After placing second in the Great American Conference Championship, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams have been training hard to participate in the NAACP regional meet tomorrow, Nov. 3 in Joplin, Mo.
This is the cross-country team’s third region in three years, with the defending National Champion in this region.
If they are one of the top four teams, they will qualify for the NCAA Championship meet.
At the GAC Championship, sophomore Ewa Zaborowska won the women’s race and was named Runner of the Year. Kelsey Taylor was named Freshman of the Year. Zaborowska, Taylor and Freshman Tammy Kim made first team all-conference. Sophomores Dallis Bailey and Rachel Roberts were named to the second team all-conference.
Sophomores Lajos Farkas and Logan Green and junior Matthew Cumpian were all named to the men’s all-conference team.
“We went into the championship knowing we had a shot to win but came up a little short,” head coach Steve Guymon said. “Honestly, I’m proud of our team and all they have done and the work they put in but I’m disappointed in the results. Personally, I do not like second place.”
Senior Molly Elliott said that the challenging part about preparing for the regional meet is that it is a 6K for the women’s team, which they haven’t done one all year.
“Mentally, it’s going to be harder,” Elliott said. “It’s all in your head, you have to just keep going. You have to tell yourself, you’re almost there, you’re almost done. It’s really hard. We do a lot of hard workouts and we push each other.”
Junior Andrew Evans, who will run in the 10K for the men’s cross-country team, said that they feel like they are going to surprise a lot of people at the regional meet.
“Most people don’t expect us to finish as one of the top four teams that make it to nationals, but if we race well, we are definitely capable of that,” Evans said. “Last year, we did not race as well as we were capable of at regionals and we need to make sure that doesn’t happen again this year. If we run well, we will definitely place better than last year.”
Elliot said that the best way to improve your running time is to run with other girls on the team.
“There is no way I could run the times I run now if I didn’t have other girls to run with,” Elliot said. “I wouldn’t push myself if I was out running by myself. We encourage each other and we make each other want to do better. I run with girls that are better than me, so I can get better. If you slack off in the back, then you aren’t going to improve.”
Evans said that they have been training hard since the beginning of summer to get ready for the regional meet so they can finish in the top four and make it to nationals.
“We have made a few changes about how we do things,” Evans said. “I think those will begin to pay off at the end of the season, and then definitely into the next season.”
