The Red Banner Race Report
Featuring and celebrating NAIA cross country/track and field athletes, coaches, and supporters. This podcast is an independent production and is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by the NAIA.
The Red Banner Race Report
Katie Woods, Marian University
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2 minutes, 47 seconds. That’s how long it took to change Marian University history forever. In the final stretch of the 1000-meter final, our guest today ran her team straight onto the top of the podium for the first Red Banner in program history.
Welcome back to another episode of the Red Banner Race Report, highlighting the achievements and inspiring stories in NAIA cross country and track and field. I'm your host, Meran, and today’s episode is a historic one.
A few weeks ago, in Gainesville, Florida, we didn't just see a championship; we saw a shift in the landscape of the sport. For the first time in program history, the women of Marian University captured that elusive Red Banner, joining their men’s team in a dual-national title sweep.
And if you’re looking for the catalyst behind that victory, look no further than our guest today, Katie Woods of Marian University. She was named the Most Outstanding Individual of the National Meet after a staggering 28-point performance.
Woods won the 1000m individual national title, anchored the National Champion DMR squad, and took home a runner-up finish in the mile—all within a span of 48 hours. She’s the owner of school records in the 800, 1000, and the mile, and she’s a four-time consecutive Crossroads League Athlete of the Week during the indoor season alone, and she’s not done yet. The senior standout chats with us about her dramatic progression as a freshman struggling to race to an All-American National champion, and what’s next on the horizon for her outdoor season.
Thank you so much for tuning into The Red Banner Race Report. I can’t wait to feature more cross country and track and field athletes from the NAIA…stay tuned because it might just be YOU!
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2 minutes, 47 seconds. That's how long it took to change Marion University history forever. In the final stretch of the thousand-meter final, our guest today ran her team straight onto the top of the podium for the first Red Banner in program history. Welcome back to another episode of the Red Banner Race Report, highlighting the achievements and inspiring stories in NAIA cross-country and track and field. I'm your host, Maren, and today's episode is a historic one. A few weeks ago in Gainesville, Florida, we didn't just see a championship, we saw a shift in the landscape of the sport. For the first time in program history, the women of Marion University captured that elusive red banner, joining the men's team in a dual national title sweep. And if you're looking for the catalyst behind that victory, look no further than our guest today, Katie Woods of Marion University. She was named the most outstanding individual of the National Meet after a staggering 28-point performance. Woods won the 1,000-meter individual national title, anchored the National Championship DMR squad, and took home a runner-up finish in the mile, all within a span of 48 hours. She's the owner of several school records and a four-time consecutive Crossroads League athlete of the week during the indoor season alone. And she's not done yet. The senior standout chats with us about her dramatic progression as a freshman struggling to race all the way to an all-American national champion and what is next on the horizon for her outdoor season and beyond. Well, welcome to the Red Banner Race Report Podcast. Katie. Thank you. I'm excited to be here. Well, you are our first female guest. Um the first three episodes were all males, so you're representing the ladies, getting us kicked off with uh a woman guest. So tell us a little bit about yourself, um, where you grew up, and how you first came to be an athlete in the world of track and field.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'm a senior at Marion. Um I am originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, so not too far. It's two hours north of Indy, which is nice. Um, and the first time I ever ran was cross-country in fifth grade, um, which is, you know, every kid is trying their first couple sports then. Um, and I remember my parents did not think it was gonna last, but my dad was actually a runner in high school and wanted to go to college for it. Um, so he kind of started got me into it. And I guess I just fell in love and I kind of stuck with it. And here we are now, which is exciting. This is my 12th year of cross-country and then my ninth year of track and field.
SPEAKER_03Well, uh, you had a very successful indoor season. So yeah, a lot of amazing finishes and some national championships individually and then as a team. So, what was the very first thing that went through your mind when you crossed the finish line in the DMR? That was the last event for you. Um, you won that, you were the anchor, and then you seal that team title.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that um I think more times than not in the past couple years, we've been ranked really high or even first as a team going into nationals. And it's you know, sometimes the points are a little off because there's multiple of our teammates ranked in multiple events that isn't quite doable uh when you get to the national level. So um just to know that like we really did have a shot this year was awesome going into it. Um, and I remember right before the K, actually um, our coach kind of talked to me and uh my teammate Summer. He was like, This is, you know, this is where we secure it. And at that point, I think it was like us and Dickinson State were left and they were done competing. So it was just up to us to really finish out the DMR. I think we had to be top four or five um come to finish. But it was honestly, my teammates just their energy going into that. I think we were all just really excited. We knew the possibilities we had. And when we got across the line, I definitely was a bit exhausted, but it's hard to not celebrate something that is just so cool about all of us coming together and making history. So that it felt amazing to just kind of run around and see our teammates on the outside of the track and know that that was like the event to bring it in and feel cheered on doing what we love to do.
SPEAKER_03Well, there's some great photos of you coming around the back stretch to where your team was in the stands there, or they were up on the edge of the track touring and you guys are celebrating. It's it's a really great moment to see.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. No, they're awesome. I think that every time that we kind of like get to these big meets and nationals, like the energy from our team is just unmatched. There's no division amongst like if you're a thrower, jumper, a sprinter, a distance kid, like everyone's supporting everybody as much as we can. And I think that that really like brings a lot to the table when we step up at these national meets because we couldn't do it without each other, which is awesome.
SPEAKER_03Well, a little side note, when I came into the um convention center where the meet is held, um, someone in front of me, you know how when someone opens the door and they let go too soon and it kind of swings back and you catch it, and he's like, Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm like, Oh no, it's no big deal, you know. And then I followed them in to the bleachers and I sat down. I didn't know who they were. Obviously, it was just, you know, a couple in front of me. And then as the meet went on, you ran in the thousand and then you won, and they went running down and hugged you. I'm like, oh, that's Katie's dad and mom.
SPEAKER_00It was them.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and they were like your mom was wiping tears from her eyes. I mean, just watching them was as much fun as watching you win. So I thought that was a really cool moment.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they're awesome. I think that like them, and then I've got um three siblings and a sister-in-law at home, and um, they're just like my biggest support ever. If they couldn't be there, then they were watching it online. And I think sometimes when we get to those meets like that, um, my parents are honestly more nervous than I ever am. And I think that they want it for me just as bad as I want it for myself because they know, you know, that I've put in the work and like they've been with me every step of the way, and same with all my siblings. So my family's definitely a big, big part of my success. They, you know, teach me to not do things that any less than my best.
SPEAKER_03So they've been a great influence and you're you're carrying on the family expectation, I guess. Well, this is a logistical question. So you win the women's championship, I think it's the first ever for Marion, and you you get this big red banner, you know. That's that's the slogan of the NAIA, you know, chasing the red banner. So, how do you actually get that back to Indiana?
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, that was really funny for us. Uh, so we actually had to split up our team on the two separate flights. Um, and I think the trophies went on our first flight that got home a little earlier to take back on the buses, and the banners came with the second flight. And I remember we were getting through TSA and our coach was like, Can someone carry this? And just pulls out the banner. And I was like, Oh, just you know, carry the banner, sure, sure. So actually, my um teammate and I both just like had the banners on our laps on the flights, um, which was great. I think at one point we tried to put them in the in the overhead bin, but they were just like our personal airport blankets, so which is so funny to say, but they they came home with us just like you would carry a blanket. I guess it's cozy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's for sure. It's a little padded, which is nice, you know.
SPEAKER_03Well, where is it gonna go when it's uh hung up? Where will it live it the rest of its days?
SPEAKER_01Um, I tried and begged and pleaded to get it to come back to um me and my house. I'm just kidding, on on campus, but um I think they actually are still figuring out placement for that. But we have um our men's title from last year and then our men's bowling team as well, okay won uh national championships last year. So they're trying to hang up the banners. And then our women's basketball team also just won national streak. So we kind of gotta figure out some placements, maybe get a new trophy case, which is awesome.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that is very exciting to have a couple of different ones to hang up. Yeah. Well, uh, so you've got the DMR. Um, you ran in the mile, you were second, you won the thousand, and all of those have prelims. So did you run the prelim in the DMR?
SPEAKER_01I actually did not. Um, that was a really tough decision. I know that our coaches, I think they also get a lot more stressed out than we do, which is it's kind of nice they take the choices off us just a little bit because you know, we put our trust in them and we hope that they do the same to us. But it was a long, long process of conversations to be had because I know that at the beginning of the season, I fully expected to be just, you know, relay in one individual event, just because I mean, as you know, like that's so much to do with prelims and finals. Um, but the way that we had figured it out for team points was it would be best for me to compete in in both. And that was asking my teammates to definitely take a big step um in that prelim, which I mean, I knew they could do it. They're they're just awesome and amazing, and they really stepped up on that prelim day. And so that was like a big conversation, very open and honest between the coaches, between us, just you know, do we feel comfortable with this? Are we confident in this? And um, so I ended up not running at all on day one, which definitely saved a lot for me, which is you know, it's awesome that we have the chances to do that because I know like not everyone can. So definitely grateful that we have the depth, we have the talent on our team to kind of complete that. Um but I think that that's can always be a scary thing too. Just I would say day one was pretty stressful, just kind of like sitting and waiting around and waiting for the DMR to make it through to the finals because it can just anything can happen on the day of a prelims. So but they they really carried it home. Um, our girls are awesome. So then doing that I think was a a huge step. And then um just prelims for my individual events. I just I try and I think that like my strength is kind of making the race my own and not, you know, using the typical prelims style of um sit and kick. I think I ran into a problem with that last year in the mile. It was, you know, super tactical. And I think that takes a lot more out of me personally than it would if I just, you know, took it from the line and tried to run as even as possible for both the K and the Mile. But um that was definitely like the biggest strategies that were helpful in that time was just making sure that I played to my own strengths and didn't um try and like race the race in other people's ways. Right, because it can be very tactical.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, definitely. Yep. Well, the good news is your DMR uh prelim for your teammates did not run an extra lap like the men's prelim did.
SPEAKER_01You know, I was standing at the start-finish line with my mom actually cheering on our boys' team, and they come around, and as they're going on their like last lap, or I guess they're 1800 meters, I was thinking to myself, I was like, I'm I'm almost positive that they're done. Are they not done? And they just kept going. And I think that was just I, you know, our guy who ran the mile, um, Charlie, he came over and he was like, Well, I ran an 1800 meter PR. I was like, you know what? You sure did.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no one else can say that here, so that's great.
SPEAKER_03Very true. I I think watching from the stands, my perspective, this is just my assumption. I don't actually know, but my guess is because the faster teams were lapping some of the other teams on that last leg, they got confused as to who was on what lap, and then they just didn't change or lost track yet. Yeah. And I know that the NAI rule is it's not how many laps you think you've done, even if you're right. Um, if you like if one of those milers had stopped and said, no, I ran you know a 1600, I know where I'm done. It's not it, it's still not technically finished until you hear the bell lap. So they all did the right thing by running an extra lap, but just was kind of an unfair disadvantage for whatever races came for them next.
SPEAKER_01Definitely a little bit. I also think that that left like a lot of room for contention and uh you know protesting the final, which I think that it ended up the way that it was supposed to end up, anyways, from the final. That was that was a very hard race to watch in general, those falls and trips and tangles, which they happen everywhere, but that was a little scary.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. And it was a very big final because of the protests. So there were a lot more teams that went through than probably would have just by qualification. So it made for an interesting story, that's for sure. Well, uh, so let's talk about your thousand. Um, your winning time is one of the fastest in NAI history. So what do you think makes that specific distance click for you compared to other distances that you'll do outdoors, such as the 800 or indoors the mile, or maybe the 1500 outdoors? Um, what do you think is kind of, I don't know, the niche for you in that specific race?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I uh I love the thousand. I feel like I that was um my very first event that I ever did individually, actually, at a at a national meet. I think that the and it kind of sounds silly when I say it out loud, but in my head, like breaking up five laps on an indoor track is so easy. Like it almost like I can just girl math it, I guess. But it it kind of just comes so easy into my brain. And every lap is has its own trait that I'm supposed to be focusing on. Um, and also I think that a big thing that plays a part for me is that like I feel like I'm more strength-based rather than speed-based. So when you know you're dropping down to the distances, like the 800 or 600, um, I don't think I'm like quite there to compete at the top of the top. But uh with the thousand, it it it definitely clicks well for me because I think it plays to both my strengths there. Like I might not be the fastest, but it's just long enough for me to kind of take an upper hand with my strength. So um I definitely think that had a part to do with it. I I was really excited to run that race. Um it was actually it was kind of a hard flip. I can't lie, it's it was frustrating to not um start my day off with winning the mile. Um, but obviously, like you never know what's gonna happen in a final, and that's anyone's game. Everyone wants to win. So um not having it there, I think, also led to me really, really wanting it in the thousand. So I think that kind of played a part in it as well. I kind of just wanted it from the gun and didn't didn't want to look back and have any regrets coming off that race. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, revenge tour after the mile. Felt like it. Yeah. Well, it looked like it too, because you left no no doubt. Like you were out to win it and nobody was close. So yeah, it was a pretty definitive win. Thank you. Well, it was probably fun to turn around and see your teammate too.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh, it was awesome. I I had no idea where anyone was in the race. I, you know, coaches are on the inside shouting things, and um I couldn't really hear anyone. So I was just assuming I just needed to go, go, go and keep my foot on the gas. And then I turn around and I saw Summer and she said, We just went one-two. And I said, You're literally kidding me. Because he had, like I said, our coach had talked to us before the race and was like, if you guys do this, like it's big things for us. Like, this is pretty much where we step into the contention of the title. And so that was just it was awesome. It's awesome celebrating with her. And then our parents were both right there next to each other. We're all crying, we're happy. Our coach is right on the inside of the track. Um, and she's got another year left, so that's awesome. Definitely a bright future for her. But yeah, it was cool to see, you know, practice reps pay off. And so running with each other, even like watching the live stream back, just kind of seeing her. I felt like she really had my back in that race, and we kind of just played to each other in that, which was awesome.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I think a moment like that is probably a hundred times more meaningful when you turn around and you see somebody who knows exactly what you've done to get there and has been a part of it, and you get to share it together. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. That was awesome. Yeah. Unmatched.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that was pretty cool to see too. Well, your head coach has made history as a female coach leading a pair of national title teams. So, how has her coaching style or her approach with you and shaping your development since your freshman year um led you to this moment?
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah. So when I came in as a freshman, she was um right underneath our head coach, Coach Holman. And upon his retirement, my sophomore year, so coming into my junior year, she was took over that head coach role. So honestly, she had so many tools in her back pocket with that. I feel like she has um always been very like detail-oriented and good judge of character when it comes to not just recruiting, but uh trusting her event coaches as well. I feel like um we have a pretty young coaching staff, which is also cool. Like it's fun to kind of just, I mean, with a respect piece as well, obviously, but also just like be relatable with them. You know, they kind of understand the places we were in. They were all college athletes, which is awesome. Um, but she places a lot of trust in them. And so in turn, like um, that kind of feels really good to us because she placed a lot of trust in us as well, all of her athletes, um, which is which is great. So the people she hires, they do a great job. And I think that a big thing of hers is that there's never really been um kind of like I talked about before, but not a lot of division amongst our event groups. I don't, and even between boys and girls too. I think that that makes our team like really strong. You know, I've never been one to not know the entire team. And I feel like a lot of our teammates kind of take that same liberty um to themselves as well. Like we we're not just talking to the distance kids on the on the distance team. We're not just, you know, hanging out with each other, but we know everyone, we cheer for everyone. Um, and she definitely makes a point to make sure that teamwork is involved in every aspect, whether that's taking stuff um to and from the bus or at the meets, you know, we're on the sidelines cheering on our teammates no matter what event they're in. So I feel like she does a great job at kind of just bringing us together um and then hiring people to really like be an extension of herself that she trusts um their training and their coaching just to kind of get us to the best place that we can be.
SPEAKER_03So it sounds like she's good at uh delegating and isn't a micromanager. She lets everybody rise to their strengths. Definitely. Yeah. Uh well, let's talk a little bit about her coming into the the lead coaching role and its correlation with some of your um improvement because it's pretty startling to see where you started as a freshman. And I I'm really curious about this piece because um, you know, I've I've known athletes who've started out maybe not competing at the level they want to, and and showing your career progression as an example of like hang on, keep working, I think is a very powerful message. So you can correct me if any of these stats are wrong because I know sometimes what's online isn't always you know accurate or reflective of what is correct. But looking back at your freshman year, um, you're at a 227 for the 800. Now you're at like a 211. Yeah. Um 514 and the 1500, and now you're around the 430 mark. Um, a 2656 6K, you dropped six minutes off of that by the time you were a junior, and then um, you know, like the 5K. I know they don't race the 5k as much as they used to since the NAI went to the 6K, but you had you know 20-minute range, 5k, and now you're into the 17s. So, like looking at your debut in 2022, you ran a 234 in the 800. And by the end of 2024, you were an all-American running 211, and now you have a PR under 210. That is a massive leap in a sport where you know sometimes tenths of a second are considered an improvement. So, what do you think really clicked there? Like, what happened between your freshman and sophomore year?
SPEAKER_01It's it's so funny to hear you say those numbers, to be honest. It's always like it's a it's a kind of a running joke, I'd say, with the classes that are like right below me, and then um the classes that were above me before I became a senior, because it was my sophomore year of cross-country where I did the worst I probably have ever done as a runner. Um, and I was honestly so close to quitting, as I think anyone would be, kind of in that stance. You know, it's hard to like separate yourself from your times here and there, especially when you're committed to something like this. But um, I actually found out that I was anemic. So I had iron deficiency anemia for probably a very long time to get to the number I was at. My ferritin level was seven. Oh, so that's low. Right. Very, and so it was it was so hard for me to figure um anything out in that time because I was training to the best of my ability. I was, you know, putting in the things outside of practice, inside of practice. Um, and I just could never get anything to click. Uh, I I'd even be working out with like some of our top groups at that time, but nothing was clicking in races. I'd get a K or a K and a half in, and I'm pretty much done for the race. So that was definitely difficult. Um, I think that even like my freshman year, not the best debut I could have had, but I think we even took a four byte to indoor nationals. So I still felt like I was doing okay enough. Um, but then time my sophomore year, I wasn't making the travel team and I was kind of skimpering to hopefully, you know, break 21, maybe 22 minutes in a 5K, and definitely not even. Touching the 25 minute range in the 6th, which is crazy to say. Um, but that was the year where my coaches were kind of pushing me like, hey, clearly something's up. Like, this can't be quite right. Um, we know you and we know that you're not just quite, you know, giving it up on the sport. So before we make any drastic moves of, you know, dropping out or going home or whatever you wanted to do, let's go get our blood tested. And so I'm actually really happy we can talk about this because I honestly had no idea that was really a thing. And I'm sure many young female athletes also don't know that. Um, so hopefully this kind of you know shines some light on that situation. Cause like you said, I dropped six minutes off my 6K. I'm sure everyone thought, what the heck is this girl doing?
SPEAKER_03Um illegal substances involved.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, literally. Yeah, I know. I I can almost like read the read the people's thoughts when I was coming out of nowhere. But yeah, um, it was definitely that. It was, you know, I quick supplementation with iron. And for me, it was just um oral supplementation. But I know some people have to go to more drastic measures and that doesn't work for everyone. But getting that um done and kind of really listening to my body in that time from here on out, like, oh, hey, you know, I'm feeling a little bit more tired. Like, let's make sure that we're eating extra spinach today, you know, kind of just even like the small things in my diet, um, my oral supplementation, and then consistency in my training as well was super, super impactful. So um, not every workout's gonna be the best, but I was um pretty much consistently stacking great workouts through my sophomore year indoor once I figured everything out. Um, I remember the race where it specifically the race where it clicked was uh fairgrounds 5K. And this was when I was kind of still more on the distance side of the track because I didn't quite think I was gonna make the cut for a relay anytime soon. So, um, especially with the times I was putting down in cross country. So I kind of moved to the distance side, right training for 3K, 5K more so. And I raced at an 1842, which I have not even touched under 19 minutes since my freshman year of high school. And so I crossed the line. I saw that time, I was like, there is no way I must have forgotten to do another lap because this can't be real. Um, and my coach was actually wanting me to take the next weekend off of racing. He was like, that's awesome. We're definitely kind of getting back to where we need to be. You know, we're putting in the right work, we're doing what we need to do outside of practice as well. Um, but then he encouraged me to take the next weekend off and rest. And I said, no, like just let me try just a just a 1K. Let me try 1K and just kind of for fun and see what my you know middle distance side could hold. And I remember I became, we always got Indiana Westloon, so I got the flat track conversion. But after that, I was two seconds off of an individual um B standard. And I had never even thought into consideration that that would be me. Um, and I remember everyone's like blowing up my phone if they weren't there, and they're like, what is going on? This can't be real. And I'm like, I also don't know what's going on. This can't be real. Um, and the weekend after I went and I hit a standard and I got a school record, and it was like the most joyous time ever. It was so impactful to have all of my teammates, all of my family. Um, and like I said, like not just the distance team, like everybody who had kind of seen the struggle bus I was sitting on for a while was there and they were cheering me on. Everyone's crying, and it was just it was so awesome. I'll never forget that day because I think that um that that meant so much to me. And I feel that way for other people on the team too. You know, you see them work so hard, they hit a standard, and it's just it's awesome. Like it's your trip to nationals, and it's finally paying off and it's so impactful to the team around you. Um, and ever since that day, I that was that. I feel like that kind of really kick-started everything. And I am so, so grateful that my coaches didn't have the ideas of, you know, like get this girl off the team. She doesn't care, she's not trying. Um, and my performance was never directly related, you know, to my self-worth, which is awesome and good to have, uh, especially on a team. So they made me feel like I was still a part of the team, you know, still a normal human being, even if it wasn't my best year. But that definitely played a huge role, obviously, with figuring everything out. And then um ever since then, it's just been the consistency and training and staying healthy and making sure that I'm getting routine labs done and um kind of just staying ahead of the problem.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Well, I'm glad that you've brought some awareness to this issue because I think we're finally entering an era where the female athlete is a little more understood. Um, you know, when I was in high school, I graduated from high school in 1997, and at that time all genders were treated the same. And I don't think coaches really understood, you know, when a girl goes through puberty and begins to menstruate, that is a direct impact upon her athletic performance, and there's a lot of things to be considered. And, you know, I think female athletes were kind of disregarded and their concerns and their struggles weren't really valid, and it's oh, you're not working hard enough or you don't care. And that's definitely not the case. There can be a lot of physical components that need attention, and you can work really hard, and if your body is not balanced or where it needs to be, um, it doesn't really matter. So I love that this is a great message for women. Hey, if you're working hard and things don't seem right, like just go get a blood test. It's you know, quick, it's easy, and maybe there's something that needs some attention, a deficit nutritionally, or like you said, with iron. So I think that's a really good uh, you know, message for awareness.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, I'm happy I could talk about that too. I know that, like I said, like that was probably going on for me for multiple years, and it's not like anyone had a clue. I had like a pretty steady decline through my high school times, and I think I just mounted it to, well, I guess that's just how it goes.
SPEAKER_03Yep. You know, there was no no um reasoning behind it, but yeah, well, this is a great yeah. I I hope that it speaks to somebody who, you know, is trying to hang on and not quit and not give up. And if you keep working, you know, you always hear good things will happen. And sometimes it just takes a little also medical intervention if necessary. So not it's not a bad thing to need some help. Not at all. Yep. Well, as we mentioned about your cross-country times, you know, you dropped pretty significantly there. How much of your track success do you think is directly related to that aerobic engine and building that you're doing on the grass in the fall? Because there are quite a few track athletes who do not run cross-country. So I'm curious as to your perspective there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think that uh I'd say like a pretty big message that I carry with myself is that like it's it's so important to race cross-country if you hate it, if you love it, it doesn't matter. I think that that's gonna get you to your best stance. Um, especially I know that the 800-mile, like maybe they're viewed a little bit more middle distance, but um and people bring different strengths to the to the table there. So if you have, you know, your 400-based runner, they're able to kind of feel a little bit more comfortable going out fast. But then you bring in your cross-country training too, and it's that strength piece that helps you finish the race strong. Um, but I I have always felt like that is my biggest component that I kind of bring to any of my races is my strength. I think that, you know, hitting even splits is a lot easier for me than kind of going out and feeling uncomfortable and something a bit faster than I would want, um, or even closing a little bit faster than you know what I ran in the previous lap. But I think that that's huge for me. Um, I also just love cross country. I feel like controversial topic, but I love cross country more than track, probably, which I think is crazy to say. I know as a middle distance runner, especially, but I think that that is just such pure grit. And I mean, like anything you do on the course, I don't know. It's just you can have one bad thought and your whole, your whole race can go down. And sometimes I feel like I can really just push myself through a couple of laps on the track if I need to. But with cross country, I just love the feeling after. And it's like, okay, I did that. You know, I feel huge out on that. So um, but yeah, I think that for me and for a good amount of our team as well, like we don't always get, well, we never get the option. Most of the time, if you're if you're signing up um for 800 and above, uh, you are typically running cross country or strongly encouraged to do so if you're not in another sport. Um, but I think that it works really well for our team. Um, our coach is definitely attentive. Uh, Presley Martin for cross country, he's attentive to who needs to be a little bit lower mileage or higher mileage or what works best for everyone. So I definitely attribute a lot of my success to my strength piece that comes from just like building that up from you know, June to November.
SPEAKER_03Yep. And it's a long season. That is a long stretch. Yeah. So it is all summer, fall, and then a little bit of winter too. Well, after you're done with a race, whether it be track or cross country, what is something you really like to eat, like a meal that you're craving?
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, all my teammates know this, but especially I had an older teenage, she graduated, she was a senior when I was a sophomore. She always would just say that this is so gross, but I love a big, nice hot dog with loaded up ketchup mustard relish and a nice crispy, cold dye coke.
SPEAKER_02That's it. All right, simple.
SPEAKER_03Nothing's better. I think you might be the first runner I've ever, ever talked to that said a hot dog. I mean, a coke I could see, but hey, oh yeah, it's the first for everything.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, they're great. I mean, it I remember it's all the time it's after, you know, it'd be the two-day nationals or three-day nationals or conference or whatever, and I'm getting a hot dog and I'm treating myself to that. That's the best thing. Could never ask for.
SPEAKER_03Uh, do you have a preference as to grilled or not grilled?
SPEAKER_01Um, not totally, not super picky there. I think my preference is in the all beef. I like an all-beef hot dog a little bit more. Yes, agreed.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, my dad used to say if it's not all beef, it's like pig lips. And yeah, okay, yeah, that's just gross.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. I think hot dogs in general are gross. And you know, when I bring up that that's my comfort food, everyone is always like, Oh, a hot dog takes seven years off your life, or oh, have you seen how a hot dog gets made? And my answer to that is I don't care. I don't care. So it's a great thing to eat.
SPEAKER_03That's why it's called a treat. Exactly. I was gonna say, if you really want to um make yourself crazy about what goes into your body, don't don't watch that new documentary on Netflix about plastic. Oh, that's a rat is it horrible. Oh, it's bad. Yeah, I mean, oh god. We're pretty much screwed, is basically the message of this whole documentary. It was really fascinating to just hear the research. It's called plastic detox. But um, yeah, it was quite it was quite eye-opening. I did. I was, you know, a sucker. My friend mentioned it. I was like, well, I can't unknow.
SPEAKER_00I can't unknow this. Exactly, exactly. And if we're doomed, we might as well eat the things we want anyway. So yeah, I agree. Hot dogs.
SPEAKER_03Enjoy it, live your life. Well, a lot of runners have a start line playlist or a song. Is there one that is something that gets you amped up for your events?
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, so I I think it kind of just changes on the day, but one that's pretty consistent is um Colin Baton Rouge by Gard Brooks. I think it's got. I don't know if you ever heard that one. I have not, no.
SPEAKER_00Um, probably not a typical pre-race hype song for everyone, but it just kind of has a good little tune to it. It's nothing too crazy because I've I noticed before if I take maybe a little bit too much caffeine or I'm kind of like a little bit too nervous, and I listen to really, really hype songs. I almost stress myself out too much.
SPEAKER_01So I like to keep it a little bit more low-key. So that one is is definitely my go-to um on any day. I just listen to it. It gets me like the right rhythm. Like it, you know, it kind of puts me in the right tempo, but it also isn't too much to the point where I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm on the edge of my seat and I'm racing in 45 minutes. So right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, a good, happy, happy balance, good in between. Definitely. Well, do you have a specific pair of socks or like a hair ribbon or something you have to do before you race that's like a ritual that you feel incomplete if you don't have or do?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I tried, I feel like the older I've gotten, the less superstitious I've tried to get. Um, my specifics are my socks, and then I do not one specific hair ribbon, but I just have like two little pieces of ribbon that I've probably had since my freshman year. And I tie it in a little bow. Um, and then my lucky hairstyle is always a slick back of some kind, whether it's a ponytail or bun. Um, usually if it's a two-day meet, I'll go ponytail then bun. But um I I definitely think I'm still superstitious about what I put on, but not always as superstitious about what I eat or um like how I warm up. I always feel like that can be pretty fluid and fluctuate for me now. But definitely the lucky race bra, the lucky socks, and the lucky hairstyle. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Well, I think you kind of answered this question, but I'll just throw it out there again. If you had to choose a final race to close out your career and you were given the option of, you know, running on a track or running on a muddy hilly cross country course, which one are you going with?
SPEAKER_01I am going with muddy and hilly. I am taking the cross-country course. Um, I think that like the first race that even comes to mind when you say that. Not that it was quite as hilly, but it's my cross-country national championships, my junior year at Missouri. Um, that was a just miserable day. It was freezing cold. I think it was snowing at one point. Um, and unfortunately at that time I was pretty superstitious still. So I all my teammates are like, oh, should I wear gloves? Should I wear, you know, under sleeves, should I wear arm sleeves, should I wear whatever? And I was like, I haven't trained or raced in anything else other than my jersey and my buns. And so I'm not changing anything. And I couldn't tell I was freezing during the race, but you know, right before the warm-up, I was teeth chattering and legs shaking. So it was a pretty miserable day, but I wouldn't have changed it for anything, and I would definitely close out my career on something like that again.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Good to know. Well, what is something that you love about Indiana?
SPEAKER_01Um, I think my favorite thing about Indiana is this is so um corny, maybe, but the the sunsets, I think that they're the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I think they're always, I mean, you can count on an Indiana sunset. The sun is out, it'll come down real nice. So I like that a lot. And honestly, I love the cornfields. Very, very classic Indiana staple whenever I'm driving to and from Fort Wayne. Um, it just feels like very homey here.
SPEAKER_03Well, I um I'm gonna guess that you drive past Warren on 69. Is that correct? That sounds about right, and there's a really big white chicken that's sitting in a restaurant's parking lot. This you can kind of see it from the highway. And um, so my dad was born in Warren, my grandfather was born in Warren. My grandmother just passed away last year at 94, so I spent my entire childhood, teen years, even into adulthood, loving Indiana. Like that was the special place, grandma's house, you know. So I have a special place in my heart for Indiana too. So I had to ask.
SPEAKER_00It's real homey here. I don't think there's much you can say that you don't like about it. You get all four seasons.
SPEAKER_03I think it's very representative of like traditional America and the Midwest, and yeah, and Hoosiers always love that movie too. So oh yeah. Well, what's next for you? What happens after you graduate? What are your tentative future plans? Where are you hoping to head after you're done with uh college?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, so focusing on outdoor right now, the same old, same old 1500, 800, 4x8, um, all that stuff. And then uh after I graduate, I'm planning to stay in Indy. Um, I'm nursing, I'm a nursing major, so I've done like multitude of clinicals here, and I love the hospital system that they have going on, especially um community health network. So I've had a couple interviews with their ERs here and there. Um, and I'll be working as a nurse there, which I'm really, really excited for. Um, and then running-wise, I don't quite know yet. Um, I don't think I'm a marathoner. I could head that direction, maybe, but um I I don't think I'm done competing anytime soon. That's like such an awesome part that I, and even if it's, you know, road races and a turkey trot, right? Um, I think that's such a big part for me. And I I love the competition aspect of this sport and just like the feel-good of after and you know, the changes that you can make. It's it's such a great learning opportunity to stay on um the track of competition. And so I think I'll probably keep running to some degree and I think just be flexible with my schedule and myself and my, you know, as I get older, just kind of how running looks and how it'll change. But I'm excited to, you know, get to that part of me of how is competition differing from when I was in college?
SPEAKER_00And will I enjoy running more without the added stress?
SPEAKER_01So I'm excited for that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's the great thing about running. You can keep doing it as long as you want to in many different ways. So yeah. Yeah. Well, as a former collegiate athlete, I will say the transition out of competitive sport to your private life and running for yourself, it there is an adjustment period. So give yourself grace there because something you've done for so long and is so close to your heart, it there is a bit of a little mourning and and grief when you leave that behind. But um, that doesn't mean that great things aren't ahead. So absolutely. Yep. Well, thank you so much for joining me today. It's been awesome to get to know you, and you're not done yet. Big things are still on the horizon for you for outdoors, so we'll wait and see what happens next.
SPEAKER_01Definitely. Thank you so much for having me. I had a great time.
SPEAKER_03Thanks so much for tuning in to the Red Banner Race Report. I can't wait to feature more cross-country and track and field athletes from the NAIA. So stay tuned because it just might be you. If you enjoyed today's podcast, please share, subscribe, and leave a review. You can find the Red Banner Race Report podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and other major media players. You can also ask your smart speaker to play the podcast. If you have an idea for a great topic or guest you'd like to hear about, feel free to contact me through the show notes or reach out on Instagram.