by Anna Kat Thomas
Staff Writer
The men’s cross-country team placed seventh at the NAIA National Championships Saturday in Vancouver, Wash., and junior Bryson Harper placed 27th to earn a spot on the NAIA All-America team.
Junior Ericka Simpson paced four Lady Lions, who competed individually, and finished the 5K course in 20:15, good for 211th place.
Recently the men were able to defend their title as Appalachian Athletic Conference champions against Montreat College (Black Mountain, N.C.), and Head Coach Rodney Stoker was named the AAC Coach of the year.
Going into the competition with the men’s team ranked sixth in the nation, Stoker said, “Rankings are great for recruiting, they are great for alums, fans and our school, but for our team it is meaningless. That day is what counts, so it is not about numbers, it’s about effort.”
That is exactly what the teams will have to put forth this coming Saturday. Once the teams get to Washington and after the meetings and the banquets, it will be time for the Lions to find out if they are ready for this final race.
“This season has been all about preparing for Nationals.” said sophomore Alex Stephens, “We have gone into each race and workout with a strategy that it would all come together perfectly right here at the end for the ultimate race. Everything has led up to this weekend and it is time to unleash the Lions.”
For the men, it will be their third year competing at Nationals. Senior Josh Bradley, senior Zach Buffington, senior Hunter Hall, junior Bryson Harper, sophomore Jason McLeod, sophomore Alex Stephens and freshman Anthony Simpson will be running for the team.
This year the women’s team will be taking four individuals: juniors Alyssia Lindsay, and Ericka Simpson sophomore Catherine Anderson and sophomore Liz Olsen. This is the most women, from Bryan, who have qualified for nationals.
Though the individual runners set goals for themselves, Stoker said the team’s goal, as a whole, is simply to get better.
“When you start to put a number on things… we think more about that instead of where we actually are, and I think it takes your focus away from the moment you are actually in…The outcome is going to take care of itself.”
This final race will conclude both teams’ cross-country season, but indoor and outdoor track will begin in January.