#TheJourneytoCompete, the story of the Wayzata XC Club and their path to gold at the 2026 NIKE Cross Country Nationals on December 6, 2026.
RunBlogRun and NIKE are present
competition journey,
Episode 3:
Featuring Wayzata Girls XC team members and head coach
Maddie Gullickson
Jazlyn Malherek-Osorio
Head Coach – Kalsey Beach
What are the secrets to success in cross country sports? How does a Minnesota school with a strong cross-country history earn the title of the nation’s top girls’ high school? Well, RunBlogRun has spoken Wayzata Head Coach, Kalsey Beachand two of Wayzata’s teammates, Maddie Gullickson and: Jazelen Malerek-Osorio about the journey to Glendover Golf Course, decade plus home to the NIKE Cross Nationals.
The story is inspiring and has many lessons for coaches and athletes to learn. The biggest lesson. there are no secret plans, just a lot of focus, hard work and persistence. Wayzata XC Club put it all together on the right day and at the right time.
A journey to compete it’s about building team culture, team programs and fitness. In the interviews we organize, we try to present our readers with examples of coaches and athletes who overcome the unexpected. For example, a Wayzata athlete collapsed near the finish (he’s fine, he’s exhausted), and another athlete took on the challenge and ran the best race of his career so far. Great stories in the Wayzata interview and we thank them for sharing.
Thanks Wayzata XC Club teamentirely for such an inspiring story.
