Cedarville University Yellow Jackets

November 26, 2018

On Saturday, November 17th the women’s cross country season came to an end. We raced at the NCAA II Midwest Regional meet in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was a cold and snowy day, but the girls showed up ready to race. Unfortunately, the race didn’t go as well as we had hoped.

The girls finished in 8th place overall, which wasn’t high enough to move on to the national meet. This was a disappointment for us as we had hoped to advance, but unfortunately things just didn’t come together.

Kayla Casaletto finished in the Top 25 individuals which earned her All-Regional honors. As a senior, this was Kayla’s last cross country meet as a Yellow Jacket. It has been great to be Kayla’s teammate for the past three years.

As this season winds down most of the team will take a transitional break before we begin training for the upcoming indoor track season. I am very proud of this team and the hard work everyone has put in this season. It has been an honor to be a part of it.


November 14, 2018

This coming weekend the CUWXC team will be competing at the NCAA II Midwest Regional Championships. While we are looking to advance and progress as a team, we have reached the championship part of our season, and any race from here out has the potential to be the last. With this in mind I have invited each of our senior runners to prepare a message for this week’s blog. These girls have been vital to our success we have had this season, and they are each a dear friend of mine.


Sarah Hoffman

My time on this team hasn't been the typical four-year student athlete run-and-done experience, and it definitely wasn't what I ever would have imagined my college years would look like. As a high school runner never wanting to run in college, let alone do distance running, to now being at Cedarville for a fifth year to run cross country, a lot has changed and I've come a long way as both an athlete and a follower of Christ.

This season alone, I've learned how to be a better leader and to relax and not stress about the race. I've learned to be thankful for and enjoy little things. And I've learned to push through tough beginnings, to celebrate both the small improvements and the big wins, and to be hopeful for the future.

I am so thankful for Coach Bo recognizing my untapped potential and for believing in me from the start as that is what spurred me to continue working hard to reach goals I didn't know were possible. My teammates who push me to do the hard things, who believe in me, who bring out the best in me, and who make me laugh more every day are some of the biggest blessings of my life.

This journey has been so different than I expected. And I'm thankful for that. It's been much longer, more challenging, and more rewarding, and it's showed me over and over again that my plans pale in comparison to God's plan. While this is "just running," just a sport, and just a few years out of my life, the friends, memories, and life lessons I've learned from this team will without a doubt be the most important things I have when I leave Cedarville.


Abigail Snyder

As my time running at Cedarville approaches an end, emotion and memories flood my mind. Nine years ago my journey with the sport of running began, somewhat begrudgingly. However, nine (very short!) years later I can truthfully say that running has taught me some of the most important lessons I have learned so far and God has used the sport I quickly fell in love with to make me who I am today. Running has not always been easy, but it has certainly always been worth it. Through struggles with injury, God has taught me how to be thankful for all that He has given to me. He constantly reminds me that He gives, and He can take away. Every good and perfect gift is from above, and though I don't deserve any of it I am thankful for His abundant blessings. Through great seasons and PR’s, He has taught me that all I do is through Him who strengthens me; none of it is on my own. He has shown me glimpses of His love through my teammates, who have challenged me and encouraged me countless times in my years at Cedarville. Most importantly, He has taught me patience and perseverance. Though hard times will come, He will always walk (or run) with me through them. He will never leave me nor forsake me. As I keep my eyes on Him, I will continue to push and persevere with the knowledge that His plan is far greater than mine. I will trust His perfect timing rather than my imperfect desires. Whether that be in running or normal life, I am ever thankful that He is in control and I am not.


Grace Flint

Where has the time gone? Four years flew by it and somehow we are already to post season XC. I have enjoyed every moment of being with my best friends - my teammates. We have made so many unforgettable memories and have shared so much laughter. It has been the greatest privilege and joy to cheer you ladies on and watch your dedication on and off the course. You all have enriched my life in more ways than I could ever express in words and it is with great sadness that my four years here are over. However, I know we will stay connected in the future, as sisters in Christ and in running. You all have taught me what it means to sacrifice, to be driven, to pursue excellence, and to love Jesus and others well. Though my running career has been injury-laden and not necessarily what I have wanted, I have learned numerous lessons through each injury and I know that God uses all things for His glory. Never ever give up.

I am forever grateful to Coach Bo for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to be on this amazing team and I want to thank you all for constantly encouraging me and loving me, regardless if I was running with you or on the sidelines. I can’t wait to watch you at regionals and cheer my heart out as you punch that ticket to Nationals!

To all the underclassmen - cherish every moment you have with each other and as a part of this team. Before you know it, you will be a senior too, and you want to be able to look back with no regrets knowing you gave your all. Take delight in the small things and keep Christ as your #1 love.


Gabby Wheeler

As I come to the end of my final cross country season here at Cedarville, I can’t help but dwell on all of the lessons that have come from my time here. Some of these have been learning the power of a group and to push for your goals. No one (not even someone who has been training and running for years), sees the wind whipping snow across the roads, or sees the temperature reaching 100 degrees on a thermometer and thinks that it is prime running conditions. No one gets up before the sun, drinks an inordinate amount of water, or takes an ice bath because they particularly enjoy any of those activities. But the choice as a team and an individual to glorify God through the gifts He has given us (in this case running) makes you choose to go out in crazy conditions and do things you wouldn’t normally desire to do. And I think this is why God created us for other people. In any part of life success is not easy. But we don’t have to do any of this on our own. So on those days that running seems impossible - you run anyway because you won’t be alone. I know that when I get to practice the best part of the day is coming. The chance to work and fellowship with people who are working towards the same goals.

If I can give any advice it is this: have goals and work towards them but never do it alone. Come alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ and work together to bring glory to God whether it be through running, or work, or school or any part of life - do all to the glory of God.


November 6, 2018

It has certainly been an exciting week for the CUWXC team! Last Saturday we had the opportunity to compete at the G-MAC meet and let me tell you what, that was an exciting meet.

We left Cedarville Friday morning and took off to Canton, Ohio. We arrived at the course and had the opportunity to run the course and check things out. It was a good thing we did, because the course was crazy muddy. The course was very wet from rain the few days prior to the meet, and I knew on Friday looking at the course that Saturday was going to be interesting. After checking out the course we went to clean up, wash all the mud off, and headed out to dinner before coming back to the hotel for a quick Bible study before bed.

Saturday morning came and it was race day. I knew it was going to be a good day for the girls because everyone looked focused, determined, and ready to race. I was excited to see everyone take the line and start the race. Kayla Casaletto went out fast and headed straight to the front of the pack. The mud was flying but the girls handled it so well. As they started to come through the finish I knew it was going to be a close meet.

Kayla ended up finishing 5th overall, followed closely by Rachel Sweeney who finished 7th. They were followed by Sarah Hoffman, Alayna Ackley, Bethany Sholl, Remington Hobson, and Abigail Snyder. As a team we finished in a close third place. Walsh took the team championship, and Hillsdale was second, beating us by only two points. Overall as a team we were proud of how we raced.

Coming off an exciting conference meet, we are looking forward to the Regional meet in two weeks, and an opportunity to qualify for the National meet!


October 31, 2018

It’s almost G-MAC time! As we are entering into the championship part of the season, the girls are starting to get super excited about the upcoming conference championship. The team will toe the line this Saturday, November 3, at 10:30 a.m. in North Canton, Ohio. We are looking forward to race against some very competitive teams.

Even though this past week was a week off from racing, we still had a great time in our preparation for G-MAC. On Wednesday we hit the trails to do one of our workouts. It was fun to have a change of scenery and run somewhere new. We also had our annual cross country Halloween party last weekend. Every year the men’s and women’s teams get together for a costume party. There were many impressive costumes, along with lots of dancing and time spent with friends. It was a great night of fun with our teammates as we continue to approach the upcoming G-MAC championships!



October 23, 2018

This past week was very uneventful for the Cedarville Women’s Cross Country team. Coming off of a long trip to Gettysburg last weekend this week was fairly relaxed leading into our Fall Break to finish out the week.

Many of the girls were able to head home for a few days or spend time here on campus relaxing and catching up on school work.

Some girls were even able to go and watch our very own Coach Katie race in the Columbus Marathon! Even while it was a more relaxed week the girls were still putting in good work on the course and in the weight room. This week we also had one of our team’s favorite things - a 6:00 a.m. workout.

Along with everything else, our very own Alayna Ackley was awarded the G-MAC Athlete of the Week. We are all very proud of her and how her season has gone so far.

Now, being back from break we will be looking ahead toward the G-MAC Championships!



October 17, 2018

What a week it has been for the CUWXC team! This past weekend the team took on Pennsylvania as we raced at the Gettysburg Invitational. Not only did we race there, but we were able to come away with the team victory!

Our race weekend began on Thursday afternoon as we loaded the bus to take off for Gettysburg. It was about an eight-hour drive from Cedarville, so we were all getting pretty antsy by the time we arrived. On Friday morning we were able to spend some time exploring Gettysburg and checking out some of the historical monuments and battlefields. Gettysburg is such a cool city with a ton of historical significance, so it was really awesome to spend some time there throughout the weekend.

Saturday morning was race day! It was cooler out than any race we have had so far this season, but the clear, 50-degree day was beautiful for racing. It had rained some the night before, so the course was pretty muddy. Several of the girls on the team who are from Pennsylvania or somewhere out East had family come to the meet and it was great to get to visit with them before or after the race. Especially Mr. Snyder, who has been a faithful follower of the CUWXC blog this season. Thanks Mr. Snyder!

As the gun went off to start the race the girls were all business, moving up to the front of the pack right away. Kayla Casaletto was the leader once again for the Yellow Jackets with her impressive second-place finish. She was followed closely by freshman Alayna Ackley. They were followed by Bethany Sholl, Sarah Hoffman, Remington Hobson, Rachel Sweeney, and Elizabeth Bassette rounding out our Top Seven. As a team we were able to come away with the team victory, scoring a total of 41 points.

After the meet we cleaned up in the locker room and began the long trip home to Cedarville. We are looking forward to a few weeks of rest and training as we prepare for the G-MAC Championship meet coming up in a few weekends.
 

October 11, 2018

Hey everybody!

This past week has been another exciting week of practices for our team. While it was another week of hard work, it was also Homecoming Week at Cedarville. This is always a fun week for our team as we have dress up days, alumni speakers, and special events planned by Coach Bolender. This week our dress up days included weird clothes day, bandana day, and team gear day. It is always funny to see what outfits some of the girls will come up with for the dress up days.

As well as having a lot of fun with Homecoming Week, we also had an amazing opportunity to hear from past members of the cross country program at Cedarville. Our very own assistant coach, Katie Ruhlman, spoke to us about her experiences running for the Lady Jackets and about how to appreciate and enjoy the successes we have, as well as dealing with disappointment. Coach Elvin King, the former coach of the women’s cross country team, came in this week and spoke with us about many of the successful athletes he had coached in the past, and highlighted characteristics they displayed that made them successful. It was such a blessing for me to have these two come and share their wisdom with us.

This weekend CUWXC will take on Pennsylvania as we compete at the Gettysburg Invitational on Saturday!


October 4, 2018

It has been a great week for women’s cross country at Cedarville!

Last Saturday we had the opportunity to compete in Akron at the All-Ohio Championships. This race is definitely a favorite for a lot of the girls on the team. It’s a big meet with lots of great competition. The girls were able to really step it up against some tough competition, finishing in 6th place overall and 2nd in the NCAA Division II category. This meet is also the furthest we have traveled so far this season which is always fun. We pass time on the bus playing games, giving each other race day hair braids, doing homework and just enjoying time together before and after we race.

This meet was especially exciting for me because I felt like this was a breakthrough race for our team. We saw big time improvements from quite a few girls from the last meet just two weeks ago. Everyone looked focused and strong from the beginning of the race straight through the finish. I think most of the girls are starting to see their hard work in practice transfer over into their racing. I felt like for the first time this season I could see the girls truly engaging and racing competitively against their competition, rather than just passively racing without any real engagement with the competition. It was a beautiful day, and the girls really took advantage of the awesome weather and course conditions to race hard and make some major improvements.

Kayla Casaletto led the team again this week for the third meet in a row, running a strong race and achieving a season-best time. Freshmen Alayna Ackley, Bethany Sholl, and Remington Hobson all placed in our team’s Top Seven runners and improved on their previous season-best times. Rachel Sweeney and Sarah Hoffman were vital in our team’s success this weekend as these two upperclassmen ladies ran really great races, their hard work and determination is so vital for our team. It was great to see the improvement we have had already this season and I am excited to see what is to come!


September 25, 2018

Hello faithful fans of the Cedarville women’s cross country team!

This past week has been another week of preparation and rest as we had a weekend off from racing. It was a good week of focused training for our team. As we get into the middle of our season we are picking up the pace in workouts and upping our lifting, so the weekend off allowed the girls to get some much needed rest.

One of the workouts this week was focused around running as a team and grouping up to help push each other through the workout. I think that was such a great thing for us to practice. While cross country really appears like more of an individual sport, it is actually very team oriented. In order for us to run our best, it is so important for us to really be intentional about working together in workouts and races. We can run faster while we are pushing each other than we ever can alone. It was great to see the girls pushing one another to do their best and watching how that team mentality helps everyone improve.

While we got a lot of work done this week, we also had a lot of fun. We were able to celebrate with one of our seniors, Kayla Casaletto, as she was awarded the NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week for her race at the Friendship Invitational. We are so proud of her!

We were also able to celebrate with one of our teammates on the men’s cross country team, Ryan Vojtisek, as he got married to his new wife Jenna this weekend.

We are looking forward to our meet this weekend, the All-Ohio Championships taking place in Norton, Ohio on Saturday, September 29th at 2 p.m.


September 18, 2018

Hey everyone!

This past week has been super exciting for our team. On Saturday we hosted our only home meet of the season, the Friendship Invitational. For our new runners this was their first time racing on their home course, and for our seniors it was their last race on a course that they’ve grown to know so well. For our race there were well over a hundred women racing. We had beautiful weather, it was a little warm, but the women handled the heat well.

As a team we saw a ton of improvement from our first meet to this weekend. Many of the girls have improved on their time and overall our team looked a lot stronger. It is cool to start to see the training we have been doing translating into races. As a team we finished third, with our goal being to place in the top four teams. We also had two runners, Kayla Casaletto and Alayna Ackley, finish in the top ten runners. We also saw big time improvements from Elizabeth Bassette and Abbey Salomon from the first meet to the second, which is always so exciting to see that type of progress.

Saturday was overall a great day as we raced in the morning, and then spend the afternoon helping with the high school and middle school races, which is always lots of fun. While we are excited about how this weekend went, we are looking ahead to the All-Ohio race we have coming up, and we are excited to see even more improvement.


September 12, 2018

Hi everyone!

This week the girls have been enjoying a weekend off of racing. We have had a little extra time this weekend to get caught up on homework, get some rest, and to start looking ahead to our home meet, The Friendship Invitational, coming up this weekend. It is always fun to have the opportunity to race on our home course, so we are really looking forward to it.

It is getting to be that time in the season when we start to pick things up a little bit with our training. We are entering into the heaviest training stage of the season, so we are bumping up the intensity in our workouts and lifting. While this is a challenge, so many of the girls are handling it well and I can tell that our team is getting stronger with every practice.

Along with a good week of training, this week our team was also able to start our first Bible study with our team chaplain, Kathy Freese. Kathy has been with our team for four years now. She is a wonderful role model and teacher for us. This year, we are doing a study on the attributes of God that we as humans do not share with Him. Our team Bible studies are one of my favorite things we do together as a team throughout the year, and I am really looking forward to this study.

We are so excited to compete this weekend and we hope to see you there!


September 6, 2018

Hi everyone! Happy Thursday!

This past week has been very exciting for the CUWXC team. We had our first meet last Saturday at the Queen City Invitational at Northern Kentucky University, and had a great week of practice leading up to our kickoff race.

For a team as large as ours it isn’t unusual for there to be mixed emotions at the conclusion of the race, we had several girls who were super happy with their race, a few who were content with how the meet went, and a few who wished things had gone a little better. Overall as a team we were excited about how the first meet of the season went. It was great to see new runners on the team running well, as well as having several other girls coming back after injuries. It was a tough and hilly course, but the girls handled it well. It was good to see the training we had done in practice pay off in competition.

This past weekend the team was led by one of our senior runners Kayla Casaletto. Kayla is a strong runner with a lot of racing experience so it was great to have her leading the team out toward the front of the race. We also had three freshmen runners finishing in our varsity at this meet. Alayna Ackley, Bethany Sholl, and Remington Hobson all finished in our team’s Top 7 runners.

This week we will be continuing our training and looking ahead to our home meet - the Friendship Invitational - coming up next weekend on Saturday, Sept. 15!


August 28, 2018

Hello everyone! My name is Olivia Kundo and I am starting my junior year at Cedarville University. This is my third season on the women’s cross country team and I am so excited to see what the season brings. The past two weeks have been crazy with moving in, team camp, meeting new teammates, and starting classes. This year our team is welcoming back 21 returning runners, nine freshmen, and one sophomore transfer. It has been such a joy in these past two weeks to be reunited with old friends, as well as to welcome in our new teammates and get to know them a little bit better.

Our first week back on campus is what we call our camp week. It is the week before classes and chapels begin, so it is a time for us to get settled in, begin our official team practices, and have some fun before the semester really begins. This year we did a lot of fun team outings including a water park, bowling, team games, team breakfast, worship nights, a tie dye night, an ice cream trip, and a campfire. Along with having lots of fun and getting to know each other better we also began official practices. While many of the girls have been training consistently throughout the summer, it was nice to be back running together as a group. It has been encouraging for me seeing so many of my teammates running well in these first weeks of the season.

We are looking forward to the season ahead and one way we are doing this is by setting team and individual goals for the season. We want to be growing in our walks with Christ, as well as growing as athletes. As a group we want to grow in unity with one another and love each other like Christ loves us. Our team verses this year are Philippians 2:1-18 and a goal that we have as a team is to have each woman memorize these team verses together.

This week we will be looking forward to kicking off our season at the Queen City Invitational this Saturday in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and the beginning of a great season!


Olivia Kundo is a junior from Liberty Center, Ohio. She is in her third year with the Lady Jackets and is a middle childhood education major.