Today on the podcast is Ty Cirino.

Ty is the #2 returner in Oregon 5A cross country, out of Central High School in Independence, Oregon. With the graduation of Tayvon Kitchen and Josiah Tostenson this past spring, the door is open in Oregon high school XC

Ty Cirino is a possible heir to the throne.

As a junior, Ty won the The Mook XC Invite at Alderbrook in a new course record of 14:43 (which was just recently broken by Kellen Williams in 14:28). Ty also finished 2nd at the Rose City Invitational in 14:35. After finishing 4th at Oregon 5A State Cross Country as a junior and placing 3rd in both the 1500 and 3K this past track season, many have been expecting Ty to rise to the occasion this cross-country season.

But, it hasn’t been without struggle. Despite a groundbreaking summer of training, Ty sustained a tiny flare-up that has temporarily sidelined him for a couple weeks to end his September. However, as we head into October, and as you will learn today, Ty believes that this setback could be his strength.

Aside from a minor setback, Ty and I go in-depth on his thoughts on the competition in the northwest this cross-country season, as well as his thoughts on the change of the NXR location, why a state title would mean more than an NXN birth. We also discuss his preferences and insights tactical racing vs. front running and we run the gauntlet on the recruitment process.

Ty definitely has a bright future. I think we all have to remember, that as you will here Ty say today, “championship season is all that matters”. People don’t remember who sets a course record in September. But people do remember the clutch moments, whether that be winning a state title, winning NXR, or even winning a national title.

It was a refreshing perspective to hear, and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ty today.

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I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout!

Today, I got to chat with Isaac Benjamin.

Isaac is a senior out of South Kitsap high school in Washington. He is #2 returner in the Northwest and one of the top high school athletes in the nation going into this season.

He holds PRs of 4:13 for 1600, 8:52 for 3200, 14:35 for track 5K, 15:01 for cross country 5k, and 30:18 for track 10K. He is also a Brooks NIL Athlete.

Isaac is one of the most fun guys you will ever meet at the top. I talk a lot about how chill a lot of my guests are, but Isaac is just like such a genuine, funny, chill guy. He says he doesn’t get nervous before races and I can see why. He keeps it real, down to earth, and I think he sees our sport in a way that I think a lot of people can benefit from.

Don’t wanna spoil too much. We talk about his junior track season and racing through sickness. We talk double threshold, 8-minute pace easy days, race nerves, the track 5K and track 10K he did this summer, and so much more.

But before we get into the show, please—if you haven’t already, and if you’re enjoying this podcast—I would really appreciate a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever platform you’re listening on. That goes a long way in supporting the growth of The Sunday Shakeout. That’s all I ask.

Other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Mr. Isaac Benjamin.

Today on the podcast I am sick once again!

This is not the news I want to share today; however, this is part of the back-to-school process. Grateful that I still get to sit down this week to discuss some major topics, such as the 2025 World Track & Field Championships in Tokyo, my thoughts on the current state of Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and the Men's 10,000m with a shocking American absence from the medals.

I also discuss how my own training is going and how belief is going to be the deciding factor in how I perform this season, given the hard summer of training and the need to step up to become a prime-time athlete for SPXC in Novemeber.

Thanks for tuning in this week! Y'all are the real ones for listening to these solo episodes. Blessed to be doing this week after week.

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I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout!

Today on the podcast is Asher Oates!

Asher is the #1 returner from Tennessee, ranked 24th in the nation by Milesplit.

Asher is a senior out of Independence High School in Tennessee. Just yesterday, he ran 14:44 for 5K XC, soloing a PR gun to tape in only his second meet of the season.

He is the defending Tennessee state champion for cross-country in Division 1 Class AAA. He also got 20th at Footlocker Nationals in 2024.

Even more exciting though, is that Asher is on the U20 U.S. Mountain/Trail Team, where he will represent the United States at the World Mountain & Trail Championships in Spain later this month. Such an amazing opportunity. We talk all about what that means for him. And, really, overall, my chat with Asher today was one of the deepest I have ever had on the show.

We talk so many things, from what it means to have the opportunity in Spain, to going to altitude camp in Boulder for 6 weeks with Paul Stafford this past summer, where he got to meet some of the top pros and mental performance coaches in the running space.

We also talk a little bit about the exit of Footlocker Nationals and the new era of high school national meets at Balboa Park.

One key theme in our chat today was definitely the mental game. As you will pick up on in our conversation, there is a level of poise and confidence that Asher carries with himself. He is surgical in the way that he approaches the process of training, the process of racing. Today, we truly peel back the layers of how he has developed such a mindset over his career. And, get some pen and paper out because, man, there were so many good insights. The man is a philosopher, for real.

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Other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Mr. Asher Oates.

Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Sunday Shakeout! I am your host, Nicholas.

Today on the show, I had the pleasure of chatting with the fastest freshman twins in the NCAA this fall at Wake Forest…

Zack and Max Cervi-Skinner. They’re from Idaho, where they ran for Coeur D’Alene High School and built quite the legacy for CDA Distance.

In 2023 and 2024, they led the CDA boys to a team title at the Nike Cross Regionals Northwest Meet—one of the most competitive regions in the nation. And just this past winter, the CDA squad placed second at the Nike Indoor Nationals 4 x mile. Back in May, Max became a state champion in the 3200 at the Idaho State Track Meet—a storybook ending to his high school career after battling injury and illness that lasted months into the spring.

Today, it was fascinating to me to get an inside look at the championship culture that Max and Zack built—essentially from scratch—over in Coeur D’Alene.

As freshmen in high school, the team only managed to finish 11th at the Idaho State meet in cross country. Yet two years later, they hoisted the trophy as the best team in the entire region. Hearing about—and learning from—the ups and downs, as well as the unique dynamic Max and Zack have as twins, was incredibly interesting.

There’s a lot of praise for individual performances and for showing out as one of the best athletes in your state or region. But beyond that—and having been part of a championship culture myself—I know it’s truly a sacred, special experience to be part of a high-performing, dominant team dynamic. The brotherhood and camaraderie formed at the top are like nothing else. It goes far beyond what you can achieve as an individual. I believe you’ll get a glimpse of that in my conversation with Max and Zack today.

But before we get into the show, please—if you haven’t already, and if you’re enjoying this podcast—I would really appreciate a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever platform you’re listening on. That goes a long way in supporting the growth of The Sunday Shakeout. That’s all I ask.

Other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Max and Zack Cervi-Skinner.

This week on the podcast… I’m sick.

I had an awesome episode planned with a couple of guests, but since I’ve been under the weather since Friday, I decided to push that interview back.

Instead, I dive into some solo reflections: my excitement for the upcoming cross-country season, how my training has been going lately (50-mile weeks, double thresholds, the works), and my thoughts on the long-term effects of high schoolers training extremely hard.

I also dig into the tension between different pieces of “conventional wisdom” in the running world. We always hear mantras like patience and consistency is key—but what about the advice to take calculated risks? Sometimes those ideas clash, and the right answer depends on context.

At the end of the day, you can’t always predict how your body will respond to training. It’s about making the best judgment call in the moment.

Tune in for some raw thoughts from the grind. I'll be back next week with the stories and lessons from another top high school athlete in our sport!

I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout!

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This week on the show is Dylan Weniger.

Dylan is a graduated senior from Sherwood High School in Oregon and will be running for Gonzaga under Pat Tyson this fall.

Dylan is the most underrated runners in the Pacific Northwest. This man flies under the radar like no other. Yet somehow, he is a 4:06 miler, he ran 8:14 for 3K, and is a 2x Oregon 6A State Champ (1500m & 3K).

How can a two-time state champ fly under the radar?

Dylan flies under the radar partially because he only has come on as a dominating high schooler in Oregon late in his career. As you will learn today, Dylan had the worst luck (at least that I have ever heard of) in a postseason during his senior cross season, where he pulled his oblique in a fall at Districts, got sick the next week, right before State. And then, NXR… it’s a crazy story. You will be shocked to listen to it today.

Today, Dylan and I chat all about his thoughts of his narrative of flying under the radar, what it means for him to leave Oregon and continue his career is Spokane, developing under Coach Tyson at Gonzaga. We also discuss Dylan’s stunning and memorable track season, where he went from bombing the Oregon Relays 2-mile, to finishing THIRD at the Jesuit mile as the LAST SEED.

Dylan and I also discuss the lowest point of career in that aforementioned senior cross-country season, and the road to redemption, completing the double in the 1500 and 3K at the State meet.

There’s a lot of athletes who let bad luck and misfortune become the narrative that defines their career. But to learn about the tenacity, resilience, and quick, yet powerful mental shifts that Dylan is able to employ, it’s impressive, to say the least. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but this was a good one. Lots to learn from Mr. Underdog himself.

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I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout!

Today on the podcast is Yosuke Shibata.

Yosuke is a rising junior out of South Eugene High School in Eugene, Oregon.

Remember the name, folks.

A lot of people are asking the question: “After Owen Powell, Josiah Tostenson, Tayvon Kitchen, Charlie Vause, all these guys who graduated, who is going to rise to the top on the high school scene?” Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have an answer for you. Yosuke is going to be a star on the national stage in high school.

Yosuke has run 1:54 for 800m, 3:55 for 1500m, 4:12 for mile, and 14:59 for 5K XC. While those times might not yet seem like they are the caliber of a national champ, as we talked off the air, just before the start of this past track season, Yosuke, at the worst possible time, got hit with atypical pneumonia. He couldn’t run or workout for 2 weeks. He was too weak to even go to school some days. And as Yosuke described it, it was a massively difficult point in his career, having to swallow his big goals for the season and really just take it one step at a time. He said that he had to remember that he was running to become better, not just to give up when something doesn’t go to to plan.

Ultimately, Yosuke, while not reaching his original goals, made a very admirable comeback.

He set PRs across multiple events, finished 3rd in the 800m at State, 6th in the 1500m, and won the Nike Outdoor Nationals (NON) Emerging Elite Mile.

More that just the results, the fact that Yosuke had the mental fortitude to salvage his track season, shows a level of grit and character-development. And honestly, those mental skills could be the separators as he emerges over these next two years.

Aside from that, Yosuke and I had a fantastic conversation. He had so many stories and insights, especially when it comes down to race tactics, making mistakes, and mental toughness.

So much to learn, I know you’ll enjoy my chat with him today.

But before we get into the show, please, if you haven’t already, and you are enjoying this podcast, I would really appreciate a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever other platform you are listening on. That goes a long way in supporting the growth of The Sunday Shakeout. That’s all I ask. But other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation, with the one and only, Mr. Yosuke Shibata.

I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout!

This week on the podcast is JoJo Jourdon!

JoJo holds PRs of:

3:37.00 (1500m), 3:56.37 (mile), 7:53.48 (3K), 13:41.00 (5K), 29:30 (10K XC).

JoJo burst onto the high school national scene in 2023, becoming Utah’s fifth-ever individual Nike Cross Nationals champion with a time of 15:16.5. Not long after, he became just the 21st‑ever high‑schooler to break the four‑minute mile, clocking 3:59.87 in Boston at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.

Despite all the hype, many wondered if the NXN title was a high‑school blip or a fluke. But as a true freshman at Wake Forest, he helped lead the Demon Deacons to an ACC team title, anchoring the pack with an 8th place finish at conference cross country (behind seniors Ethan Strand and Parker Wolfe). all while earning ACC Freshman of the Year.

And with the departure of distance stars like Strand, Wolfe, Graham Blanks, and Yaseen Abdalla, the door is opening wide for athletes like JoJo and Wake to seize control of the NCAA distance landscape. The culture he’s building feels ready to contend for national titles.

During today’s conversation, we unpack:

• What separates high‑school stars who adapt in college from those who don’t and why JoJo believes belief, humility, and trusting your instincts is key

• How trust, patience, and staying “hungry” have defined his freshman year: from finishing last in the mile at ACC indoors to battling toe‑to‑toe with the NCAA’s best in the 5K outdoor final.

• What he sees in the Wake program, and what the evolving trajectory of the team means for his own goals.

  
  

This was one of the most joyful, perspective‑filled conversations I’ve had in a while. So many cool insights and tidbits to take away from JoJo. Truly a rising star of our sport.

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Without further delay, please enjoy my conversation with the one and only, JoJo Jourdon.

Will Purnell is back on the podcast today, and a lot has happened since we last talked.

If you don’t know Will, he’s a Seattle Prep alum who just wrapped up four years of collegiate running at Boston College. This fall, he’s heading into his fifth and final year at Duke to close out his NCAA career.

When we last caught up in spring 2024, Will was just starting to bounce back from a season-ending injury the previous fall. He managed to run 14:25 for 5K outdoors. Solid, but he knew there was more in the tank.

Fast forward to now, and Will’s been on an absolute tear.

He and teammate Theodor Schucht became the first athletes in BC Track & Field history (men’s or women’s) to break 14 minutes in the 5,000m. Theodor ran 13:46.71 for the school record, and Will followed with 13:53.08, now #2 all-time. He also ran 28:48 for 10K at Raleigh Relays. Quietly, one of the best distance seasons in program history.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

In this episode, Will and I dig into what it actually took to get there—mentally, physically, and emotionally. We talk about the setbacks that forced him to grow, how he rethought his approach to training, and what he learned about patience, consistency, and trusting the process. We also get into the nuts and bolts of modern training, like the double threshold system and altitude training, and how it’s helped him get to the next level.

If you’re chasing your own breakthrough, coming back from injury, or just looking to train with more purpose, there’s a lot to take away from this conversation.

I promise that you will find value from this episode.

If you’re enjoying the show, consider hitting follow and leaving a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps more people discover these stories! And if this episode resonates, share it with a friend, teammate, or coach.

Here’s to growth, comebacks, and making this summer count!