The Asbury women’s cross-country team is beginning to wind down their season with only two events left on their schedule, but they are still some of the biggest events of the season, with Nationals just a few weeks away.
Tomorrow the team’s focus is a little closer to home as they compete in the annual Chick-fil-A invite hosted at Asbury.
Starting at 10:30 a.m., runners will make their way through the course for a 5k run, which will last from around 19 to 25 minutes for most runners.
Being at home means a lot to the runners and provides extra motivation with the home-field advantage. This also provided runners a good opportunity for their senior night to have friends and family on to cheer theme through their last normal season race.
“Competing at home is bittersweet. I’ve loved running for Asbury and watching my teammates grow as athletes and followers of Christ,” senior Carolina Trumpower said. “I still can’t believe these are my last few cross-country races. It feels so surreal. The girls on my team have made a huge impact on my life, and I will miss the moments after a hard workout and happy tears after a great race.”
However, once the race is over, the season has one final push before it is over. The women qualified to compete in the NCCAA National Championship in Joplin, Missouri, on Nov. 11.
“Regarding nationals, we are looking forward to another race that will challenge us to run our hardest but also glorify the Lord in the process,” senior Elle Hopper said. “For me, racing this season has been a new way to connect with the Lord and thank Him for giving me the ability to use my body, gifts, and talents to honor Him.”
For some, like Trumpower, Nationals holds a significant meaning, behind just the prestige of the race. God blessed me with so much more than I ever could have asked for or imagined on that course in Missouri- so I’m just so excited to spend that race with Him again,” Trumpower said.
“Nationals is important to me because it’s where I had a huge mental breakthrough. God blessed me with
The team is hoping to place in Nationals, and runners are pushing for PRs in the all-important race.
As the season is finishing up, many players are seeing their final days as Asbury runners wind down. For senior Lucy Bryson, the year has been very bittersweet.
“This year, I’ve probably worked the hardest I ever have to try and improve because it’s my last. I pushed myself a lot in the pre-season and was met with some injury even before getting to campus,” Bryson said.
At the moment, the extent of Bryson’s injury is unknown. It could have something to do with shin splits, or it could be as severe as a stress fracture.
“I’ve struggled with shin splits a few times before, but this season the severity of it has increased,” Bryson said.
She is scheduled to get an x-ray soon to figure out the extent of the injury.
“The frustrating part about it is that it comes in cycles, so I usually don’t know if I’m fit to compete in a meet or not until a day or two before the meet,” Bryson said.
This led to Bryson sitting out a meet for the first time, but she found the positive in being able to cheer her teammates on.
Despite missing two races, she has still managed to have a good season and improved in the three out of five races she was able to compete in.
“Last week, I ran my high school PR, which is four seconds slower than my fastest time ever. I’m hoping I’ve proved myself enough this season to be selected for the Nationals team and get my PR in Joplin again,” Bryson said.
While she has not had the standout season she was hoping for, Bryson may have a chance to finish with her team at Nationals after all. They will find out the lineup following the meet tomorrow. The top seven girls for the team will be going to Missouri in just three weeks.
