UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—As preseason is quickly coming to an end, the Nittany Lions will head to Lock Haven University for the Dolan Duals to compete in their annual season opener.
Both men and women athletes are hoping to transition into the season with a local meet, and excited to show head coach John Gondak how they have improved throughout the summer.
"The Lock Haven meet has been a standard opener for us ever since I've been a part of the program. It is a test to see where everybody's fitness is after a long summer. As much as the workouts give you data, seeing people in a competitive environment for the first time really tells you who they are and what they've put in as well as their racing abilities," said Gondak.
In order for Gondak's athletes to finish their races with a solid time to start the year, he has provided them with valuable skills to make their goals achievable.
"We tell them to keep it controlled for the first part of the race and then test yourselves over the second half of the race. It looks like this heat is going to break and it should be a nice night over in Lock Haven on Friday," said Gondak.
This initial meet is also a beneficial way for Gondak to recognize which freshman are going to step up and make an everlasting impact on the team. On the men's side, this specific meet is a great way for the new members to ease their way into a college season. As the season progresses, race distances will nearly double and the young athletes will begin to experience more college competition.
In high school, both men and women run a 5k distance, while in most college meets the men run 8k and women run 6k, with the men's distance even increasing to 10k for NCAAs. This meet however, will only be a 6k race for the men and 4k for the women.
"On the women's side it is a lot easier to come in and make an impact right away because they run a similar distance (to high school). We have some freshman that are going to make a big piece of what makes up the rest of the team this season," said Gondak.
For this upcoming cross country season, the Nittany Lions will have many advanced seniors that will help them succeed as a team. Captain Colin Abert is finishing up with his significant summer workouts and is ready to lead his team to greatness.
"This summer was definitely one of my better summers because I focused a lot on communicating with the coaches. That being said, I trained a little bit too hard in the middle of the season but coach really helped me and told me to back off a little," he said.
Abert has been extremely serious while accepting his role as a captain. With his previous experience on the team, he is prepared to train underclassmen during Penn State workouts. He will show the severity and competitiveness of what college training is compared to high school.
"I've been trying to really get the freshmen do a lot of core after the workouts. We have been really big on mobility the past few years so I have been trying to lead that for them. I'm trying to give them as much advice as possible because I have been here for so many years," Abert said.
He believes that there are many opportunities for success not only for himself, but for the team this season. Abert wants the team to train thoroughly and finish with some big wins while improving throughout the year. By staying focused on trainings, this team can truly make some memories for Penn State.
"I think the team is rather young right now, we have very few upperclassmen but I know some of the freshmen will step up. I am hoping that we can make it out to nationals and also come top three at the Big Ten. For individual goals, I'd like to be top three at Big Ten and try to be All American," said Abert.
