Strength in Numbers, Success Through Unity

If ever a sport was a mind game, cross country would be the one. Runners are always being told that they must be crazy to enjoy their sport, and UB’s Women’s Cross Country Team doesn’t deny their unique mindset. They say that the toughest aspect of their sport is that the largest barrier they face is not their ability but rather their minds. In a race of hundreds of girls, most are in near equal physical shape and have the ability to race as well as the others lined up next to them. However, miles of racing can mentally affect each one differently. Lactic acid builds up in each competitor’s legs, but the ones who succeed are the ones who don’t let it faze them. Once the fatigue sets in, the key to a great race is keeping the mind stronger than the body. It can seem like it is the individual against the course, but that’s where this women’s team has created an advantage. Their biggest improvement from last year, they shared, is that the training groups they have in practice have stayed close together during races. When one member of the pack starts to fade during a race, it is a huge help to have a few teammates around to latch on to and help pull her through that moment of mental weakness. In addition to this, they say that their pack of bulls can be daunting to opponents, breaking their competition down. The Buffalo girls certainly do not lack mental prowess, last year earning the second highest GPA out of all 18 athletic teams. This year, they hope their balance of work during and outside of practice will help them to clinch the top spot.

“The sport is ever growing and to be on top you always have to do more,” one runner shared. With many of these girls averaging near or over 60 miles of running per week, it is hard to imagine increasing intensity or mileage, and yet this team is always up for a challenge. “It’s not fun when it’s easy. We’re all extremely hard workers, and we embrace challenges.” These girls are certainly being challenged constantly, but their results this season have shown how well they respond to these challenges. Each returner has improved her times significantly, and every race the pack has been moving up in the scoring. The team made an appearance in the regional rankings for the first time in several years, and they look forward to continuing to improve in their Regional competition this coming weekend as well as throughout their track seasons. Each day, these ladies give their all to their training, and each day they have a little more to give. There is no doubt that these dedicated, relentless women have even more accomplishments in their near future.

To see results from this weekend's meet, and to keep up with all the athletics teams, like our Bulls Pride page on Facebook and follow UB_BullsPride on Instagram and Twitter.