XC Season Preview

Cross Country is back! Starting off with the 2023-24 year, Schoolcraft athletics has brought back the Cross-Country program. The man tasked with bringing the program back is Tobin Jones. 

One thing that stuck out about Tobin throughout the hiring process was his familiarity with Schoolcraft and the community. This will be Tobin's third time being an Ocelot. Prior to this time around, Tobin has spent time here as a runner and a coach. When he was asked about what it meant to be back and try to bring the program back, he had this to say, "Schoolcraft helped me twice in my youth. Once as a runner, and as a young Coach. I hope that this time around I can help Schoolcraft  build a sustainable running culture that can serve this areas young runners and aspiring college students."

Starting up a program is no easy task. When asked about his goals for year one, Jones had this to say, "My first, and ongoing goal at this point is to get numbers. That being said, at this point with only 2 recruits if I can't field a full team, my goal becomes to serve the 2 high character young men I have to the best of my abilities and open some eyes with their competitiveness." When you get past the first year, your mentality changes to the vision of your program. When asked about his vision, this is what Jones had to say, "Building a program that was basically nonexistent is no small task. My mantra is "Brick by Brick"... and if you do enough "little things", eventually big things happen. This area has several schools with a strong running culture!".

Schoolcraft has had a national championship runner in the past which shows the level that the program used to be at. However, when Tobin was asked about getting to the top of the conference, he dd not stop there, "This will be the first fall high school Cross Country season that I will be able to spend time at Invitationals getting Schoolcraft's name out there to perspective student athletes. If I can just get a little bit of traction in the right direction, I have no doubt Schoolcraft can make some noise in the Conference, Regionally,  and ultimately on the National level."

Coach Jones will have the program ready to "run" going into the first year being back. Follow along the Ocelots' season here at, schoolcraftocelots.com