating and educational for their 2015 season preparation. That experience has contributed to and continues to contribute to a process of optimizing our preparation for the upcoming season.
What major invitationals are you planning to attend?
Two major invitationals that we hope to and plan to attend include the Woodbridge (CA.) Invitational and the Desert Twilight (AZ.) Cross-Country Festival.