SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION

Photos by: Blake Wood

Louisville KY: After a long and intense journey, the Adams State men and women cross country teams finished up a successful season with a 3rd and 1st place finish at the 2010 NCAA Div II Cross Country championships this past weekend in Louisville, Kentucky.

It has been a rough journey for the women's team as they had been dealing with injuries, had defeat, and being defeated. At nationals, they were able to finish a close 3rd place to Western State by 3 points. Makes me so proud to see how much they learned from this season. There are so many positive things about this year's season that will help shape their lives. As much as they wanted to come home with the national title, some of the girls had an off day. One could tell they were digging in to pass people, but their bodies would not respond. In the sport of cross country it takes the whole team to win championship. After putting the puzzle together -race day, looking at scores in detail there is no doubt in my mind that they gave their best on that given day. They return home hungry and motivated. I heard a few of them said " Can't wait for Indoor track, so that I can redeem myself" "This was a humbling experience" that is when I had to stop and reflect. "That is the mentality and the attitude of a champion, to embrace the experience and move on". Coach Martin and the rest of the staff is excited for next year. It was quite an experience to see the women's team learn, grow, and embrace the journey.

On the other hand, the men's team dominated the field and were able to capture their third consecutive national tile by 47 point. The story of the day was Brandon Birdsong who after being 6th or 7th runner all year long, led the pack from beggining to end. At the finish line, his teammates aknowledged Birdsong and everyone was chanting his name just like in the movie Rudy, but this time it was "Birdsong! Birdsong!" It felt great to see them dominate and come together as the great big family they are. It feels wonderful to see how much they grew and learned to appreciate each other and the program as the season progressed.

Winning is a great thing, yet for the Adams Cross Country program it is all about the journey and not the destination.