By Molly McSweyn |
Picked to finish first in the WCC, the women’s cross country team has a lot to prove this year. They have not won the WCC championship since 2007, but the team sees their potential and is prepared to have one of their strongest seasons yet.
“In years past we've had good teams and talented girls,” senior Tansey Lystad said. “But this is the first year I'm sitting here like, ‘We could do something great, we could make history.’ And we've all kind of just been saying, ‘Holy cow this could be an amazing year.’”
The team is preparing to take the WCC with trainings sessions all week that alternate between workouts, long runs and easy runs.
Junior Anne Luijten said the team endures the grueling workouts by relying on each other.
“You know you're not the only one running 70 or 80 miles a week,” Luijten said. “The other girls on the team are doing the same.”
Instead of figuring out the balance between school work and running on their own, the women depend on each other.
“When you have a hard day, you just have to follow your teammates, and they will bring you to the end of the workout and make you feel better,” Luijten said.
The team united as a group with a preseason camp at the coast. The trip acted as a bonding vacation, as well a time to set goals.
The women said the love of running is the main reason why they push themselves to their limits. It is also about the people behind them that helps them finish a grueling race.
During the year, the team spends hours training, but they still try to get together outside of practice. Cross country is a team sport, with the top five times determining their place among their opponents. A strong team dynamic and bond is crucial for success, this bond is fostered from the friendships they develop from the beginning of the season.
“We hang out quite a bit together, Luijten said. “Often we will have Thai dinners every week - our team is very fond of Thai food.”
Food seems to be one of the team's top priorities. That, and the benefits of sleep.
“After a long day I just like to veg out, watch some Netflix, or just sleep,” Lystad said. “I'm a huge proponent of napping. Napping is always great. Naps are my favorite.”
“Running, studying, good food, and the remaining time I spend sleeping,” Luijten agreed.
The team started the season on a strong note with a victory over Lewis and Clark on Aug. 29.
“This year we are in a different position than years past,” Lystad said. “We are on the bubble of being a national level teams, and its a really exciting place for all of us, I think. It’s been something we've been working towards for the past couple of years.”
Joy and motivation are two features that define this team. They are a cohesive group that finds joy in running and motivation when working towards their goals.
“Its just joy,” Luijten said. “It feels so good to be running together and have fun together.”
Molly McSweyn is a sports reporter for The Beacon. You can reach her at mcsweyn18@up.edu.
