The race to a conference championship
Cross Country is back on the course as they ran to McAlpine Park in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Royals Cross Country Challenge on Friday, October 7.
The event will entail the women’s blue and gold 5k, and the men’s blue and gold 8k.
According to Coach Cameron Stoble, McAlpine park is a favorable course for the team. “We are very fortunate that race is one of the flattest courses in our region, so there is nothing really to train for hills or anything. It is just a matter of running fast on the day of,” said Stoble.
From a previous race this season at McAlpine Park, the conditions could be different this time around. With Hurricane Ian having come through, the rain has wet the dirt from the track, possibly changing this race experience from the last.
“I do know that when we raced up there last week it was relatively dry, so maybe all this rain coming will help. There was a lot of dust getting flung up and I know the athletes were saying it was a little bit harder to breathe and their lungs felt dry,” said Stoble.
Along with the weather changes, there were some lineup changes as well. Some players who were out due to sickness and injury competed in the race Friday afternoon.
“We’ve got about three guys right now that could be in our top five that we are trying to get on the mend and get back from injuries and sickness. Regardless though, they have still done really well, and we are hoping to get those guys back and see what they can do,” said Stoble.
The team has been training hard. They have been practicing longer distances in preparation for an 8k. Training has been really solid leading into the race. “We have been doing a lot more over distance workouts, as in workouts that equal 7.5 miles in total not including warm up or cool down, so I think those workouts have definitely made us stronger and ready for the 8k racing distance,” said Jacob Holcombe, graduate runner.
According to Jacob Holcombe, the biggest challenge for the team is going to be their mental game. He said, “I think the only challenges that we are all preparing for are the mental challenges and taking it one mile at a time. Some guys overthink it and start worrying about how they are going to feel at mile four when they are only one mile into the race, so our biggest challenge is definitely mental strength for sure.”
Challenges aside, the NGU Cross Country team is ready to get on the course. The best ways to support the team is by following their Instagram account, @ngutfcc. Everyone is encouraged to attend the conference championship race, which will be held at Milliken Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 5, 2022.
