Cross Country adds youth to experience

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a bi-weekly series of new recruit profiles for each of Georgia College & State University’s sports team.

Experience and youth are combining to make this year’s Georgia College & State University Cross Country teams a threat on any course.

The men’s team is returning with a strong cast of seniors. There was little room for improvement, but sophomore Adam Dukes will contribute to the team’s success in any way possible.

Adam graduated from Central High School in Macon, Ga. two years ago.
His biggest thrill is finishing a race. He hopes to finish in the Bobcat top five each meet.

“I’m very pleased with the men’s team,” said Samprone. “The returning seniors should compliment the returning sophomores and the new runners.”

The women’s team features a whole new look. Five new runners join the team for the 2002 campaign. Sophomores Lindsey Bloodworth, Kelley Fleischmann, Mandy Alliston, and freshmen Joshelin Kantor, Kelly Sowers, Meghan Spall add to an inexperienced team.

Although it’s her first year running for the GC&SU cross country team, Lindsey Bloodworth is no stranger to GC&SU athletics. Last year, she played for the Lady Bobcats basketball team.

“I wanted to run last year, but I was playing basketball too,” said Bloodworth. “Coach [Carrick] thought that might be a strain, especially since it was my first year. I’ve always been interested in running and coach [Carrick] wanted me to run this year.”

Kelley Fleischmann graduated from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga. She is looking forward to the upcoming year and new teammates.

“I thought it would be a fun experience and a good opportunity to meet new people and to run,” said Fleischmann. “I want to just push myself to the best of my ability and just run as hard as I can.”

Mandy Alliston earned All-American and All-State in track and cross country while she attended Gatewood High School in Eatonton, Ga. Alliston already showed potential in her first meet finishing 19th in the Berry College Invitational. She was the second highest finisher for the Lady Bobcats with a time of 39:49.

Joshelin Kantor graduated from McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, Ga. One of her biggest thrills is running at 6 a.m. in the morning, which is a time that Samprone has designated for practice.

Kelly Sowers graduated from St. Pius Catholic High School in Atlanta, Ga. There, she earned Rookie of the Year honors and the Leadership Award. Sowers was the third top finisher for GC&SU women’s team at the Berry College Invitational.

Meghan Spall also graduated from St. Pius Catholic High School. While a senior she was the runner-up in the regional and in the state meets and also earned the Leadership Award.

With a whole new crop of young runners, only a few returning sophomores, and one junior, the Lady Bobcats look to their biggest influence and team leader, sophomore Bethany Loushine.

“Bethany sort of sets the standard on what we should all be doing,” said Alliston. “She’s real dedicated and she’s a good leader to follow.”

“Bethany has pushed me a lot just because she’s so talented,” said Fleischmann. “So having her as an example to look at and to want to be that good is definitely a goal.” Samprone doesn’t like to pressure his new runners, but instead allows them to excel at their own pace.

“I like to see the new runners finish in the top five,” said Samprone. “I also do not want to pressure the new freshman. They’re going to see a lot of changes in their life. They’re living on their own and they have no set schedule, no one waking them up to go to classes. I like to think of
freshman not as someone to depend on, but rather someone who’s going
to develop as a sophomore and so on.”

The one common aspect between the new runners and returning runners is team unity.

“The more experienced runners will take new runner and pair up with them,” said Samprone. “If the experienced runner is faster or has more stamina then they challenge the new runner to keep pace. That’s the way you improve. You’re not going to improve running in your comfort zone.”

“I just hope that our team does well this season,” said Fleischmann. “I hope that we run as a team because when we run as a team we do really well.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 13 2002. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry