Women’s cross country preseason Q&A: Avery DeWolf, Bekah Owen

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Sept. 16, 2020) – Veteran Buffs Avery DeWolf and Bekah Owen took a break from preseason training to share some insight on the Milligan University women's cross country team's upcoming season. Cross country season is set to start Friday, Sept. 18, and the Buffs have an 18th straight trip to the NAIA Women's Cross Country National Championships in mind.

DeWolf and Owen have been a key part of the last two trips, including last year when they led the team with a 32nd- and 34th-place finish, respectively. This followed each taking a spot in the top 10 at last year's Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship.

Below, DeWolf and Owen discuss specifics of the shape the team is taking, as well as some team and individual goals.

Q: How has preseason been going?

DeWolf: Great! We took the summer to get a really good base for the season. Putting a lot of mileage has given us a lot of new strength coming into the season and we are all feeling really fit and ready to go.

Owen: Preseason has been going well! Right now, it's just all about getting sharp after a summer of base training. It's been super nice to be back with the team training together! 

Q: What are some of your team's goals this season?

DeWolf: Our end goal is nationals. On the way, we would like to win the AAC conference championships happening this fall. This will take hard work and commitment, but we've got a deep field of girls ready for the job.

Owen: Our team goals for this season are ultimately to make it to nationals, but since that has been postponed, we are focusing on training and racing well together right now! 

Q: What are some of your individual goals this season?

DeWolf: I would like to place top ten at conference, as well as get All-American at nationals. I am confident the base training we did over the summer and the training Coach Layne has in place for us will get me ready to run a new personal best.

Owen: Individually, I really want to work on doing the small things. This looks like regularly hydrating, stretching, and improving my running mentality. Hopefully, this will lead to some personal PR's. Ultimately, I really want to work on finding a balance in my academic, athletic, spiritual, and social lives this semester. 

Q: How does this year's team compare to last year's team? In what ways are you better?

DeWolf: We have several promising freshman that really adhere to our team values and are willing to put in the work. The returning girls have all improved and are ready to take a step forward. I think we have a lot more experience this year, with all of our top five being returnees. I am excited that I have teammates to challenge me and keep me moving forward. I think I have grown a lot on the mental side of running, and I am ready to take a step forward this fall. After having the track season canceled, I did a lot of running on my own, which helped me learn how to be uncomfortable without anyone else making me run.

Owen: This year's team is really young in comparison to last year's team. We lost three seniors and gained six freshman, which gives us a lot of potential for the years ahead. Right now it's all about development and becoming a team. Thankfully, this is the perfect season for that! We have a lot of room to initiate good habits because the team is so young.

Q: How is the team adjusting to all the changes and uncertainty that are going on right now?

DeWolf: It is definitely a different year, but we have found ways to adjust. Running in different groups has allowed us to grow closer and tighten up our teamwork in smaller numbers. We can still train just as effectively even if it looks different. Taking extra precautions, like wearing a mask and staying separate, are other ways we have taken responsibility for our health. I've been reminding the girls that we are doing something no one has done before, so it's okay to take it one day at a time and stay flexible. A lot could change in a short amount of time, all we can do is focus on putting the work in while we wait.

Owen: The team is adjusting as well as we can to the changes we are facing. The new runners don't know any different, but it's been a bit hard for the returnees who have past seasons to compare this one to. We definitely miss running together in one big group and we have learned that spending time together outside of practices has become harder. The uncertainty of our season is also difficult when it comes to races. We aren't quite sure what the season will look like, but right now, it's all about staying positive and preparing ourselves for whatever lies ahead.