Creating A Culture
It might have seemed like a "Blink and you missed it" sort of rise for Valor, but Coplen wouldn't say it that way.
"This is the result of seven years of hard work," Coplen shared.
And the proof is in the numbers - just seven years ago the program didn't have one sub-20 minute 5ker, and it would've taken a 22:47 to make the top five. This year their entire top seven has run faster than 19:32, and it took an 18:35 to be their fifth fastest runner.
"When Taylor (Whitfield) first joined she was walking in the back of the pack," he said with a laugh.
But as with all great things, it had to start somewhere, and Coplen and his crew continued the grind, building something that would last.
"We wanted to build a culture that the kids would want to be a part of," Coplen explained. "We wanted to create a culture with high character, that stood for the right things."
That culture brought in runners like Cole Sprout, who's chasing his first national title Saturday, and more recently, Szuch and Prosceno.
"Lanie and Isabella are here because of what they saw," he explained. "We knew this could be a special team with them."
And true to form, the girl's team has gone from being competitive within the state, to competitive across the country. After being previously unranked, they fly to Portland for NXN still slightly under the radar, ranked No. 16 nationally.
Their rapid rise now prompts more questions like: How do they top NXR-SW? And: How fast can they go?
"You don't want to be just happy to be there (NXN)," Coplen shared. "But at the same time we're going in very proud to be there. We want to enjoy the moment."
And what of next year?
Only two of their top seven will graduate, shedding light that the upward trajectory of the squad appears in tact, if not getting a boost. Despite these facts, Coplen and his crew are quick to focus on what's more immediately in front of them.
"I don't want to live in the thought of next year," Coplen explained. "But you can certainly look at it, we could have some special years ahead of us."