By Zack Hill | ContributorIt was a lukewarm and mildly overcast morning on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga.The air had that perfect level of moisture that dampened the morning grass of the Stewart-Watson Field but did not soak it. The tents and flags set all around were mostly still, and the breeze was faint.Runners have coined a simple jargon for this type of environment: “perfect racing weather.” This means that a runner has no excuses to grasp onto in the face of disappointment, his performance was his and his only, solely based on his own grit and perseverance.Luckily, Augusta University men’s cross country team did not need any excuses.The men’s team paced around the tent, checking their iPhones every few minutes to see the clock inch closer and closer to 10:15. That was the moment they had dreamt about all year that was getting closer and closer to becoming their reality. The tension and anxiety were palpable, tension that would completely dissipate after the firing of the starting gun.At the starting line, rival teams had flashy chants and flags, but Augusta University silently did their strides (short sprints to warm up the legs) and stood quietly in reflection. As the race started, the team settled in the middle of the stampede of athletes, with relaxed, determined looks on their faces.This was when I knew that they were going to do just fine.“For the first time, I wasn’t afraid of everyone being in front of me through the second mile,” said Dylan Forester, a senior athlete at AU and all around running veteran. “I knew how fast we were going, and I knew that none of them but myself and my teammates could handle the pace.” As the miles racked up, it became increasingly obvious to the general attendees that Augusta was going to leave Columbus with a trophy. Most of the runners continued to burn away with visible fatigue on their faces, whilst Augusta’s top five pushed through the pain and kept speeding up as the miles went on.Junior Daniel Broadhead managed to hold his number two spot behind the 1st overall runner, UNCP’s freshman Silas Kipkoech, through the finish line.Forester secured third place overall, and the rest of Augusta’s top runners, freshmen Hunter Kimball and Jacob Poston, junior Noah Hulett, and senior Josh Thompson, all scored within the top 15. The average pace of the top five was a blistering 5:02 per mile. The team scored 23 points overall, and seeing as 15 points is the “perfect 18” of cross country, it is undeniable that their performance was quite extraordinary.While running fast for a long time is simple in theory, coaching the sport is actually a very tactical and profoundly complex position. It seems though that AU men’s cross country Coach Adam Ward knows exactly what he is doing, earning the title of “PBC Coach of the Year.”On the execution of the race, Coach Ward had this to say:“Our plan was to run a team race and not make any moves too early,” Ward said. “We knew we would have to be very patient and it paid off. Shortly after the 5K, the guys started showing moving up and into position to win. It was a dominant showing by a relatively young team with only two seniors in our top seven. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys and their execution.”The future is bright for Augusta University men’s cross country team.Contact Zack Hill at zhill@augusta.edu.