WCC Competes at Ray Bullock Invitational
Friday evening, the CCSJ Women's Cross Country Team spiked up for the first time since March, kicking off the 2020 season with the Ray Bullock Invitational at Taylor University. The course's long straightaways and light rolling hills combined with the brisk, sunny weather provided nearly perfect racing conditions, and the runners took full advantage.
Senior Grace Dwyer (SR/Lake Station, Ind.) led the way for the women's team, crossing the line in an impressive 19:00.1, shaving more than a minute off her time from last year's season opener.
"Having not raced in so long, being at an actual meet and lining up in uniforms almost felt surreal," Dwyer said. "Now that we've got a taste of racing again and learned from our efforts, were strategizing on how to move forward and take on the next week."
After losing their 2019 track season due to the pandemic and navigating through months of training via zoom, Friday's race was highly anticipated by all.
"This season will be something special for many reasons and navigating the pandemic has been a part of that," said Head Coach Jackie Torres. "We are grateful for the opportunity to race and will not take it for granted."
Freshman McKenna Palmer (FR/Kouts, Ind.) clocked in as number two for the women, making her college racing debut with a solid run of 20:38.0, followed by juniors Delilah Delgado (JR/East Chicago, Ind.) and Daniella Nino (JR/Chicago, Ill.) in 20:58.9 and 21:01.8 respectively. Rounding out the top five was Sophomore Ciera Lee (SO/Highland, Ind.) with a time of 21:52.9.
"I haven't raced since November, so I was really excited going into this meet," Palmer said. "I think our top five is going to be really strong this year."
With returners dropping time from last year and freshman posting strong first performances, the lady wave ran well across the board. Their efforts earned them a 10th place finish in a field of 14, a commendable accomplishment against strong competition that set them up well for their upcoming meet.
"The hard work and discipline is staring to pay off, and we are in a very good place right now," Torres said. "We were not guaranteed a season, yet this team believed and stayed focused on what they could control. As a result, we are going into this season with no regrets. We understand that there are no guarantees, and intend to run every race like it's our last."
The lady wave will toe the starting line again this Friday as they travel to Olivet Nazarene University for another 5k race. Details to be released later this week.