The Dinner Ritual
Photo Credit: Seneca Norvell
Team dinner is a quintessential experience of D3 cross country. It’s a time to unwind, let loose, and eat together away from homework and coaches. It’s home to fiery debates over absurdities, to the regaling of ridiculous tales, and to the upkeep of team tradition. The dinner table is where teammates become friends. After a hard workout or a rough day in class, team dinner takes care of your worries.
According to the NCAA, the average size of a D3 school is 2,600 students, with 25% of the student body making up athletics. With such small campuses, sports teams tend to get noticed a little more. There’s room to make a niche on campus, and for some teams, that place is the cafeteria.
At Covenant College, the team eats together in similar spots at dinner. Nate Moore, a junior on their men’s team, said they typically eat somewhere “within the same six tables.” At St. Olaf College, the men’s and women’s team have the back corner of the cafeteria unofficially reserved. Fifth-year Jonah Herzog of their men’s team says, “We have sort of a reputation [in the cafeteria] … everyone glances over at that back corner and doesn’t really know what’s going on with the cross country team.” Allegra Pihlaja, a senior member of the women’s team at Carleton College, describes a similar experience: “The men’s and women’s team eat at the table under the portrait of a former men’s coach in the cafeteria.
Team dinner is a way to keep teammates connected. Moore said eating together helps “preserve the running team culture.” Pihlaja explained how dinner with her teammates is a way to talk to people she doesn’t run with during practice. At the D3 level, athletic ability is so widely varied that it can be easy to pigeonhole into the same running group day after day. Team dinner offers time for teammates to mix and talk with those they may not run with. It’s a way to keep team bonds strong, despite differences in race times or finishing place.
Teams often have certain dinner traditions to lighten the atmosphere. At Covenant College, the cross country team will go to Olive Garden before races, or sometimes to Waffle House or a local burger joint. “Cheap meals everyone can participate in,” Moore says. The women’s team at St. Olaf has several different “caf creations” specific to them, while the men’s team also has some quirks (such as dragging tables together to create a “Last Supper” the night before the Tori Neubauer/Jim Drews Invitational hosted by La Crosse). At Carleton, if someone asks for silverware, everyone will pass theirs down to the team member.
Herzog says, “To be a member [of the cross country team], to be a part of the traditions, is not only fun … it can make you feel like a real college student.” Part of what makes D3 running markedly different is this ability to goof off while taking the experience seriously, and team dinner is no exception. Herzog says teammates often remark that team dinners are their favorite part of the day. It’s easy to see why when such meal-time shenanigans elevates the experience of being a teammate.
Ilsa Weigel, a sophomore on the St. Olaf women’s team, sums up the experience of team dinner: “We love eating. We love eating together.” It’s worth mentioning that she also describes the culture of her team as one which “goes back for seconds,” which is something she appreciates. Eating together as a team has provided her with a positive experience — a common sentiment expressed by other D3 runners.
Pihlaja describes how eating together was important even through Covid. When the dining halls limited capacity and dispersed seating, the Carleton teams would have their meals outside to keep up the tradition of eating together. Pihlaja misses the outdoor meals, which were more accessible to those who live off campus or are on limited meal plans. But most importantly, they showed just how valued team meals are in the D3 experience.
When talking about graduating, Pihlaja said she’ll “miss just having easy access to that connection with people, eating and living together.” At D3 schools — where small, residential housing is the norm — community building on an athletic team is crucial. Your team is a built-in friend group, and a guaranteed dinner plan. They’re there for you, something team dinner accentuates perfectly.
Drinking as much chocolate milk as possible.
Photo by: Derk Lyford