For the second straight year, I had the good fortune of spending time with Stanford's cross country squad in Lake Tahoe as they prepared for the upcoming season.  The goals for the men's and women's teams are quite simple, and anyone following the sport knows Stanford's mission:  national champioships.

What is interesting is the moving parts and the process.  They start the fall with new components in great recruiting classes and a women's coach in Pattie Sue Plumer.  Bringing in the likes of the Rosa brothers, Aisling Cuffe, and a distance legend in Plumer are nearly as exciting as the highly touted returning crew.

More obvious than the accolades of this team is its cohesion.  This group seems to genuinely like each other.  They respect hard work over fast PR's and have taken on the character of men's coach Jason Dunn, who leads with a quiet, confident, yet personable attitude. 

This team has accomplished a lot.  Their resumes are remarkable.  Clearly, however, they thirst for national titles in cross country.  They are not wrapped up in the history of the program.  Rather, they have the talent and expect to win.

Finally, if Stanford is successful, they will use the power of teamwork and respect for the person next to them.  These are things that they thrive on.  It is not hard to see that they enjoy the process, but there is only one prize that will bring satisfaction.

I hope you like the videos on the Stanford team.  They will be coming your way soon!