Cross country ended its season Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Division II NCAA National Championships in Spokane, Wash.
Juniors Chloe Susset and Alyse Goldsmith were the only two Wildcats to qualify for the meet. Susset finished the 6k course in 59th place, running a time of 22:55.0, followed by Goldsmith in 107th, with a time of 23:49.8.
Head coach Chris Woods said the race didn’t go exactly as planned.
“We all wanted them to be All-American, which is finishing in the top 40,” Woods said.
Five to six inches of snow covered the ground at the beginning of the meet, and the weather continued to get worse throughout the competition. Woods said it was difficult for the two women, who usually train in Abilene’s atmosphere and climate, to compete in 20-degree weather the day of the race.
“Like I told the girls, that one race doesn’t define the awesome season they put together, and I’m extremely proud of them. All in all, the season went well. They put together two very consistent seasons. As a coach, that’s all you can ask for. I don’t want a kid who’s going to run fast and then disappear.”
Goldsmith and Susset were okay with the race’s results, Woods said. As athletes and competitors, they were a little disappointed they didn’t achieve their goal, but they didn’t make excuses. They understand sometimes a runner simply doesn’t have their best day.
“Neither one of them has ever been to a cross country championship, so getting there and getting that experience has made them hungry, because now they know they physically have the capabilities and are going to work hard to get All-American next year,” Woods said.
Woods said the year was tough for the men’s team with its newcomers and with the absence of its top three runners from last year. The men basically started from scratch with a young team.
“If you take everything into consideration, we aren’t losing any guys this year. Hopefully, we’ll get everyone back and healthy, and be able to get back to where we need to be. Bringing in a couple more guys will help us, too.”
As for the women’s team, Woods thought this year’s team was much better than the last because it had more depth.
“We had two girls qualify for nationals, which we haven’t had in a few years,” Woods said. “We had a regional champion, two girls in the top five at conference and two girls in the top five at regionals. Everyone from the women’s team is coming back, too.”
Woods said the men and women’s team goals are always to win a conference championship, qualify a team for nationals, and score in the top 10 at nationals.
“When I sit back and look at the men and women’s seasons, they weren’t as successful from a team standpoint, but we did have some very successful individuals. It was a difficult season but not a failing season. It was a learning season, not only for the athletes but for me as a coach, too.”
