Trained and ready for competition

Confidence runs through cross country team as they approach Bobcat Invitational

The men’s cross country team prepares to kick off its season on Sept. 2 at the Bobcat Invitational against Young Harris and Savannah College of Art and Design. The Bobcats will have the home advantage at their first meet. Georgia College’s hilly course at West Campus is one of the toughest they will endure, so the team is confident in their skills.
“I’m not too worried about it,” Head Coach Joe Samprone said. “This is just a training meet, and I’m very happy with where we are right now.”
The team ranked ninth in a preseason poll by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. They hope their hard work will continue to move them up in the polls.
Rigorous training is a key component in the men’s team strategy. The men practice as a team Monday through Thursday with a well-deserved break on Friday. On Saturday they run the course, and Sunday they run individually on their own time. Their six-day-a-week practices are certainly paying off as their times continue to improve. It is ideal for the team’s times to drop after every race, which is always a challenge.
The seven experienced seniors give the team an advantage because of thier knowledge of the sport. Losing two runners from last season forces the remaining teammates to work their hardest. The team lost two teammates last year, but they have gained freshman Beau Bittinger.
“Mostly seniors makes for a solid pack,” senior environmental science major Tyler Mattix said.
In the past, there have always been one or two runners who have led the team, but this year there are five. This allows the runners to excel more as a team rather than individually, which is always important in the sport of cross country.
“There isn’t one runner who is set apart,” senior outdoor education and psychology major Dan Horseman said. “We have five guys who are really equal, and depth is the key.”
The team is determined to decrease their running by practicing intensly.
“The school record was broken last year and will be broken again this year,” Horseman said.
Confident in their already honed abilities, Samprone is focusing on keeping the runners healthy and avoiding injuries as they prepare for the upcoming season. Last year, the team finished fourth in the Peach Belt Conference and ninth in the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship. They hope to do better this season by finishing in the top three at the conference meet. Though that would be the highest the team has ever ranked, Samprone is optimistic about their chances.
“This is the best team we’ve had in a long time,” Samprone said. “As long as everyone stays healthy and avoids injuries, this will be a great returning group.”