Cross country team combining talent and teamwork

C of C cross country gives students a chance to be a part of both a team and individual sport.  Runners get the sense of team camaraderie, but it is all about individual talent when it comes time to compete.
C of C athletics named junior cross country runner Trevor Sprague athlete of the week Sept. 8. Sprague appreciates the combination of individual competition and team work.
“Cross country is a sport where an individual runner is in charge of how well he or she does,” Sprague said. “It is the team, however, that provides training partners and camaraderie to the individual. And results of the team are what determine how a meet is scored.”
Cross country running focuses less on pure speed and more on endurance than running track.
Runners are not sprinting for 100 yards, but running at what is called race pace for up to 10 kilometers, or a little over six miles.  
Race pace is the maximum speed that runners can maintain without tiring themselves out before they reach the finish. Runners will often sprint at the start of the race and then gradually ease down to a comfortable speed for the rest of the race. They will sprint again on the final stretch of the course to achieve a better time.
“The first five individuals to cross the line for a team are given numbers corresponding to their place of finish in the overall meet. These numbers are added and compared to other teams. Like golf, lowest score wins. So it is a team sport in the idea that trophies are awarded to top teams, but every individual counts,” Sprague said.
Runners challenge themselves for the entire team.
“The rewarding part of running is seeing how the work you put into the sport is directly correlated into your performance,” Sprague said.
Cross country, like other sports at the College, is designed for dedicated and disciplined athletes.  They usually hold six practices a week located anywhere from the James Island County park to Sullivan’s Island, West Ashley and Mount Pleasant. Runners are able to run on different surfaces and under different conditions while still enjoying the beautiful Lowcountry scenery.
“That’s the good thing about cross country at the College of Charleston.  There are so many great places to run,” said seventh-year head coach Amy Seago.
So far this season, C of C has had strong performances in both the Eye Opener at USC Upstate and the Elon Invitational.  The team has three more scheduled competitions before the SoCon Championships Oct. 31 in Elon, N.C.
The men’s and women’s teams are building off of their
hard work both at practice and competitions.
“We are definitely seeing improvement from one year to the next,” Seago said. “You can see the difference and tell our runners are putting in the work.”
Sprague also sees talent and potential in the team.
“The men’s and women’s teams are both looking great. C of C cross country should
do pretty well this year,” Sprague said. “We are definitely going to make some surprises in the conference.”
     For more information on men’s and women’s cross country, visit cofcsports.com or contact Coach Amy Seago.