Cedarville University Yellow Jackets

November 29, 2021
Hey everybody! I am sad to say that this is my last blog post of the season. I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have putting them together. Today, I wanted to have a season recap, and just look back a little. This was an incredible season, filled with so many neat experiences and memories. Even if the Lord did not give us the season we had, He would still be good. However, it all the more brings us back to praise when seeing all of the blessings He allowed us to have.  

The first race of the season was at Wright State on September 3rd. We enjoyed this race, for it was nearby and it was a flat course. It was a great showcase of all of our summer training. We placed third overall, and had a solid kick off to the season.
 
The next time we toed the line was on our home course, for the All-Ohio Championship! This one was super hot, and the times were not as fast, however we still came out on top! We took home the win for Division II, and it was our first win of the season. Here, was about the time that we started to realize our potential. We realized how deep the talent was on our team, and we were beginning to gain confidence.

The following week was  the Louisville Classic, at E. P. Tom Sawyer State Park! It was our first overnight meet of the season, and it is nice to stay in a hotel the night before. Here, at this race, it was the debut for a few of our girls who had not raced yet. We ended up 17th overall, out of 44 teams. It was a great day!

Then a week later was the Queens Challenge in North Carolina. We had a long road trip to get there, but once we arrived we were not disappointed. We still had great fast races, even if the weather that day was rainy and muddy. We ended up coming home with the win, and many speedy individual times as well. Despite the conditions, every girl had a personal best, and surprised themselves. We traveled back to campus with our head held high, and a job well done.

Then, on October 23, our post season kicked off with the G-MAC Championship on our home course. So many Cedarville family members came out to support us, and it was a special day.  We had a goal to win, and that is exactly what we did. We ran well, and rose up to the challenge, and accomplished a feat that had not been done since 2016. It was a sweet, and nostalgic day.  All the girls were pleased with their effort, and excited for what was in store.

A few weeks went by, and NCAA II Midwest Regionals (Evansville, IN) came upon us. We were optimistic about this race, coming off of lots of success previously in the season. Our goal was to be top three, in order to have an automatic spot to Nationals. The race went off, and many girls had personal 6K bests, and we left accomplishing our goal. The team was stoked, for the Lord allowed us to move on to the National Championship! Everyone felt so excited, and looking forward to a trip to Florida!

Two weeks later, the season concluded with a race at the DII National Championship. It was a nice, well kept course, in Saint Leo Florida. The team raced to a 11th in the nation finish, and was overall happy with the result. A great finish to the season.

This season has been such a fun ride! The Lord showed us His providence in a whole new light, and allowed us to have an incredible season. We continued to get faster and faster, and accomplish the goals we set for ourselves. Already, we look back on this season in such a sweet way, with fond memories. Cedarville family, thank you for following along every step of the way. The CUWXC team appreciates all of you.

Until next XC season, catch you all on the track!

RUN FOR HIM.


November 24, 2021
Hello everyone! Welcome back to the blog! This past week was a big one for CUWXC, as the team raced at the NCAA DII National Championships, in St. Leo, Florida on Saturday, Nov. 20! They stayed there for four days, and had lots of fun surrounding race day. This blog post is extra special, for I added a little twist. I did not go on the trip, and I still wanted to give you all as many details and insight as possible, so I decided to interview some of the girls who did race!  This blog is not really written from my perspective this time, and you will hear from Alayna Ackley, Rachel Sweeney-Bredeson, Savannah Ackley, and Bethany Sholl! I asked each of  them questions, and I’ll let them tell you all about their trip! Their trip was filled with laughs, and memories. Some of their answers are quite entertaining and funny, and I’ll let them take it away! Enjoy!
 

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Alayna Ackley:
What was the most memorable part of the trip?
“Hanging out swimming, playing volleyball, and playing spike ball at Clearwater Beach after the race. It was a special memory to me because not only were both women's and men's XC teams there, (first time in school history both made it to nationals in the same year) but also 20'ish teammates and parents and grandparents! Coach Bo and my dad beat Emily Walsh and I in spikeball twice--ouch!”

Tell me about race day for you and the team. The race itself, before and after!
“The nerves really hit me during the warm-up when I saw my teammates making up a pretty formidable cheer squad and then CU Interim AD Chris Cross was also there. "Everyone is here to watch, cheering and supporting!" I thought, knowing that they wanted to see me race my best and that is what I needed to ask myself to do. During the race I kept mentally sharp and aggressive towards gaining positions. After a weak second mile I never slowed down past the top of the last hill and caught lots of competitors in that last 2K. Sweeney had an awesome last race of her career, PR’ing off her regional time for an all-time PR!”

Anything else you’d want the blog to know?
“Savannah is just as savage when racing as she is when jet skiing--she threw Coach Bo off of a jet ski twice!”

Rachel Sweeney-Bredeson:
What was the most memorable part of the trip?
“Watching Savannah throw coach off the back of a jet ski”

Tell me about race day. The race itself, before and after!
“I felt really good going into the race. I was peaking at the right time and I wanted to have no regrets for my last XC race. This was the first race where I went out that quick and it ended up working out. I was able to hold on to finish with a PR on a very tough course.”

Savannah Ackley:
What was the most memorable part of the trip?
“There were so many memorable parts, but probably the race and the hill that we had to run twice was especially unforgettable. I loved the team unity we had throughout the trip, exploring the Disney Mall, the ocean, and jet skiing. (throwing coach Bo off my jet ski was very memorable)”

Tell me about race day. The race itself, before and after!  
“The race was kind of brutal because of the start going up a hill and having uneven ground throughout the course. Before the race I could tell everyone was kind of nervous, but that's always normal. After the race was finished everyone was pretty happy with how our team did. Our goal was to place 10th in the Nation but we ended up placing 11th, so it was a bittersweet feeling. We were originally ranked 13th though so we can't complain.”

Bethany Sholl:
What was the most memorable part of the trip?
“There are so many amazing memories from this trip, so it’s hard to pick one. But I’d say jet skiing with the team and getting close to dolphins was a highlight for me. Reflecting on this trip, I am so thankful to Coach Bo and Coach Katie for making this such a fun trip while also preparing us well for race day!”
 
Tell me about race day. The race itself, before and after!  
“It was a really challenging course with hills, uneven surfaces, and narrow turns. Going into it, we knew we had to get out hard to avoid getting boxed in. Since we typically tend to go out slower and move our way up, this was a different strategy than normal. The race started on a big hill, so it was essentially a sprint to the top. Throughout the course of the race, the team moved from 14th to 11th and placed two places above our original seed of 13th. After the race, we celebrated by going out to eat, and then we spent the rest of the day at Clearwater Beach with the guys’ team and the teammates who came to watch.”

Anything else you’d want the blog to know?
“I felt so blessed by the support from teammates, parents, and Chris Cross (the interim athletic director) who made the trek to Florida to cheer us on. There were 15 teammates in total who drove or flew to come watch. I am so thankful to be a part of such a supportive and caring team!”
 

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For results Cedarville placed 11th overall! Rachel Sweeney- Bredeson led the pack coming in 56th overall (time of 21:42), and Alayna Ackley shortly after in 65th (21:47).  Savannah Ackely came in 111th (22:21), Bethany Sholl 125th (22:29), and Naomi Herman in 142nd (22:40).  Rounding out the top 7 was Remington Hobson in 186th (23:17), and Hannah Rhem in 198th (23:30).
 
The team had an amazing time, and it was neat to hear everything from their perspective!  Everyone is on Thanksgiving break, resting, and grateful for the season the Lord blessed us all with. He allowed us to do things, we did not think we could accomplish.  He is truly good, and all the glory goes back to Him. As for the future, we are looking forward to speedy track times coming up this winter and spring!  To everyone in our Cedarville family who supported us along this journey: we thank you, and all of your support means the world to us. See you all next time.


November 15, 2021
Hello everyone! It has been a great week for the XC team. Everyone is gearing up for nationals, and I would love to update you on some events in the lives of the cross country Lady Jackets!  We had loads of fun (as we always do!).

As far as workouts recently, we have been trying our best to peak at the right time. This week particularly, we have backed off some of the difficulty to an extent, to stay fresh and fit.  Everyone feels ready and confident going into our last big push of the season, and we’re excited to see what we got!  All the girls are getting the extra rest, the extra treatments, and extra recovery to Lord willing to have a great final race.

Although we have been training well, that does not mean we have not been making memories along the way! First, on Friday night, we had a secret church, based off of the book Radical by David Platt. We dedicated a night to prayer for brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe, and it was a time of personal reflection. It was definitely a spiritually refreshing evening. We also had our annual CUXC Christmas party!  Yes, I would agree it may be a little early to celebrate Christmas, however it was the weekend that it fit best towards the end of the semester with Nationals, Thanksgiving and finals coming up (so we made an exception to the “not before Thanksgiving” rule).  This night is chocked full of traditions, an annual sock gift exchange, food, fun, and laughter. I look forward to it every year, and it is always a night that everyone feels extra thankful for one another.
 
Up ahead, the team is stoked for a trip to Saint Leo, Florida! Especially with how cold it is getting here, everyone is all the more excited. Although the main purpose is to race, the girls have lots of fun included, and will stay for a few days down there!  Lord willing it will be a race to remember, and a great little getaway!

The race is on Saturday, November 20th at 8:30 a.m. (EST). You can watch it here!

RUN FOR HIM!

I cannot wait to update you next week on how the race goes! It’s looking to be a good one.

Have a blessed week!


November 8, 2021
Hello everyone! I am so excited to share with you all the exciting news and updates! There is a lot to catch you all up on, so feel free to grab some popcorn or a snack as this is my longest blog post yet :) ! The Lady Jackets are advancing to nationals! This group is the first to accomplish this feat since 2016, and the second team to make it in program history. It is crazy to think how far we’ve all come, and we are incredibly blessed with the success God has allowed us to have.  Truly, as the season has progressed, we have seen His goodness more and more.  Allow me to give some “behind the scenes” of the regional championship.

The weeks leading up to regionals were quite a journey.  Not only were we coming off a “high” from the G-MAC Championships two weeks before (and won in case you missed it!), we also had some bumps in the road with a few illnesses and setbacks on the team. Nothing was super major, but it kept us humble enough and made us train smart. Sometimes that just happens with a team, you have random weeks of just “blah.” We always bounce back though! Don’t you worry! As regionals began to approach, everything began to fall into place. That random little bit of pain, cough, or whatever it was the Lord took care of, and the team was confident and ready.  Coach Bolender said all along, “let’s just see how good we are.”  There was more to come, we just knew it.

Then, soon it came time to head to Evansville! The day before the race, we all piled onto the bus, and were ready to hit the road.  It was about a four hour drive.  It was occupied by good conversations, Subway for lunch, music, and resting up. We drove straight to the Angel Mounds State Park course, to preview it and go for a pre-meet jog.  Coach mentioned how regionals have been held  here many times, because it is a fast course that everyone seems to enjoy. The team was excited to take on a fun course! After we ran it, we headed to our hotel to wash up before going out for dinner. After we returned from a lovely meal at Olive Garden, we held a sweet, nostalgic meeting at the hotel. We discussed race strategies, some teammates spoke, and we all encouraged each other. Once we were done meeting, we all headed back to our rooms for the evening.

The next morning was race day! We ate breakfast, then got on the bus to head to the course. We thought it was going to be cold, but the weather actually ended up being quite nice to run in. The sun was shining, and it was a good temperature. At the race, everyone checked in, then we warmed up. We performed our pre-meet cheer, prayed together, and the gun went off.  

Here are the results. We placed third, which gives us an automatic ticket to the NCAA DII National Championship which is held this year in Saint Leo, Florida! The individuals were: Alayna Ackley leading the team, coming in 17th place (21:31). She was followed by Bethany Sholl in 20th (21:36).  Both of them received all-region honors. Savannah Ackley ran a 21:41, coming in 26th overall. Naomi Herman came in 35th (21:48), with Rachel Sweeney-Bredeson  soon after in 39th (21:52). Rounding out the Top 7 was Remington Hobson (45th; 22:01), and Hannah Rhem (70th 22:33). Everyone raced super well, with almost all of the squad having personal bests (Coach was right, it was a fast course!).

After the race, we anxiously awaited the results, refreshing our phones over and over. Finally, the results came in, and the team was FREAKING OUT! WE MADE IT TO NATIONALS! We felt all the emotions. We were giddy, nostalgic, teary, happy, thankful, hyped, excited...you name it! The team took lots of pictures, watched the guys race, attended the awards ceremony, and traveled back home. The bus ride back included lunch, a movie on the bus, and a grocery store stop (for a bathroom break and also dessert). We got back to campus in the later evening, and headed back to our rooms, and enjoyed an extra hour of sleep. That was our weekend. What a memory.

In two weeks, the Top 7 head to Saint Leo, Florida, for the DII National Championship for one final hoora of a great season.  “One more opportunity”, as Coach Bo would say. Everyone is looking forward to a trip and Lord willing a great race.

See you all next week!


November 1, 2021
Hello again! Welcome back. Here are some updates from your favorite cross country team!

First off, the cooler weather is officially upon us! It is late into October, and the cold temperatures are here to stay. This week on runs, it was colder and breezier. The sunny days are becoming fewer and fewer, and our practice attire is slowly evolving to warmer gear. It is the time of year that we now have to embrace stereotypical cross country season weather!

Next, our workouts and training changed a bit this week! Once the end of the season rolls around, we alter workouts to sharpen us up, to keep us fast and competitive. This translates into a little more training on the track, and having workouts in light of race strategies. It was fun to switch up the routine, and try workouts we did less often. It not only keeps things exciting, but gives us the right training going into our last races.

We also had lots of fun as well! Although we rest and recover on “not race” weekends, we still make efforts to have fun. The biggest part of the weekend was the annual cross country Halloween Party! It has been a tradition for years, and we always have a memorable evening. We all dressed up, had a costume contest, ate food, and just had a great night!

This weekend, on November 6 we will race in Evansville, Indiana for the NCAA DII Midwest Regionals! This is the one we’ve been training for, and Lord willing we will be able to show what a whole season of dedication and prayer can amount to.

RUN FOR HIM! See you next week!


October 25, 2021
Wow, this past week was a good one. WE ARE G-MAC CHAMPIONS! Before I continue, let me just say that one more time, WE ARE G-MAC CHAMPIONS!!! Ok, moving on.  Although we were somewhat expecting / hoping to win and it was a goal of ours, it is still a little crazy to process. Let me update you on G-MAC week and Race Day.

Every race this season, we have continued to improve. The times we were running and the teams we were scoring better than proved that (especially compared to last year). The more we realized our potential, winning the conference became one goal to shoot for. As the race approached, Coach Bo said in a team meeting, “We are the best team in the conference ‘on paper’, but it all comes down to that day”. In other words, rankings and previews are in our favor, but if we do not give it all on race day then it doesn’t matter. We prepared and worked hard to do our best when it counts.

The week leading up to G-MAC was very fun! The captains and Coach worked together to make this week extra special. It was not only filled with good workouts, but also team activities. This included a skit the captains put on, a matching day where we all wore the same Cedarville XC gear, had a running scavenger hunt in town, and we had smoothies after practice one day.
 
Then, race day came upon us. We loved the fact it was a home meet, which meant just a simplified race morning. Waking up in your own room with your own routine is very nice and helpful. Around 8:45 a.m., we walked over to the course. A couple of us mentioned how we were not as nervous and more excited than before other races. There seemed to just be more “hype” than nerves this time. Of course most  had nerves, but it seemed like the excitement was more! Going to the starting line with an excited team is such a good feeling. After we got there, we watched the guys race, then it was our turn. The course was a little wet due to some rain that night, but otherwise the conditions were great! Then, we executed our race plans, ran hard, and came out with the win!

Bethany Sholl was our top team finisher, coming in 5th overall with a time of 21:54.  Naomi Herman was 6th running a 22:04, Rachel Sweeney-Bredeson soon after in 7th with 22:09, and Hannah Rhem in 10th with a 22:19. All of the girls listed previously made G-MAC First Team!  G-MAC Second Team was Remington Hobson, running a 22:29 (17th place), and Alayna Ackley running a 22:31 (19th place). Besides these, so many other teammates came out with personal bests, and great efforts. Our team is so deep, with everyone pushing each other to run better!

After the race, we cooled down and went to the awards ceremony. Coach Bolender received the G-MAC Coach of the Year, the men got second place, and we received our first place banner and trophy on stage. We got championship hats and shirts, and took lots of pictures. Since the race was in the morning, many of us had fun afternoons. Some spent time with their families who were in town, some went to a pumpkin festival, went out to eat, had a movie night, among other activities. We all celebrated the great race we had, and kept the party going all day!

As for the future, a little over half of the girls are finished and began their breaks after the season.  The rest are continuing to train for regionals in two weeks! The race is in Evansville, Indiana on November 6th. Until then, the team will recover, ramp up the training, and be ready for the next one.
 

October 18, 2021
Welcome back! This is going to be one of my shorter posts, due to half of the week being Fall Break. Nonetheless, I will give you some updates for what the team’s been up to!

On Tuesday, we had an early morning workout at 6 a.m.! There are many perks to having the workout done then (despite the potential lack of sleep). It is nice to have a free afternoon with no practice, and it allows for the whole team to workout together, without many potential labs, clinicals, or other things that hinder some from coming to full team practice on certain days. This week, the main reason was to have one final good workout together before Fall Break beginning that afternoon. We all met, warmed up, and had a fast workout under the track lights. This workout specifically we did a few weeks back, and it was a great way to gauge how far we’ve come. The workout not only did not sound as challenging as it did previously, but a majority of our times were faster comparatively. Our fitness is showing up in races and workouts more and more as the season goes on!  
    
Then, Fall Break began. Some teammates went on vacations, some went home, and some stayed on campus. Lord willing, fall break will help us better prepare for our upcoming post season, and was a relaxing reset to continue strong. Rest is an important part of training too, so it was good to have some downtime.

As for racing, this Saturday, we are hosting the G-MAC Cross Country Championships (men at 9:30 a.m. and women at 10:30 a.m.).  If you are able, we would love for you to come out! The Elvin R. King Cross Country Course will be filled with energy, as we show everything we’ve been training for!

Thanks for stopping by, and catch you all next time! God bless!


October 11, 2021
Hello again! Thanks for stopping by! The past few days were quite eventful for the women’s team. We took a road trip and raced in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Queen’s Challenge.

On Thursday, we left campus all packed up to hit the road. On the bus, we just tried to stay busy.  We did homework, talked, played games, ate snacks, and made memories. We drove directly to the course, for an afternoon jog. This allowed us to feel the course, and get our legs moving after the nine-hour bus ride. After our course preview run, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. It was delicious, and a fantastic pre-race meal! Once we got back to the hotel, we relaxed and went to bed.

Friday morning, many of us slept in and relaxed. The team then ate breakfast in the hotel, and enjoyed a slower morning. We checked out of the hotel around noon, and headed to McAlister’s Deli for lunch. We also were beginning to worry while at lunch, as it began to storm! We said a few extra prayers and kept checking for race updates to see if anything was potentially postponed. Praise God everything went fairly smoothly, despite the weather.

Even though nothing was rescheduled, the course was very muddy and wet! Most of the team was still mentally strong, and knew that we could not control the circumstances and to just do our best. Even though it was covered in mud, it was still a super flat and fast course. We looked at those positives. Right before the race began, the rain stopped which was a blessing from the Lord. Even though the conditions were not ideal, it was still an amazing day for the Lady Jackets! We won the meet, and had insanely fast times. Our Top 5 were all under 18 minutes in the 5K.  The Top 7 were: Alayna Ackley (5th place overall, time 17:20), Bethany Sholl (6th, 17:23), Savannah Ackley (7th, 17:36), Naomi Herman (9th, 17:41), Hannah Rhem (17th, 17:53), Emily Walsh (26th, 18:06), and Rachel Sweeney-Bredeson (31st, 18:14). There were many personal bests, and the Lord blessed us with an amazing race. We are grateful.

Afterwards, we went out to eat, and drove back to campus. On the bus we watched a movie, ate gas station snacks, and enjoyed the rest of our evening. On Saturday we all slept in (because we got back to campus super late!) and then enjoyed an afternoon run. Overall, it was a great and memorable weekend. Coach always says travel meets are fun, but much more fun if we compete well. We competed very well, so I’d say it was an extra great trip!

Up next is the G-MAC Championship in two weeks. We have fall break in between, which should be restful and nice for the team before championship season kicks off the week after.


October 4, 2021
Hi everybody! This past week was a sweet one for the Women’s XC team!  I’d love to let you in on the details of the last couple of days.

Monday was a hard workout on the course, and Wednesday was a time trial for some of the team.  The Louisville Classic was limited to 10 team members, and the rest of the squad had a race simulation on the track. It was a good opportunity to see where girls are at, even if it was not an official race. It was so neat to see all of the teamwork with pacing and cheering. Even those who were just having a tempo, less intense day (due to having a race that weekend), still felt the energy. For me, it was just a nostalgic day, where I especially felt proud and grateful for this team. There were many great performances, fast times, personal bests, teamwork, and joy.

Then, for the others, Saturday was race day at the Louisville Classic! We drove up the evening before, and spent the night in a local hotel just to make things easier in the morning  (and so we didn’t have to wake up before 4 a.m. to get there!). At around 8:00 a.m, we drove to the course.  It was flat, with a classic “cross country feel”.  It had lots of turns, flags, grass, gravel, and a good finish chute. Overall, a nice and fun course.

It is important to note that we ran against prominently good NCAA DI schools.  Sometimes, we go to meets, knowing we are good, and we win. Other times, we purposely put ourselves against hard competition, still knowing our talent, to get better. We could go to easier races, get pretty trophies, and all of our girls be Top 10 finishers across the line, but that does not really make a team stronger. We have big goals, and we want to be challenged sometimes too! Despite the harder field, we still came in 17th (out of 44 schools), with many great personal races. Here’s the Top 7 lineup this week: Alayna Ackley was our number one, coming in 73rd place (out of 399), and a time of 17:53. Bethany Sholl was next in 83rd (18:00).  Savannah Ackley came in 152nd (18:23). Emily Walsh was in 161st (18:32), with Naomi Herman close behind in 163rd (18:34).  Rachel Sweeney-Bredeson got 181st (18:42), and Hannah Rhem in 192nd (18:45). What a great race!

Coming up we have our first back-to-back race (two weekends in a row), with  this Friday at the Queen’s Challenge, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The whole team is going, and it will be Lord willing a good race and a fun little road trip. Rumor has it that it’s a fast course, which is exciting! For the next few days we are going to focus on recovery, rest, training, and soon get back out there and do our best. All for the glory of God, we RUN FOR HIM!

Catch you all next week.


September 27, 2021

Hello hello! Thanks for tuning in. This past week was a fun week for the team, with no race and lots of enjoyment. There were many memorable moments from this week in the lives of the women’s XC team!

As far as running goes, here are some updates. Savannah Ackley was the CU Athlete of the Week. We also  had a difficult workout that most of us were a bit nervous for. It is meant to specifically improve racing, so Coach Bolender wanted to begin including it in our program. Many of the girls surprised themselves, and it was definitely a confidence booster. It was tough, but we are stronger and overcame it. We also enjoyed some cooler weather runs as fall begins to approach us.  Overall, a good week of training. “Getting better”, as Coach Bo likes to phrase it.

The best part about the week was probably on Saturday! We all woke up early to finish our long runs, and then went to King’s Island Amusement Park as team activity for the afternoon! It was a great day, filled with rides, thrills, and enjoyment. Everyone would agree that it was a free Saturday (not racing) well spent! We made lots of memories, laughed a lot, and loved our time!

This week we are “back in business” with a race this upcoming Saturday. We compete in Louisville, Kentucky at the Louisville Classic (E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park). It should be a great field of competition and a nice course. Looking forward to a great race.


September 20, 2021

Hello all! This past weekend was our second meet of the year - the All-Ohio Championship - on the Elvin R. King XC course (home)! We wanted to give a special thank you to everyone who came out to support us. Whether you watched, cheered, volunteered, or anything else…thank you. We appreciated so much family, staff members, and students coming to support us.

On the day of the meet, the team got to have a slower morning for the most part, as we did not have to travel.  This allowed for more of a routine, and just overall an easier race day.  “Home field advantage” is real sometimes!  In the afternoon, we walked over to the course, prepared to show what we had been training for. It was very hot, so we knew we were competing for place. Miles will be slower in the heat, so you do your best, and stay competitive against the field (will keep you posted when we host G-MAC in late October if our course ever cooled off?). Our goal was to win, and that it what we did! Although it was a challenge, we walked away first in NCAA D II, and fifth overall.

As far as individuals, there were plenty of quality performances!  This week, Savannah Ackley led the squad, coming in 7th place (22:28).  Alayna Ackley was next in 16th place (22:50).  Naomi Herman was just a second behind (22:51) in 18th place.  Bethany Sholl followed in 36th (23:32).  Emily Walsh was 48th (23:47), Hannah Rhem 52nd (23:55), and Amy Plank 79th for Cedarville (24:32).

This weekend was a success for the Lady Jackets, and we are grateful to the Lord for a great beginning of this season. We are continuing to train and recover well, to fuel our big goals.  Our hard work is paying off, and we are enjoying the ride so far.

The next time we race is in Louisville, KY for the Louisville Classic on October 2nd!

(Editor's Note: Here is a link to Scott Huck's Photo Gallery of the Women's 6K All-Ohio Championship.)


September 13, 2021

Hello Yellow Jacket  fans! I hope you are all doing well! It was a more restful week for the team, as we did not have a race. We enjoyed a weekend off, with a break from competition. We took the time to recover from our last race, and get ready for the one coming up.
 
Here are some highlights from our week! We had a fun Labor Day, spending time together and enjoying a day off of school. On Tuesday, we had a hard workout on the cross country course.  On Thursday, we had another workout, and afterwards had a team ice bath the trainers set up. On Friday was Coach Bolender’s birthday, and we celebrated during practice. On Saturday, the team enjoyed having a long run.

We are mentally and physically preparing for our home meet this upcoming Friday. We are hosting the All-Ohio Championship, on our home course. The team is getting more and more into shape, and is excited to show what we’ve got. It will be a quality race, with a great field of competition. The women’s championship race is at 2:45 p.m., and the open race at 4:15 p.m. Catch you all then!


September 7, 2021

Hello everyone! This past week, our season officially began!  We raced last Friday at the Wright State Classic. Even without times and places, there was much to like about this race day.  For starters, it was close to home. While the team does love traveling to new places far away to compete, it is nice to just have a 25 minute drive and compete nearby. We also enjoyed the course, as it was very flat and spectator friendly.  Since it was close by and a good venue, many from our Cedarville family came out to support us, which was very special. If you are reading this, and were able to come out, thank you from the CUXC teams. We greatly appreciated it.

On race day, we left Cedarville in the late afternoon and drove to the meet. Once we arrived, we walked the course. It was two laps inside of Fairborn Community Park. The men raced, and we warmed up by jogging around the course cheering them on. Soon after, it was our turn. We met with Coach Bo at the start line and prayed together before the gun went off. This week specifically, our team did a great job racing together in packs, with many pairs throughout the lineup. The Ackley sisters led the team, with Alayna placing 6th (18:11) and Savannah being 7th  (18:17) overall.  Naomi Herman came in 18th (18:47), with Mary Miller right behind at 19th  (18:48).  Hannah Rhem and Emily Walsh came in 25th and 26th, both running a 19:02. As a team, the Lady Jackets placed third overall. All glory to God for a great first race!

After the race, we cooled down and ate Domino’s. The team went back to campus, we did some team activities the rest of the evening. The fun continued into the rest of the weekend for many of us, with Labor Day festivities in downtown Cedarville!

Looking ahead, we are excited for a nice week of recovery, training, and having a weekend off from competition. The next time we lace up the spikes is at home, for the All-Ohio Championship, on Friday, September 17th.


September 2, 2021

Hello everyone! My name is Anna Steich, and I am a junior Early Childhood Education Major on the Cedarville Women’s XC team. This is my third season with the Lady Jackets, and I am excited to be “running” the blog this year. Nice to meet you all!

Recently, it is safe to say that the team is ready to get things started! We are happy to be having a more “normal” season, with a full schedule, and a hopeful championship season down the road. Although last year we did compete, things looked different due to COVID-19. As far as training, we have had quality workouts lately, and many girls have surprised themselves with their current fitness levels. We have lots of fast freshmen and some who we are welcoming back after battling injuries. Everyone is becoming stronger, smarter, and faster.

We have enjoyed some fun before the season starts and making memories together as a team.  This included a team breakfast at the Clifton Mill, a lake day with the men’s team, fun practices, short getaway trips to teammates’ houses, and lots of laughter.

On Friday, September 3rd, our season kicks off at the Wright State Classic in Fairborn, Ohio at 6:45 p.m. EST (men’s race at 6 p.m.). Until then, we are going to train well, rest up; then get out there and put it all on the line.


Anna Steich is a junior from Reading, Pennsylvania. She is a three-year member of the Lady Jackets and an early childhood education major.