Student-Athlete Insider: Cross Country

SAC cross country season is only a few weeks from getting underway. Several of the conference's student-athletes recently sat down with theSAC.com to share their thoughts about upcoming season and give some insight into their lives away from the course.

What are you looking forward to most about being back on campus and starting your sport's season?

Danielle Metz, Mars Hill: "I am looking forward to meeting my new teammates. I am also looking forward to seeing how competitive we can become for my last year of running competitively."

Lindsay Lippencott, Wingate: "I am excited to see how having a track program last spring will affect our performances this fall. I think competing year-round will be very beneficial to our program."

David Maldonado, Lincoln Memorial: "I'm looking forward to getting to school and getting to see everyone from last year. It'll be good to run with the team again."

Joey Nielsen, Carson-Newman: "I'm definitely looking forward to seeing all my friends that I've made over the past year at Carson-Newman. We've got a really fun group of guys this year, so I'm sure there will be some pretty hilarious moments on the road."

What event are you most looking forward to this season?

Jenny Grant, Tusculum: "The Conference Championship. It's being held on a challenging course with a long, steady hill. One of my goals this season is to qualify (for Regionals), so the Conference meet is what I will be keeping in mind all season."

Joey Nielsen, Carson-Newman: "I'm really looking forward to the SAC Championship. As a team, it will show us how we compare with our rivals. As an individual, the conference meet lets you see how far you've been able to progress throughout the year."

What's it like getting back to campus and meeting your freshmen teammates? Any specific way you try to approach meeting new teammates?

Danielle Metz, Mars Hill: "I am actually really excited to meet them! I was in their shoes last year because I was a new transfer student. But I am going to greet them and tell them how excited I am to finally meet them. I am going to ask them if they have any questions and just get to know them. I know what it is like to be new, so I am going to try my best not to scare them."

Lindsay Lippencott, Wingate: "I'm excited to get to know my new teammates. I try to be friendly and let them know they can come to me if they need anything! I remember being a freshman; being away from home for the first time is hard. I hope they can find a new family in the Wingate Cross Country team!"

Alex Pena, Anderson: "New people on the team always add an interesting spin to the team's dynamics, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I like to approach my new teammates warmly. They are your teammates, part of the family. Period."

Joey Nielsen, Carson-Newman: "It was pretty interesting coming back and meeting the freshmen. There are only two returning runners, myself included, so it's like having a completely new team. There wasn't a specific way that I try to approach them. I treat them like I've treated any other teammates in the past. The only difference is that the freshmen ask a plethora of questions."

Is there anything challenging about getting back to practice after being on summer vacation?

Jenny Grant, Tusculum: "Training alone is always difficult in itself because you have no one to push you, but yourself. In a race or practice, you always have someone around to push you and I find that more motivating than anything else."

Alex Pena, Anderson: "Adjusting to the heat is probably the biggest factor at hand. In the summer, most people train at night."

Did you do anything exciting this summer?

Jenny Grant, Tusculum: "I worked a summer camp for children ages 5-12. It was very exciting and such a fun job -- it only confirmed my desire to have a career working with children. "

Lindsay Lippencott, Wingate: "I worked as a nursing assistant for Options for Senior America. I enjoyed helping my patients and getting to know them! I plan on returning to the same patients in the winter."

Alex Pena, Anderson: "I worked at the Brevard Distance Running Camp, and helped work security at the USA Miss National Pageant."

Joey Nielsen, Carson-Newman: "I got a very good internship with a small company based out of Chattanooga, Tenn. I was also able to use some of the funds to teach myself a new skill-how to build a PC from bare components."