The Observer, November 30, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 12
First Person: At Case Western Reserve, cross country is truly a team sport
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Kristen Bowhers is a junior cross country runner majoring in civil engineering. Here she gives her perspective about what makes the cross country teams so unique.
It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to participate in a sport that is represented by quotes like, "I've got a bad case of the runs," and "Run like hell and get the agony over with."
For me, the answer to why someone would want to participate in such a sport is the Case Western cross country team. Underneath the mud, the guts, the blood, and the glory, this is a team more fun than any I have been on before.
First, there are our coaches. Glancing at our team, it would be hard to distinguish coach from athlete. Our coaches get as excited and nervous as the team, they buy us goofy gifts like clown noses and giant sunglasses to wear to the starting line, and they join in when we do the hokey pokey on the starting line.
Coach Lanese and coach Barnes know when to be both serious and funny. At our team meeting before nationals we were all very nervous. The coaches helped ease our nerves by giving us advice for the race, and they kept the meeting light by encouraging jokes and by giving us paddle balls to play with. Coach Lanese is also determined to bring us good luck at every big meet by wearing her old college running spankies underneath her pants.
The best piece of advice ever received from coach Lanese? "Every time you go to the bathroom, take a drink." No one was sure if we should have taken this advice literally, but at least we know how to stay hydrated on this team.
Next there is the men's cross country team. More so than any other group of guys, this team likes to run around in Speedos and ridiculously short shorts. Parading through campus wearing little more than girl's underwear, the guy's team takes pride in their lack of modesty.
On bus rides to meets, the entire team is entertained by the various songs sung by the men's team. Some of the men can reach amazing highs, especially when singing Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone." The men's team comes prepared with a 10- page list of song lyrics to sing on our bus rides.
Hilarious though they are, it is amazing how serious the guy's team can be as well. The team had a spectacular season this year. At the UAA meet the team placed third, an incredible four-place improvement over last year's finish.
The women's cross country team, although less comfortable with nakedness, has as much fun as the men's team. This team knows how to display team spirit. On our last day of practice, a lovely 35- degree day with winds so strong we were blown over on the track, we continued our tradition of wearing bathing suits over our running clothes. This year we took the tradition even farther by running through Nord, KSL, and Thwing dressed like this. We've also worn dresses and skirts over our running clothes, and newspapers Saran wrapped to our bodies for shirts.
Runners, for those who have never spent some time with them, are some of the most foul, immodest people you will ever meet. I believe the women's team takes the prize in this category. Our conversations are disgusting at best,and what would you expect? When the line for the Port-a-Potty is too long you have to go in the woods. And let's face it, going to the bathroom behind a tree with your teammates five feet away turns you into the disgusting, immodest people that all runners are.
Now that I have you convinced to join the cross country team, keep in mind not every meet or practice is easy. Everyone has an off day, and when that day hits and you can't keep up with your teammates, it's hard to imagine competing well, or just running well, ever again. The Case cross country team learns from these days, however, and we pick each other up after such days and move on. The despair and joy of running shared by every runner strengthens us as a team and serves to increase our love of running. And we love our teams. When our classes get difficult and the man gets us down, it's the cross country team that improves both our day and mood. Never have I had more fun on a team, and never have I made better friends since joining the Case cross country team.
