Ep. 176 - The Greatest XC Comeback Story of 2025: From Hip Stress Fracture to NXN All-American | The Cassidy Armstrong Story

In 2025, Ballard High School’s Cassidy Armstrong turned a season nearly lost to injury into one of the strongest postseason runs in the country.

The Seattle senior, committed to Duke University, entered the fall coming off a hip stress fracture that erased her entire junior track season. Six weeks unable to walk. No running until August. No early-season races to test fitness or confidence.

Armstrong didn’t race until October 31st. She opened with a second-place finish at the SeaKing District Championships. Days later, she repeated the result at the WIAA 3A State Meet, finishing just behind Mercer Island’s Sophia Rodriguez. Then the season stretched. At NXR Northwest in Spokane, Armstrong placed fifth on the new course, earning her first-ever qualification to Nike Cross Nationals.

In December, on the sport’s biggest stage, she delivered again. Armstrong finished 18th at Nike Cross Nationals, securing All-American honors and closing the year ranked 24th nationally by DyeStat — the second-highest of any high school girl on the West Coast.

This season asked for patience. Cassidy trained without proof, raced without momentum, and trusted that the work would show up eventually. When it did, it showed up at the biggest moments.

As she looks ahead to Duke and the next chapter of her career, this season stands as proof that timing, belief, and resilience can be just as powerful as raw fitness.

Tap into the Cassidy Armstrong Special.

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Ep. 211 - The Biggest Postseason Bounce-Back of 2026: Notre Dame Freshman & 1:48 800m Runner Owen Horeni

One week. One tough loss. Six days to figure out what comes next.At the 2026 IHSA Class 3A State Championships, Owen Horeni finished second in the 800m, running 1:51. It wasn’t the ending he wanted. L...

30 Aug 38min

Ep. 210 - Some Thoughts Before My Senior XC Season

Enjoy!

24 Aug 12min

Ep. 209 - He Trained For a Half Marathon at 10 - Then Became a 2X 800m National Champ

One hundredth of a second. That was the difference between Caleb Winders winning and going home wondering what he could have done differently.A few weeks later, he ran 1:46.85.The Bloomington North se...

17 Aug 42min

Ep. 208 - From Falling While Leading At The State Meet to 2X NXN Team Champ | The Hunter Robbie Special

Sometimes the athletes who go the farthest are the ones who never made the biggest splash at the start.Hunter Robbie didn't become a two-time Nike Cross Nationals All-American overnight. The 2026 Niwo...

9 Aug 34min

Why I Left Strava Before My Senior Season

This week, I'm taking a break from guest interviews to share a few lessons from my final varsity camp before senior cross country.We talk about why I decided to step away from Strava, what chasing soc...

2 Aug 24min

Ep. 207 - The Fastest Mississippi HS Runner of All Time: Running Free and Surmounting the Pressure with 8X MS State Champion Andrew Brown

Andrew Brown was labeled a prodigy before he was old enough to drive. Then came the pressure, the setbacks, and the question every young athlete eventually faces: who are you when things don't go your...

26 Juli 41min

Ep. 206 - Inside the Mind of 2X 800m National Champion Reagan Moore

In 2026, Oak Knoll School's Reagan Moore cemented herself as one of the premier 800-meter runners in the United States.The rising senior from Summit, New Jersey claimed her second national title this ...

19 Juli 39min

Ep. 205 - The Blueprint for XC Team Success: What it Takes to Build a Dynasty with CDA's Wyatt Carr

In 2025, Coeur d'Alene High's Wyatt Carr stepped into a new role. The team's longtime leaders had graduated, and the responsibility of carrying one of the nation's premier distance programs now rested...

13 Juli 50min