THE 2011 SEASON ended in disappointment. Positioned to win the program’s first Big 12 championship, the women’s cross country team finished 15 points behind Iowa State. And although the second place finish marked the Longhorns’ highest conference finish in school history, the team expected more … both from themselves and their teammates.
“We were gunning for first and aren’t quite satisfied with second,” junior Sara Sutherland said after the meet. “That’s proof ….
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of how far this program has come — we aren’t satisfied with second even though it’s the best finish in school history.” On that October evening, the lights shining upon the UT Tower stayed white and the windows remained dark. A disheartening scene for the women’s cross country team.
The Longhorns headed to Terre Haute, Ind., one month later to make their second-consecutive NCAA Championship appearance. Up against 31 teams, the team looked to prove that they were second to none. But the course took its toll on the Longhorns. Running alongside 300 other runners, the seven Texas athletes fell into the middle of the pack and never reconnected with the lead runners. The team concluded their 2011 season with a 26th place finish.
“We didn’t get out to a good start,” coach Steve Sisson said. “When you don’t get into a position where you can move up, it’s hard to be competitive. We didn’t execute the plan and that’s why we didn’t get results.”
Like with any cross country course they face during the season, the women overcame the bumps in the road, moving past the obstacles that threatened to deter them from their end goal — a conference championship. The team needed to peak at the right time to obtain that goal. They needed to stay competitive.
This season, the Longhorns looked amongst themselves for the support and competitive edge to carry them through the season. With 10 incoming freshmen joining the roster and only seven available spots for competition, each athlete must stake their claim to compete in this season’s meets. “Every one of our runners works hard to represent this school,” junior Marielle Hall said. “And they want to represent it well.”
Ranked as the No. 2 team in the conference, the Longhorns kicked off the season with a string of victories that featured top 10 finishes by Hall and Sutherland. The women have their sights set on this year’s Big 12 title. And both Sutherland and Hall believe this year’s team — through support and friendly competition — will make program history.
Tell me about last year’s national meet.
MH: Nationals was a big disappointment. We weren’t happy with how we performed individually or as a team. But as with everything, we need to use the meet as a learning experience. I know now that I need to mentally prepare myself and recognize that the national meet won’t be easy. That race will be hard and you will hurt — no matter what type of training you endure throughout the season. Plus, you can’t truly prepare for running against 300 people.
SS: I have not so fond memories of the national meet from both my freshman and sophomore years. The course in Terre Haute was the bane of my existence — I couldn’t be happier that the NCAA moved the race to Louisville, Ky. The old national course has a wide starting line but then bottlenecks 300-meters into the race. So whatever position you are in when you hit that bottleneck, you’re stuck there unless you’re willing to nudge somebody to move up. I like to maintain a steady pace and slowly work my way to the front. But at NCAAs, I was stuck and couldn’t regain contact with the lead group.
Marielle, are there any courses you’d prefer never to run again?
MH: I can recall more than one, but the course in Stillwater quickly comes to mind. Oklahoma State hosted the Big 12 Championship my freshman year, and their course has a ton of hills. A deer came out of the woods in the middle of the race and I immediately thought I was hallucinating. I can live a happy life if I never see that course again.
Then you must be happy that Texas will host the conference meet this year.
MH: Yes. We’ll have the support from the entire track & field team this year, not to mention friends and family. The Big 12 Championship marks that point in the season where your individual goals and team goals are on the line. Everything must come together that day … and then again for the national meet.
SS: [Laughs] I’m looking forward to waking up in my own bed and competing at home. Plus the atmosphere at the conference meet is incredible and the runners always bring their A-game.
What are your expectations for this season?
MH: After our first meet in California, the team’s expectations skyrocketed. We saw the level of competition we’ll face the rest of the season and we now know we’re capable of great things. That first race reminds you of how hard you have to work … and reminds you what running cross country feels like.
SS: Agreed. The team’s competitive component —the key component — continues to make my training successful. I’m working on becoming a competitor and telling myself that “I can win this” rather than “I’m going to try and stay with the lead group.” I need to believe that I can run with the best. I should compete against every runner out there. I’m blessed beyond measurement because the team picks me up on a daily basis.
MH: We have a family environment here. I don’t get to see my family every day but I have a second family in my team.
You’re both very team-oriented.
MH: We have a young group this year, with only two fifth-year seniors returning. Our goal is to make everyone feel comfortable and bring them into this environment so they perform well. This year we have high expectations, but the underclassmen have to transition successfully into this level of competition.
Sara, final words for our readers?
SS: Please don’t write off cross country as an irrelevant sport. I encourage everyone to attend a competition and support the team. This team has heart and you need to be there, in person, to see that for yourself.
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