Photo Courtesy: Instagram (@famutf)
The women’s cross-country team has a lot to prove this year.
The team is only looking to advance this season after Coming off of a SWAC championship in 2023.
The women’s cross-country team ran their first meet of the season on Sept. 14 in Jacksonville at the UNF Invitational. They finished sixth out of 13 teams.
Tara Bert, a new addition to the team, led the Rattlers’ in the season opener. The Jamaican and Colby CC transfer placed 39th overall with a time of 20:51.9. Senior Serenity Williams finished second on the team, crossing the line in 21:09.7 for 43rd.
Junior Alesia Douglas (22:15.0) also finished within the top half of the field before sophomore Jillian Salmon (23:17.8), senior Lacie Deboskie (23:19.7), grad student Madison Gordon (23:40.2) and freshman Kristian Prather (23:46.2) crossed the line.
The ladies say that while they were excited to race again, their performance at UNF was not what they wanted.
Niya Coleman, a sophomore and Tallahassee native, looked at the meet as a good way to gauge where they were as a team and what work needed to be done for them to excel.
“The meet was an eye opener,” Coleman said. “Afterwards, we knew we’d have to put in a lot of work this week at practice because it did not go as expected.”
The ladies have high hopes for the Embry-Riddle Classic this weekend in Jacksonville, FL. As every course is different, the team has been working hard this week to be prepared for any conditions.
This week’s practices have been challenging. To prepare for this upcoming race, they have been doing a lot of hill work and going to courses to continue to get reps.
In preparation for this weekend, Williams notes that the preparation regimen is not the same.
“Each course is different, so training plans will vary,” Williams said. “We’ve never experienced this course in Embry, so we’re not sure what to expect. We’ve been implementing a lot more mileage, doing faster tempo and race pace runs to prepare us to be more fit.”
“It’s always trial and error,” Williams said. “What works for this meet might not work for the next one, even if it’s the same type of workout. It’s more about your mental aptitude and demeanor. The best thing you can do is go in with a positive attitude.”
This 2024 team is looking to continue to soar and work hard. With a mix of some returning members, new ones, and transfers, they are looking to empower each other to reach the finish line every time.