Dwyer Qualifies for Nationals
The 2020 cross country season came to a close November 7th, as the lady wave toed the starting line at this year's Conference Championship in Bettendorf, Iowa. The lady wave raced hard on the tactical course, placing 4th out of eight teams. Senior Grace Dwyer (SR/Lake Station, Ind.) said the race, like the rest of the season run with the challenges of navigating COVID-19, felt different.
"It didn't feel like the typical conference race because there weren't as many fans or runners as usual," Dwyer said. "But the feeling that there was something at stake was still there so that's what I tried to use to drive myself."
Different as it was, that didn't stop Dwyer from making her mark. She crossed the line in 8th place with a time of 19:22.3, securing her spot as a national qualifier for the second year in a row.
"Qualifying felt good! I didn't want to take it for granted because it's everything I wanted last year, so I don't want to belittle that accomplishment," Dwyer said. "This time around, I'm proud, but less satisfied because the job's not done yet."
Going into nationals this year with prior experience and another year of racing under her belt, Dwyer feels well-prepared to compete with a more developed mental and physical state.
"I feel more confident and I have a better idea of what it will take to get better results than I did last time," Dwyer said. "It already feels a lot different to me in a competitive sense."
Though this year's national meet won't be run until March due to adaptations to COVID-19, Dwyer isn't fazed by the length of time before race day.
"It definitely doesn't feel typical but it doesn't feel bad," Dwyer said. "I think it will be interesting to have more time to train. I know it's going to feel weird, and I'm still wrapping my head around it, but I think it will be fun."
Staying motivated to work towards a goal set back in March was perhaps the most challenging part of this season, but Dwyer embraced it wholeheartedly, adapting as needed to every unprecedented situation and finding a way to get things done when it would have been easy to give up. Dwyer is not one to back down easily. As she puts it, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going!"
"I want to be easily adaptable so I don't harp on things and get low when things don't go as planned," Dwyer said. "It's hard to keep showing up and perform when you feel discouraged or hopeless and I really didn't want to get into that place. Working with goals in mind, and knowing that I had people – my coaches, my teammates, my family – around me who were aware of those and encouraged me to go after them, that's what kept me going."
Congratulations to miss Dwyer on another incredible year and another well-deserved trip to the big show. The crimson wave family will be cheering you on as you continue your journey to the starting line in March!