This past weekend marked the start of the 2009 cross country season with statement wins from both the men's and women's teams against Bowling Green. Our team did the unthinkable by crossing five University of Toledo women's runners ahead of the first Bowling Green woman. We achieved it - a perfect score in cross country.
After the race, Coach Vergote comparably stated that, "It's like a hole in one in golf, it rarely happens." Our victory was relentless and I can't even begin to describe the feelings our team had after the race. Not only had we defeated Bowling Green in the annual dual meet, we did it in perfect fashion with just our underclassmen, as the coaches rested all of the juniors and seniors.
What was even more glorifying was the fact that our team deserved this. The hard work and perseverance we displayed all summer was finally justified. From the start of summer, our team took positive initiative and ran each day, putting forth the quality effort needed to better ourselves. We made the right decisions, the essential sacrifices and put in the quality training our coaches gave us.
Even so, not all of us were completely healthy or injury-free at the start of summer -- I was one of them. Some of us had to face the bitter challenge of acknowledging the fact that we could not run. With this, our coaches had us cross train each day in place of running. For me, the entire month of June and half of July was spent on a bike in a washed up recreation center, not on the pavement, trails or concrete where running ensues. I can't even begin to describe how many times I questioned giving in. Pedaling mile after mile, questioning whether or not it's worth it.
What really kept me fighting was knowing how badly I wanted to prove to the team the capabilities of triumphing over adversity -- that even though I couldn't run, I was still going to push my body beyond its limits. No matter what people told me, I was going to maintain my fitness level, regardless if I was running, swimming or biking. And so I continued, day after day, pushing my body beyond capabilities I never knew I could.
Handling certain situations like this are what makes our team different than others. You see, our team is built on hard work, not some store-bought talent. What I am ultimately trying to get at is that we're tough. We're not going to let some adversity affect our desires, abilities and visions of success. We know it's not hard to be good in a sport - to be great, however, is something not so easily obtained. We know that to obtain greatness, there comes anguish, resentment, pain, and most of all sacrifice. I think our team understands this, which will truly determine how far it takes us.
Ari Fisher is a sophomore from Lebanon, OH majoring in physical therapy. She recorded her first collegiate victory by finishing first in UT's dual meet win over Bowling Green last Friday.
