With the men's cross-country team ranked 3rd and the women's ranked 6th at the beginning of the season, the athletes set large goals for themselves, such as winning regionals and placing in the top I 0 in the National Championship. The Bisons achieved their goal of performing successfully in the Great American Conference (GAC) on Oct. 22, 2011, with the women's team winning the championship and the men's team placing second. Coach Steve Guymon said the athletes performed above and beyond his expectations. "I was very pleased with their performance," Coach Steve Guymon said. "You could (see] in their eyes their determination with the way they ran in the last half of their race." According to sophomore Matt Sherk, the freshmen and new members on the team greatly contributed to the teams' success throughout the year. "(Freshman] Lajos Farkas has been finishing up front with some of the older members of the team," Sherk said. "Other new runners look to keep the team running strong over the next few years, replacing the older guys." In preparation for the GAC, the entire team trained for months. "We start the day with a lightjog," Sherk said. ':At afternoon practice on distance days, we usually go 10 to 12 miles with some sprints on the track afterward. Then the team will lift weights and do other exercises before leaving. All this work makes each member of the team stronger for the races ahead." The team believed there was nothing f +b Men's & Women's Cross Country Jo more rewarding than seeing their hard work pay off during a race such as the GAC Championship. "The amount of time and dedication this sport requires [makes] our successes that much more meaningful," senior Ryan Johnson said. Although the team placed seventh out of 19 teams at the regional meet and did not advance to nationals this year, their victory at the GAC was not forgotten; it only fueled them for the following season. "We all share the same passion for running," Sherk said. "One might say the easiest way to get better at something is to work with other people who want to improve as well, so working with 15 or so guys who all enjoy running makes it all the better." Russ Gray/Sarah Eason
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