The Midnight Mile

At Arlington High and Flower Mound Marcus you can tell it's the start of volleyball season when... Folks gather around the high school track? These two schools participate in a rare event known as "The Midnight Mile." It's more of a tradition than anything else, but at each school it signifies the start of another volleyball season, and not a single ball can be spiked or dug until the girls meet at 12:01 a.m. on Monday of the week volleyball starts and run the Mile. "We started it about 21 years ago when I took over," said Sue Cauley, Arlington coach. " I got it from football. "It's a big, exciting event for our seniors." At Arlington, the event is centered around the senior players. However, sophomores and juniors also run to help in the celebration and show their support for players who have been in the program several years. At Marcus, the celebration includes freshmen as well. There is no special focus on seniors--no more than usual. "I don't know how long they'll do it after I'm gone, but as long as I'm here this will be an annual event," said Cauley. Marcus coach Cristie Liles said the event was in place when she took over as Lady Marauders coach seven years ago. Her first inclination was to do away with the Mile, as it was something she admits she had not experienced and did not understand its significance. "I said, `We're getting rid of that. It's just crazy," said Liles. "Then, I pulled up in the parking lot (for her first Mile) and saw how exciting it was. People were screaming and yelling. It's fantastic. It's madness." Why does the Mile have such significance and is such a powerful tradition at these schools? For one thing, it appears to be something that is somewhat exclusive to them, at least in the Metroplex. If any other schools are doing it, it doesn't seem to be as longstanding or tradition-filled as here. "We're the only ones crazy enough to do it," said Liles with a laugh. "There's not many folks crazy enough to get out there at midnight every year and run around a track," said Cauley with a chuckle. At Arlington, the Lady Colts give their annual Mile a theme. This year it's the Super Six, in honor of their six seniors, which is, by the way among the most seniors Cauley has ever had run the mile. The most seniors she's ever had participate was 11 in 1990, when the Lady Colts made their only state tournament appearance under her. They came close last season, advancing to the regional finals and losing to eventual state champion Amarillo. "Everyone wants to go to state, and I think we have the talent to get there this year," said Arlington's Adrienne Reynolds, an outside hitter and three-year member of the varsity. "This is our first step, running the Mile." Liles' team is also considered a contender for state this season. The Lady Marauders return nine seniors from a 35-11 team that lost to Arlington in the regional quarterfinals--a two-point loss in the fifth game. It was the farthest Marcus has advanced in a decade. "We don't want to wait until in the morning to start the season," said Liles. "We get excited about volleyball around here, and we have a lot to be excited about this year." Arlington seniors spend the entire day preparing for the moment. They wear T-shirts that match. They get together and hang out, shop, eat together, capitalizing on camaraderie that they hope will carry them to another successful season. The shirts this year were blue with a Superman emblem. On the back were the words, "It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's seniors '09." All of the seniors came up with the Super Six theme, and senior middle hitter Cobi Farrar designed them. "We talked about it (the Mile) all day," said Farrar, the only senior who is a four-year varsity member. "I was thinking of everything as a last time. I kept thinking, `Wow, this is the last time I'll do this.' "I was scared. I understood the tradition, but I had to run it in under eight minutes. I did not want to come back at 6:30 the next morning and run it again." While the Mile is loaded with tradition, it also serves a function. It gives Cauley and Liles a chance to see how in shape their girls are after the summer. At Arlington, girls must run the Mile in under eight minutes or they have to run with the freshmen at 6:30 in the morning until they do--and that does on occasion happen. "It happened two years ago, but we all went out the next morning and ran with them and the freshmen even though we didn't have to," said senior libero Ashley Barnett. "We're a team here. If I were in that position, I'd want to have that support." At Marcus, sophomores, juniors and seniors have to complete the Mile in 7:15 or better. Freshmen have to finish in eight minutes or better. Liles said several of her girls ran it in as fast as around six minutes. "We definitely have over a handful of girls who can make it in six or six-thirty," said Liles. "A few run track. They're our pacesetters." The Mile has bested the test of time and even weather. On the day of this year's Mile, temperatures were still around 100 degrees well after dark, but no one thought about not running. "It was 107 that day," said Arlington senior setter Ali Wren. "We had the sprinkler going. When we ran through them that was cool--literally." Moments like this will keep the Mile providing memories for volleyball players at Arlington and Marcus. They've been doing it for years, and it is a regular occurrence for former players to return to cheer on this year's Mile participants--some of whom are even related. "One of my freshmen had two older sisters who ran it under me. They were there watching her," said Liles. "And there's little sisters out there watching their older sisters. Those younger sisters know they'll be doing it one day." And while the actual physical activity has very little to do with the sport of volleyball, it has a huge emotional impact, Liles said. It must be working, as the Lady Colts and Lady Marauders are annually among the best teams around. "My personal philosophy is you need to have a passion for what you do," said Liles. "When you start out with this kind of energy and support, you realize you've got a lot of people rooting for your program. That can only make you want to work harder." -