Vista Online

Fall/Winter 2001

Prize Of The Krispy Kreme

Cross Country

What do you get when you pack 47 sweaty runners into two vans with a heat index of 115 degrees? You get team bonding! The annual experience that bonds the cross-country team members together is the Eco-challenge. This is a grueling two-to-four hour adventure in which nine teams compete like mad dogs with the hope of winning the glorious prize: one dozen mouth-watering, tantalizing, melt-in-your-mouth, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a free t-shirt.

A gun is fired. Rivals dive into the lake and swim out to their teammates who wait in canoes, leap inside without capsizing, and the chase is on. Canoeing is supposed to spread the teams apart, but the desire to win is too great; so teams paddle across the lake neck and neck. Once teams reach the dock, they race barefoot onto the gravel road as if walking across fiery coals, and finally drop to the ground to throw shoes on. Once again, the pursuit of the pastry is on, but this time on foot.

Each team is equipped with a map that is about as detailed as a toddler’s scribbling on the walls and a ziplock baggie to keep this sacred document dry. Trees zip by as the groups put some distance between each other. Teammates from all clusters are a great encouragement as they work with each other to run off-road.

The Eco-challenge forces you to push your limits, running through the pain for the good of your teammates. An imposing cliff is the next challenge designed to create unity. One individual from each group is chosen to scale the mini-mountain, while the rest travel to the top. Deafened by the sound of 50 plus runners screaming at the edge of the cliff, the athlete struggles through the dizzying climb. The only thing that now stands in the way of these runners and their tantalizing treasure is exhaustion.

As people approach the dock where this whole masochistic game began, you can again hear teammates that have already finished, yelling and egging the others on. The relief and accomplishment of being done is amazing. Thirsty, hungry, dirty, and tired, everyone is utterly spent. Even so, everyone waits on the shore to cheer the entire team on as they complete the day’s adventure.

This is a prime example of the spirit that has helped the cross-country team achieve its most successful season ever. We won SLIAC Conference meet for the fourth (men) and sixth (women) consecutive year. Not only did both squads have a perfect score, but out of the top ten finishers, eight of them were from Greenville. The men captured ten out of the top 12 places. We also had our best showing at regionals, with the women placing 13th and the men finishing 12th. The men’s squad broke into the NCAA Division III national top 25 rankings for the first time ever. Every week, with the exclusion of the two that we didn’t race, Greenville runners were named SLIAC Runners of the Week.

This has been an incredible season and an unforgettable four years. I think that Justin Snider summed it up best when he said, “If the only highlight of my year is going to be running at Nationals, then I don’t want to go. We can’t forget about the journey while we look toward our destination.” It is important to compete well, but we also need to have fun and enjoy each other while on the path.

I am going to miss this team more than I can imagine when I graduate. I have truly been blessed to have each one of the members of this team in my life. I have some good memories of racing, but even better memories of having fun with my brothers and sisters.

Jenny Svoboda

Last updated: July 9, 2001