The top eight women on Northwestern’s cross country team willrun in the Bradley Cross Country Classic today against competitorsthey never race against but know very well — their teammates.
“It’s the one race a year we all get to run together,” sophomoreCasey Shea said. “There’s so much more support during the race.It’s something you can use to your advantage, all the cheering fromyour friends.”
Usually just the top eight compete, but this race allows all therunners to get out on a course. Excepting the annual alumni race,in which no other teams compete, this is the only time the entireteam comes together as one.
“Even in workouts everyone works on something different,” Sheasaid. “Training is different for everyone. We tend to break intogroups that each work on something different depending on what theycan handle and how they’ve trained so far.”
Shea, a Colorado native, was recruited to run for NU, and hasbecome one of the team’s starters despite being anunderclassman.
“There’s this sense of equality on the team,” she said. “Yeah,you have to earn respect through practice every day. But you lookup to the more experienced people and you learn from them.”
One of those more experienced people is junior Jessica Anderson,who describes herself as a “bubble runner” for the team.
“I’m in between the ones who travel and the ones who don’t,”Anderson said, so she too is looking forward to today’s race.
“It’s my favorite race to run at. Everyone exchanges wishes ofgood luck, and it’s a great way to bring everyone together.”
Anderson, of Pennsylvania, started running in eighth-grade afterwinning a mile race in fourth-grade. She came to NU as a walk-onher freshman year.
“I love being on the team,” she said. “It’s amazing to have agroup of people that you have something in common with. The girlsare amazing and are always pushing me to be a better runner.Everyone helps everyone else be a better runner.”
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