Maroon Invitational

The Mary Baldwin ladies took to the start line once more this past Saturday as Roanoke College hosted the Maroon Invitational. The race was held in Salem at Mowles Spring Park and consisted of 5k spanning open fields and switchback hiking terrain. Despite the threat of rain the race went off without a hitch. Sophomore, Sophia Stone, once again, took the individual women’s title with a time of 19:43. This speedy time was not only enough to put her on the podium but set a new Mary Baldwin College 5K record of as well! Jessica Nevins was the former record holder who set the bar at 20:17 back in 2005.

If the trend continues, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a continual change in the record book, as this weekend turned out to be a strong showing for the rest of our team as well. Freshman, Amanda Fadden, was our second squirrel to cross the finish with a time of 24:49. Coming in third and not far behind was Kimberly Denny who completed the course with a time of 25:21, just ahead of Carolyn Denny who pulled off a strong 26:15.  Upperclassmen Samantha McNair and Pauline Langston had an exciting teammate battle, coming in a mere 9 seconds apart, bringing them across the line at 28:50 and 28:59.

Overall it was a successful weekend, and the ladies really enjoyed the course.  Despite their long week of workouts heading into the meet, they were all still able to walk away with performances they could be proud of. As we continue our training, the ladies will begin to prepare for their October 1^st meet in Salisbury, Maryland. This will be the flattest course the team has seen so far this season, and I am anxious to find out just how fast their little legs will move.

A Variety of Workouts and A Variety of Weather

This week was a non race week, so we picked up the intensity of our work a bit.  We started the week with a long run on a new route which was "only a bit hilly".  I am sure the ladies might disagree with that, but come on this is Staunton!  We had our usual weight training on Monday which included legs, abs and arms and then a wonderful 400 workout on Tuesday.  Wednesday we headed out for a new 6 miler and then Thursday 30x30 workout on the VSDB Soccer field.  This morning we did some Tempo work and watched the sun come up over the cow fields.

Weather wise we had heat, humidity, perfect weather, rain and a lovely 41 this morning.  Ah....life in the Shenandoah Valley!

The team worked hard during this challenging week and I am proud of each runner.  We are putting in the workouts that will make us stronger and I think we are all beginning to believe!

Washington & Lee - First 6K Of The Season

The MBC Fighting Squirrels competed in their first 6K race of the season at Washington and Lee University. It was an all-around strong showing. Top runner, Sophia Stone, took first place with a time of 23:19, improving her time from last year by 1:39 (which in the world of cross country is HUGE).  The combined team score was low enough to get them a 4^th place finish, but individual improvements seemed to be the real highlight of the day.

Even though this was the first 6K this season for the team, when the 5K times from our meet at Southern Virginia University were converted to a 6K distance, all of the ladies improved. As stated before in prior postings, I am confident we are headed in the right direction and our training is going to pay off.

When reflecting on the race during the commute back to school, all of the ladies agreed that the pain of racing is unavoidable. However, on that particular day of competition, they felt stronger, faster, and more confident than they had only one week prior. Just think where we will be in late October when the conference championship rolls around.

Once again, hats off to all of my ladies for their hard work and dedication this week!

Sizziling Season Opener

Over the tree and up the big hills, around Southern Virginia's course they went. On Saturday, September 3rd, the cross country ladies competed at the season opener hosted by Southern Virginia University. According to the MBC cross country team, the course was a grueling trail through the woods that not only had multiple hills but even required a little hurdling action as they cleared a tree in their path.

Despite the toughness of the course combined with extremely warm temperatures, our ladies remained mentally tough and stayed strong to the finish. While there's always room for improvement in the world of athletics, the right mindset is a foundation that is imperative. Our ladies definitely proved this past weekend, that despite first meet jitters, they are ready to take on the rest of the season.

In the end, Sophia Stone (Soph), took first place in the women's race with a time of 21:36. In the overall team standing, MBC came in a comfortable second. Our top five consisted of three freshmen, one sophomore, and one junior. To say we have a young team would be accurate, but the great thing about being young is having so much room to develop. With the competitive spirit alive and well, I am counting down the days until we step up to the starting line once more. I believe in our training plan and I believe in my runners.

Bring on Washington and Lee (Saturday, Sept. 10)!

Next stop...First meet of the season!

As our first week of regular training comes to a close, I couldn't be any prouder of the effort put forth by my athletes. No only did they soldier through our first week of preseason training with two-a-day practices, they have adjusted to our new routine of 6 A.M. workouts and hectic student schedules like true professional.

Heading into our first meet tomorrow morning at Southern Virginia University, I am excited to see what my athletes will bring to the course. I am confident this will be a great starting point to a very positive season. While physical ability is always top priority in cross country racing, tomorrow will be a trial of racing mentality, as five of our runners are competing at the college level for the first time.

At this point the team should be relaxing and entering the last phase of race day preparation. Some of the things we tell our girls to focus on include but are not limited to:

• Drinking plenty of water
• Eating items that are familiar and race day friendly
• Practicing their race strategy in their heads
• Packing race day items before the morning of the race
• Scheduling an early bedtime to ensure plenty of race day energy
• Setting two alarms to prevent being late for bus departure

At this point, the only thing left to say is GOOD LUCK to the 9 MBC women that will be representing us tomorrow.

Let the season begin!