From the Register-Guard newspaper:

Nerves can be the downfall of any athlete. The anxiousness affects their focus, increasing their heart rate and distracting them from the task at hand.

The effect nerves have on sports is everywhere. Missed free throws in clutch situations. A game-winning field goal attempt that floats wide right.

In cross country, nerves show up in a different way. A runner might feel more energetic at the start and race out too fast in the first mile, burning crucial reserves for the last stretch.

Or the runner fail to make a move when the opportunity presents itself.

To hear Sheldon junior Jackson Mestler’s mother and coach tell it, nerves are one thing Mestler doesn’t let get to him.

“In some ways, I think that’s what makes him a good runner,” Sheldon cross country coach Brayce Forsha says. “He doesn’t get worked up.

“Last year before the state meet he was just wandering his house like it was any old Saturday.”

Read the Register-Guard article about Sheldon runners Jackson Mestler and Gracie Todd