'They are the face of Cloquet cross country'

To say Mike Bushey has put in his time as a coach in the Cloquet High School cross-country program is putting it mildly.

Last week Bushey announced via Twitter that he was resigning his position as head cross-country coach in Cloquet along with his assistant and wife, Jody Zeleznikar, known simply as "Z" by runners.

"I've been coaching for 31 years, first at Proctor with Dick Saarela, then at Cloquet when we were combined with Esko," Bushey said. "We restarted the Cloquet program on its own in 1998."

In 1999, Bushey was joined by Z, who has been coaching at his side ever since. The duo have taken a program that struggled with numbers in the early years to one of the largest programs in Cloquet.

"We started with about 20 kids total in grades 7-12," Bushey said. "We watched that number grow to 110 last year. The kids just kept bringing their friends."

One need only talk with Bushey for a couple of minutes to realize why the program was successful. The duo have infectious personalities and they live for running.

"They are the face of Cloquet cross country," said 2017 graduate Isaac Boedigheimer, now a runner at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.

"We truly loved working with our kids and their families," Bushey said. "They've been like our extended family, sharing in the highs and lows of growing up."

Through the years the pair had a number of runners who had great success. Many have gone on to run in college, but to them it isn't about just the top runners, it is about the group as a whole and achieving more than just winning races.

"For us it's never been about who's the fastest," explained Bushey. "Cross-country is unique because everyone can be successful when they put some work in and try to meet goals. As we know, that's a great life skill."

Senior Kelly Lorenz affirmed the coaches' connection with their runners.

"I think one of the greatest parts of cross country is the fact that no matter how slow, how fast, how serious you take it, how low-key about it you are, everyone is always welcome," Lorenz said. She ran for six seasons.

"They know everyone's name and genuinely care when they speak to you. It's not a shallow hello, it's a, 'Hey, how was your event last weekend? I was thinking of you while I was on my run and wondering how it went.' And this doesn't just happen with the varsity kids, they talk to everyone who joins like this."

Boedigheimer agreed.

"They definitely connected with all of us, whether you're in seventh grade or seniors," he said. "Their main focus was for us to have fun and make sure we made a lot of friends and enjoyed our time under their wings."

At the same time, Boedigheimer said, they were amazing coaches.

"I don't think I'd be the runner I am without their guidance, as coaches and people," he said, adding that they helped many other kids find running.

"Not many people like running," Boedigheimer said. "It was a really cool thing to see them bring running into people's lives and make it something worthwhile."

Bushey always thought, even at a young age, that he would be around coaching for a long time.

"My expectations were that I'd be coaching until I was 70, but perhaps not so much for Jody," Bushey said. "Actually, we just wanted to provide a chance for kids to learn about what they were capable of accomplishing."

Busheyn is 50 and Z is 46.

With 21 years in Cloquet, Bushey and Zeleznikar just felt it was time for them to take a different road in life. They will still teach in the district.

"It was not an easy decision, as we absolutely love doing what we do," Bushey said. "For some reason there was an underlying thought that we hadn't experienced the fall season as adults. Our plan is to do some events and races that we haven't been able to do."

Apparently he and Z have been helping kids embrace autumn all along.

"They also taught us to glorify the little things," Lorenz said. "Taking a moment to stop in the heart of autumn and look at the beautiful leaves ... Bushey and Z help the team see these little moments."

Bushey is emotional these days. "Answering that question makes me tear up," he said. "Watching our kids (runners) grow from awkward middle schoolers to young adults is nearly impossible to walk away from."