Season Preview: Cross Country

After a highly successful 2017 Cross County season, where Trinity saw four runners make nationals last season. Returning almost every runner from last seasons roster the men's and women's teams are poised for a breakout season. The Lady Lions are returning both Chloe Thurber and Rachel Seidel who placed 9^th and 30^th in the NCCAA Championship race last season. The Lions men return both of their NCCAA Championship runners from last season as well with Kaleb Renfro and Sam Jacob who placed 32^nd at nationals.

I caught up with Coach Thurber and had some questions for her about this upcoming season.

How do you improve off of a successful season with nearly the entire roster qualifying for nationals?

I'd like to continue to help more and more members of our team to qualify for Nationals.  Ultimately, I would like to see us qualify a full team of either men or women for Nationals and to have a full team cross the finish line on that day.  If we would just be able to do that we could be ranked in the top 5 or better in the Nation.  Getting enough athletes each year makes this a challenge, but it is always something I am pursuing.

What can we expect from both you men's and women's teams this year?

Our men's team is currently larger than our women's, which has been the trend in past years also.  I hope to help more men qualify for Nationals than we have in the past.  It is more difficult for men to qualify and we have not been able to qualify more than 2, but we came so close to qualifying them all last year

What are you most looking forward to with this upcoming season?

I'm mostly looking forward to developing relationships with my athletes.  I want to help them to be all Jesus wants them to be in every area of life.  Being a runner is a small part of what they do here at TBC, but I want it to have a big impact on their development.  I want them to enjoy being together, enjoy working hard, and reap the benefits of pursuing goals and seeing them reached.

After receiving the coach of the year award last year, what are you looking to improve on as a coach this season?

I want to continue to invest in each of my athletes.  I want to take the time to encourage them and coach them along as individuals.  I pray every year that God would send me the runners He wants to be on this team.  Being a mom of two college students has given me a strong desire to help other students while their parents are far from them.  I find that they are easy to love and I want to care for them like I'd want someone to care for my own kids.  I want to teach them to be tough, pursue goals, and do things they never thought they could do.

Both of the Cross Country teams kickoff their season on August 31st, at Northern State University. 

Tanner Twigg, Trinity Bible College Sports Information Director