This past Saturday, Nov. 9, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams competed in the NCAA Central Region championships in Sioux Falls, S.D. Both teams won their respective Great American Conference championships this season on Oct. 26, in Russellville, Ark.
The men’s team placed eighth overall while the women’s team placed 10th. Senior Andrew Evans and junior Eva Zaborowska both earned All-Central Region honors.
While proud of winning the conference championship, senior Taylor Lively said he was also proud of the effort the teams put forth at regionals.
“The weather conditions were really rough, but those were the cards we were dealt,” Lively said. “The two other seniors really pushed us forward when it got tough. But we ran hard and to the best of our abilities.”
Senior Rachel Roberts, captain of the women’s team, said the team ran their best in spite of the weather.
“The team handled the conditions at regionals flawlessly,” Roberts said. “I heard minimal complaining while we were out there freezing and we all ran great races. We were focused on the task at hand and refused to let something as silly as the weather distract us.”
Lively said the men’s team was more highly motivated this year, due to losing conference championship the last two years.
“This year we were more focused and determined, and ran with a vendetta,” Lively said. “The seniors really wanted it this year. We were running with a purpose.”
Roberts also said the team had a special drive this year, one that grew from the relationships within the team.
“I believe our drive for this season stemmed from a desire to reach our full potential and represent Harding in the best way possible,” Roberts said. “We lost conference last year and we absolutely refused to let that happen again. The closeness of our team made it incredibly easy to want to work hard and succeed for each other, Coach Guymon, (Harding) and God.”
Both Lively and Roberts said the men’s and women’s teams’ ability to always support each other and to build lasting relationships means they really are one team.
Roberts said she hopes future teams will benefit from the same attitude and atmosphere.
“I hope the returning runners will take away the attitude this 2013 team carried this entire season,” Roberts said. “No matter what we did, we had fun and were successful.”
