The CIAA Cross Country Championships didn’t go as planned for Winston-Salem State, especially for the women’s team, Oct. 24, Cary, N.C.
Head Coach Inez Turner didn’t have great expectations for the men’s team going into the season because many of the athletes were transitioning from track to running an 8K. The men finished ninth at the conference championships, but Coach Turner was happy with their effort.
“We have mostly sprinters on the cross country team, but these guys are very gutsy. They are very loyal to the program. It’s hard to ask a 100-meter sprinter to run five miles. I just want to thank those guys for coming out and helping us stay in compliance when it comes to cross country. Hats off to them. They did great.”
The women’s team, unlike the men’s team, had lofty goals. Coach Turner was looking for the women to win the CIAA after losing by just three points last year, but they ended up third.
“The conference stepped up this year,” Turner said.
“We just have to get out there, get some good distance runners and get in with the flow. I feel like with the runners we had this year and the competition that was there, they did very well. We’re just going to move on and get better.”
Sophomore Danisha Wiggins was the most impressive runner for the Lady Rams at the conference meet. She ran her personal best, a 19-minute 5K, and finished in the top 10. Wiggins said that despite the disappointing finish, she feels that the season was a good one overall and that next season has the potential to be even better.
“I was pretty happy about the season as a whole,” she said.
“As far as the conference championship goes, we didn’t come in first, so it wasn’t the best. We just didn’t come together as a group, and that’s why we came in third. I expect for us to progress going into next year. We saw how we did this year, and we now know what it takes. We just have to do better and work harder if we want to reach our goals.”
Another key runner for the women’s team was junior Cruz Vargas-Sullivan, who hadn’t run cross country in college before this season. She said that the team’s disappointing performance at the championship could help drive each of the runners next season.
“It didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but it’s motivation,” she said.
“We just have to have everybody in the right mindset. Everybody has to have the heart and the head for it. I think we’re on the right track. We have the talent, and we just have to make sure everyone stays driven.”
The finish at the CIAA meet could also help fuel the women’s indoor track team because most of the cross country runners also run track. The track season will start in December.