Sept. 23, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College cross country teams are among the best in the country, according to the first U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll of the season.
The women’s team, with All-Americans Audrey Meyering and Kaylee Scott, was ranked No. 6 in the nation, and the Men’s team, with All-American Coleman Clark in No. 13.
The teams have spent most of the young season competing in races that included many four-year schools. While it’s good to be challenged, women’s coach Sharon Becker said it is important for the teams to focus on their performances and improvements and not worry about the other competitors.
Becker said all seven of her runners improved their times and racing skills during the first two competitions of the season.
“When running a race with many 29 teams and 200 runners, it is easy to forget our original race goals, what we can control and how well we ran the race or finished the race,” she said. “Even though our brains like to trick us and compare, compare, compare, we start looking at how green the grass looks on the other side. Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ If we stop comparing and look at the facts, our team has many reasons to be joyful.”
Last year, both of the GRCC teams finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Both teams are racing Friday at the Kirtland Fireboard Invitational at the Hanson Hills Recreation Area in Grayling.