2021 Cross Country Outlook
September 03, 2021 04:09 PM | Cross Country
The West Virginia University cross country team begins the 2021 season on September 3. A shortened season did not hinder the cross country team, as they finished in third place at the Big-12 Championships last season. This season they are ready to return to a normal schedule and win big under head coach Sean Clearly.
Coach Cleary is entering his 15th season as head coach of the West Virginia University cross country and track and field teams. Under Cleary's reign, the Mountaineers have had six NCAA top-10 finishes and 13 All-Big 12 honors since he became head coach in 2007.
Cleary sat down to discuss the upcoming season.
How are the transfer athletes and the freshmen adapting to the program?
Everyone seems to have settled in well. We have a very close group of athletes that are putting themselves into the best possible situation to be successful this season. Having transfers brings an even deeper level of leadership into the mix. While they have only been here a few weeks, it seems as though they have been here for their entire careers.
What are your thoughts on this season resuming back to normal?
Hitting the road for Lehigh is exciting. Being back on the road so early in the season allows for the team to experience a traditional season. I was very impressed by how a majority of the team handled last year's season. This year should be much easier to traverse.
Is there anything that you are doing differently this year than in previous years?
While still being respectful that we are not yet out of the pandemic, we do have a much easier time bringing the team together due to the high vaccination rate. A year ago, we were living and training in very strict pods. This season we will feel more like a team.
The schedule remains similar. We will get ourselves on the NCAA Regional site early in the season, and for the most part, use the middle month of the fall to find out who we are as a team. Our goals revolve around the championship portion of the year, with the Big 12 Championship, NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals and the NCAA Finals.
Have you noticed any drastic changes now that the team is more experienced?
After running as a team last winter at the NCAA Championships, I feel like they certainly want to experience that moment again. They realize that the key to this goal being met is to let the season unfold at a steady rate. Being a year older, wiser and hungrier is very noticeable.
What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
We want to be strong in the middle of the season and very fit and fast at the end. If we can accomplish those goals, we can run with the best at the Big 12 Championship and the NCAA Regionals. I expect that we take COVID-19 seriously but not lose ourselves to fear and stress. I expect that we train with poise and confidence and run our very best at the end of the season. If we do that, we will reach our goals.
What are you looking forward to this season?
Building on the momentum of last year and being rewarded for all the hard work this team has and will put in.
The team had a successful 2020 season with a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships and competition at the NCAA Championships. From a coaching point of view, how can you and the team continue this success?
We believe that we can maintain that performance. Our goal is to be better.
Coach Cleary is entering his 15th season as head coach of the West Virginia University cross country and track and field teams. Under Cleary's reign, the Mountaineers have had six NCAA top-10 finishes and 13 All-Big 12 honors since he became head coach in 2007.
Cleary sat down to discuss the upcoming season.
How are the transfer athletes and the freshmen adapting to the program?
Everyone seems to have settled in well. We have a very close group of athletes that are putting themselves into the best possible situation to be successful this season. Having transfers brings an even deeper level of leadership into the mix. While they have only been here a few weeks, it seems as though they have been here for their entire careers.
What are your thoughts on this season resuming back to normal?
Hitting the road for Lehigh is exciting. Being back on the road so early in the season allows for the team to experience a traditional season. I was very impressed by how a majority of the team handled last year's season. This year should be much easier to traverse.
Is there anything that you are doing differently this year than in previous years?
While still being respectful that we are not yet out of the pandemic, we do have a much easier time bringing the team together due to the high vaccination rate. A year ago, we were living and training in very strict pods. This season we will feel more like a team.
The schedule remains similar. We will get ourselves on the NCAA Regional site early in the season, and for the most part, use the middle month of the fall to find out who we are as a team. Our goals revolve around the championship portion of the year, with the Big 12 Championship, NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals and the NCAA Finals.
Have you noticed any drastic changes now that the team is more experienced?
After running as a team last winter at the NCAA Championships, I feel like they certainly want to experience that moment again. They realize that the key to this goal being met is to let the season unfold at a steady rate. Being a year older, wiser and hungrier is very noticeable.
What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
We want to be strong in the middle of the season and very fit and fast at the end. If we can accomplish those goals, we can run with the best at the Big 12 Championship and the NCAA Regionals. I expect that we take COVID-19 seriously but not lose ourselves to fear and stress. I expect that we train with poise and confidence and run our very best at the end of the season. If we do that, we will reach our goals.
What are you looking forward to this season?
Building on the momentum of last year and being rewarded for all the hard work this team has and will put in.
The team had a successful 2020 season with a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships and competition at the NCAA Championships. From a coaching point of view, how can you and the team continue this success?
We believe that we can maintain that performance. Our goal is to be better.
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