David, a Foot Locker and NXN All-American as a freshman at Richland County High in Illinois, is excited to run again at LaVern Gibson course in Terre Haute with new team, led by Jasper High and Indiana University graduate Spanbauer

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

One thousand miles separate Brandenton, Fla., and Terre Haute, Ind., but for IMG Academy sophomore star Tatum David and head cross country coach Dustin Spanbauer, a trip to the XC Town USA Meet of Champions – presented by The Garrett Companies at the LaVern Gibson Championship course – will have them feeling right at home.

An appearance by IMG Academy in the girls championship race at the Nov. 15 event, organized by the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, carries added significance for David and Spanbauer, who both have family ties to the Midwest and are quite familiar with the prestigious venue that is the host site for the two-day meet.

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David excelled last year at Richland County High in Olney, Ill. – just 82 miles southwest of Terre Haute – before a family move to Florida during the summer resulted in her arrival at IMG Academy in Brandenton.

DYESTAT DISCUSSION WITH TATUM DAVID

Spanbauer, who has built the Ascenders into a rising power in Florida since arriving from Indiana, is an alumni of Jasper High, located 96 miles southeast of Terre Haute. He also attended college at Indiana University and continued to coach following his graduation in Bloomington, roughly 60 miles east of LaVern Gibson.

“It feels like I’m going back home again to Indiana and taking my extended family (team) with me. This event means a lot to me,” Spanbauer said. “To have spent so much time cultivating a team for many years in Florida that now has the chance to go back to my old stomping grounds and be a part of a monumental event is very exciting for myself, and I think many of the athletes are excited to see where I grew up and race on a course with so much rich history. It will be an event that is completely worthwhile to be present at (this season).”

David experienced that history last season at NXR Midwest, placing fourth on the 5-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 11.6 seconds.

The trio of seniors in front of her were Zofia Dudek of Ann Arbor Pioneer High in Michigan, who went on to win the Foot Locker national title, along with Foot Locker All-American Katelynne Hart of Glenbard West High in Illinois, and eventual Nike Cross Nationals runner-up Taylor Ewert of Beavercreek High in Ohio. They are now attending Stanford, Michigan and Arkansas, respectively.

David used that performance at LaVern Gibson as a catalyst to become the only freshman athlete in the 16-year history that Foot Locker Nationals has overlapped with Nike Team Nationals and NXN to earn All-America honors at both championships meets, placing 10th at the Foot Locker final in San Diego and 17th at NXN in Portland.

“It’s just exciting to know that I get to go home, but this time, I get to bring my team with me,” David said. “It definitely helps because we know what it’s like to live in the Midwest and also I’ve run the course before, so I know how it is. It’s special to be able to know about it, so we can tell the rest of the team, but overall (the experience) can definitely help.”

The program pillars created by Spanbauer of family support, enjoying the process and appreciating the journey were evident Oct. 2 when IMG Academy traveled to Arizona to compete at the Desert Twilight Festival at The Links at Queen Creek in San Tan Valley.

Led by David’s individual victory on the 5-kilometer course in a Florida all-time record 16:41.41, IMG Academy became the first girls program from the Southeast to capture the sweepstakes title in meet history. They also cherished quality team bonding time following the event by visiting the Grand Canyon.

With their regular-season schedule in Florida complete, the Ascenders’ lineup of Carly McNatt, Jais Ward, Emilia Puskas, Eve Siff-Scherr, Mia Andreae, Marcela Guzman and David remains focused on improvement each day in preparation for their next big national challenge in less than three weeks in Indiana.

“It’s really special to me to know that because I have something to work for that is bigger than just competing in Florida,” David said. “I would say our whole team is excited to be able to travel out of the state and compete in another race, and it’s also really special for me because it’s like I’m coming home and I get to compete on a course that I’ve competed at before.”

In addition to David’s family and friends, Spanbauer is hoping that people he remains connected with from both USATF and Indiana University will be able to attend the event to support IMG Academy. He also remains optimistic that his father could be among the fans cheering for the Ascenders.

“Tatum and I discuss regularly how pumped we are to be back in the Midwest and particularly at a high-caliber meet on LaVern Gibson,” Spanbauer said. “It’s going to be a family-oriented event for myself and all the athletes as well. It’s definitely one of those moments where life brings you full circle to remind you as to how your past and present converge in a way that is beneficial for the collective. It makes the journey worthwhile when there are momentary destinations like this along the way.”

The next chapter in the journey for IMG Academy will be a less-glamorous 5-kilometer road time trial this coming weekend as part of the Ascenders’ training schedule in preparation to race in Terre Haute.

IMG Academy also has plans to participate in the championship week of the Nike Cross Virtual event in the days following competition at the XC Town USA Meet of Champions, since the Ascenders are currently the top program in the Southeast Region and ranked No. 5 nationally in the seven-week series.

David knows she and her teammates will be ready to embrace new challenges when they are presented, just like they have throughout an unbeaten season thus far in Florida and Arizona.

“Right now, I feel like I have decent speed, but by the time that November comes and by the time the Indiana race is here, I feel like it will be even better,” David said. “We’ll keep training and working hard, so I feel like by the time we get to this race, I feel like I’ll be ready.”

And during a season that won’t reach its conclusion at a national competition in Oregon or California like the high school cross country schedule has offered during the past two decades, David and Spanbauer can’t think of any other venue they’d rather be at in November than LaVern Gibson, celebrating a memorable homecoming by competing against some of the best athletes in the country.

“It’s pretty awesome to be able to see so many talented runners (in Indiana), especially this year, since there isn’t a Nike Cross Nationals or Foot Locker,” David said. “I would say it’s pretty special, whether they’re from the Midwest or anywhere else, just to be able to see them, because I made so many friends throughout all the races I ran in (last year). Just being able to see (familiar) people again means a lot.”