Ever get lost on the way to an important meeting? Or maybe while driving to an interview?
You’ve got the directions and you know your exit, but you just can’t seem to find what you’re looking for. Panic ensues and anguish hits you like a cold shower.
Then, suddenly, you find your stop and you’re home free.
After two meets, the San Diego State cross country team was still searching for its destination.
In its first week, SDSU was unfamiliar with the track it raced and finished in the middle of the pack. Then, the Aztecs came home only to find success had eluded them once again.
But Saturday at the Big Wave Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii, SDSU found the perfect stop in the form of a second place finish.
“(The meet this weekend) went very well,” assistant coach Jennifer Nanista said. “All of our top runners ran very close together, which is very good for our times.”
The team placed well as a whole and individually.
Senior captain Lisa Naucler grabbed second place honors, sophomore Stephanie Armstrong came in at No. 12 and sophomore Darien Buc was No.13.
“To me, the team spirit we displayed was the best I (have ever) experienced in my life,” said Naucler, the Mountain West Conference Athlete of the Week.
From the starting blocks to the finish line, the Aztecs worked together, ran in packs and encouraged and pushed each other to finish strong.
“For the first kilometer, (junior) Kristin Glen, (sophomore) Makenzie Mabry and I were running together as a pack and talking to each other,” Naucler said. “We told each other ‘Go Aztecs. We can do this. Let’s go.’ Even when I got a little ahead of the pack, I could still hear the team cheering me and everyone else on. It was really uplifting.”
On the Kane’ohe Klipper Golf Course, a track with upward and downward slopes which SDSU conquered this weekend, the Aztecs’ teamwork was even more beneficial than normal.
“The humidity affected us a little bit and I think our times overall were a little bit slower than usual,” Nanista said. “Conditions weren’t ideal by any means. The course was pretty muddy and soft because it was on a golf course, but I think they ran well together.”
In addition to working together productively, SDSU also improved from the mistakes it made earlier in the year.
“(Our results this week) were very (impressive),” Nanista said. “I have watched our runners make adjustments and improvements every single week. It’s very encouraging for the results we can expect going into October.
“I don’t think we’ve seen their best race yet.”
