Freshman Runs First Ever 8k XC Race

Sept 29, 2024 - Newville, PA

 

CCBC Catonsville Cross-Country traveled up 83 North on Saturday looking to test their fitness level and introduce themselves to college competition. Head Coach Mark Pryor picked the Dickinson Invitational based on it's previous results and the difficulty of the racecourse. This event also offered the option to run two different race distances (Men 4k or 8k / Women 4k or 6k). So depending on an athlete's or team's fitness level, the 4k or 2.5 miles course could be run or the 8k or 5.0 mile course.

 

Both freshman Aaron Lippman and Angel Ross were scheduled to run the true college cross country distance of 8k for the men and 6k for the women. Due to tendonitis, Ross was held out of the race by the Trainer. But Lippman was ready to go and looked forward to the challenge.  His first race as a Cardinal was over a 5k or 3.1 mile course which is the high school distance. Coach Pryor was pleased with Lippman's fitness. But Dickinson would be a true test.

 

The race was held at Big Spring High School which offered several acres of wide-open land covered in grass with a wooded trail. The course was spectator friendly and only had 2 rolling hills. An excellent way to be introduced to a longer race distance for our freshman athletes.

 

Lippman started out well and came thru the first time in 5:39. He had a little trouble in the wooded trails as the rolling hills made it difficult to create a rhythm of pace for his running. Lippman hit the 3-mile mark in 18:51. With 2 miles remaining in the race, Lippman began to compete and became more focused on his competitors then the race distance. That was the goal all along; to learn out to race the distance and not be concerned about how long you have to run.

 

His final time for 8k (5 miles) was 31:22.1 with an average of 6:18 per mile. Coach Pryor was pleased with his athlete's effort but even more so by his feedback. Lippman thought he could have run much faster and was not intimidated at all by the increase in distance from 3.1 miles in high school to now 5.0 miles. That's the mindset that Coach Pryor was looking for. Now that his young freshman had experienced the distance and his body has gone thru that level of effort, Coach Pryor is confident an improvement over the next race or two can occur.

 

The next scheduled race for the Cardinals will be on Friday, October 11^th at Goucher College for the Coach Caslin Classic 8k. The men's race starts at 3:45pm. There is no admission fee and parking is free. Coach Pryor invites all students, faculty, and staff to come out and support CCBC Catonsville cross-country.