Nov. 10, 2006

As we entered this transition into Division 1, I was not at all surprised at the performance of the Cross Country teams.  The Rams showed true determination, great dedication and discipline as they went head-to-head with some of the supremely talented teams in the Southeast region.  Outstanding performances and records came this season from Irene Jeptolo who ran 18:22 in the 5K and Kenneth Koech 27:13 in the 8K.  For me, however, there were two standouts in their performances and the true spirit of what this thing is all about.  The first time they competed I cried because not knowing what to expect from them, they went out and ran superbly.  They are Malliron Hodge (Lady Rams) and Alvin Powell (Rams).  These two athletes had never run cross country, much less knew what to do, but with great discipline they performed under pressure, week in and week out.  For me, their break out meet was The Disney Classic in Orlando Florida on Oct. 6-8, 2006.  They did what was expected and more.  They are truly an inspiration for me.

The teams ended their 2006 season with wins at the NCCU Eagle Invitational with everyone posting great times. 

As we look into the future from Rams mountain there's no where to go, but up.  With recruiting and our motivated returning athletes we will surely bring top notch performances and athletes to the hill.

Gerrod Sidbury, men's team captain stated: "The season was tough, a lot of people were impressed with their performances and overall the times got better and better each week as records were broken.  Coach really knows her stuff, she knows what she is talking about; you have to believe in her because she would not lead us in the wrong direction.  As for myself, I never thought I would ever run this fast (28:48), but as the season progressed, I realized I was in great shape.  I remembered everything coach told me especially how to attack the hills running up and down."

Jordan Holley states:  "Running cross country is all about self-determination; it's not always about getting first, but improving oneself and getting better.  With great coaching and self-confidence anything is possible coming from a sprinters' perspective."

Malliron Hodge states:  "Practices which included 20 miles on Mondays, Hills on Tuesdays, repeat miles, turnarounds and so on were some of the things I had to get used to.  Coach is not a typical coach; she challenges us every step of the way, but she believes in us.  We have a lot of fun; playing dodge ball, volleyball and so on made things exciting.  I never ran cross country before, and never knew if I could, but coach wanted to show me that I was stronger and better than I thought.  I learned a lot and ended the season running a great time in my eyes of 23:19 in the 5K and made our all-time school Top 10 list.  To me this is a great accomplishment.

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