Black is back
Saundra Brown & Ryan Schomber
Issue date: 9/6/02 Section: Sports
After three record breaking seasons on the Georgia College & State University Cross Country team J.R. (James) Black returns to do it again.
"Hopefully, I will have a season like my sophomore year," said Black. Basically I want to be able to hold a strong pace."
Black was a student at Oconee High School in Watkinsville, Georgia and was a part of Region 3A Championship team.
Black starts the 2002 season with seven out of ten fastest 8k times at GC&SU and the school record for the10k with a time of 35:25.
Last season, Black was hit with the injury bug. He was switched to limited running. Black only ran in 75 percent of the team's meets. With problems in both his lung and knee, Black was never really 100 percent at the end of last season. Now he is healthy and ready for this year's campaign.
"I played with a few injuries, it was stuff I did not know how to cure and the training room worked with me a lot," said Black. "My goal this year was to come back better and stronger, the training room got rid of most of my knee problems and my lung problems, I'm at 100 percent healthy and ready for the start of the season."
Black's outstanding career with GC&SU started with his freshman year as the school's top runner in six of seven meets. He was the top finisher in nine meets in his sophomore year and closed last season out as top runner for GC&SU in four meets and second in three.
"This year's team should be great, with myself being a senior and the amount of talent we have on this year's squad, said Black." "So many guys did outstanding things to improve the team."
Last Saturday's meet was the team's first real test of seeing how Black and the rest of the team were going to respond to the new season.
"I take half of the summer off get completely healthy," said Black. "This first race is going to be kind of like a stepping stone to see where we are going to have to improve for the next race."
Cross-Country Head Coach Joseph Samprone has been coaching and advising Black since he was a freshman. Although Samprone is quick to give credit to Black for being such a great athlete.
"I've known J.R. Black for three years and I know him to be a fine young man ," said Samprone. "When he runs it looks effortless, but I know a lot of time and hard work has gone into his becoming the outstanding runner he is."
"Hopefully, I will have a season like my sophomore year," said Black. Basically I want to be able to hold a strong pace."
Black was a student at Oconee High School in Watkinsville, Georgia and was a part of Region 3A Championship team.
Black starts the 2002 season with seven out of ten fastest 8k times at GC&SU and the school record for the10k with a time of 35:25.
Last season, Black was hit with the injury bug. He was switched to limited running. Black only ran in 75 percent of the team's meets. With problems in both his lung and knee, Black was never really 100 percent at the end of last season. Now he is healthy and ready for this year's campaign.
"I played with a few injuries, it was stuff I did not know how to cure and the training room worked with me a lot," said Black. "My goal this year was to come back better and stronger, the training room got rid of most of my knee problems and my lung problems, I'm at 100 percent healthy and ready for the start of the season."
Black's outstanding career with GC&SU started with his freshman year as the school's top runner in six of seven meets. He was the top finisher in nine meets in his sophomore year and closed last season out as top runner for GC&SU in four meets and second in three.
"This year's team should be great, with myself being a senior and the amount of talent we have on this year's squad, said Black." "So many guys did outstanding things to improve the team."
Last Saturday's meet was the team's first real test of seeing how Black and the rest of the team were going to respond to the new season.
"I take half of the summer off get completely healthy," said Black. "This first race is going to be kind of like a stepping stone to see where we are going to have to improve for the next race."
Cross-Country Head Coach Joseph Samprone has been coaching and advising Black since he was a freshman. Although Samprone is quick to give credit to Black for being such a great athlete.
"I've known J.R. Black for three years and I know him to be a fine young man ," said Samprone. "When he runs it looks effortless, but I know a lot of time and hard work has gone into his becoming the outstanding runner he is."
