The Pioneer, Vol. 53 Issue 2
Pierce College's student magazine.
Pierce College's student magazine.
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Sports Commentary
20 YEARS IN THE MAKING
This year marks the beginning of an era as Pierce College
introduces its first ever Women’s Cross Country Team
courtesy photo
/ pierceraiders.com
JAMES SARABIA ZALDIVAR
staff writer
Ready, set, go! #132 Serin Caldwell (left) and #133 Tiffany Compton(right) Line
up at the satring line moments before the first race in the Pierce College’s
Womens Cross Country history.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PIERCE
COLLEGE’S HISTORY, the women’s
cross country team debuted on Aug. 31
after twenty years in the making. Daniel
Richards, head coach of the team, helped
orchestrate the meets and practices,
playing a key role in getting this team off
the ground.
Richards had conversations with
Duncan Stevenson, director of District
Athletics, which focused on strengthening
the college’s athletic program. This
is what led to Pierce adding women’s
cross country to the program, which has
been a goal of Stevenson for the past two
decades.
“Year one we just wanted to form a
team,” said Richards. “Next year, I want
to be able to compete in the NY conference;
it's a prestigious conference when
it comes to distance running and cross
country and I want Pierce to be in the
conversation as early as next year.”
As far as how Pierce should be seen
in the realm of cross country, Richards
20 / piercepioneernews.com
mentions that he hopes to make this a
place to go and run for. “That’s my goal
- competing for and winning conference
championships in the next few years,” he
said.
Currently the team is excelling as
the season progresses, and students are
excited that they have this new opportunity
available to them. Serin Caldwell, a
student on the team, expressed her thrill
for being able to be a part of this. “I’ve
always loved to run and now that Pierce
College has a cross country team I think
it’s a great opportunity for lots of girls to
go in and do their passion.”
Other athletes on the team, such as Tiffany
Compton, have also expressed their
excitement about their experience. “I
enjoy my time very well,” said Compton.
“I’ve done this since high school and took
a two-year break, so it’s really nice getting
back into the individual school schedule.”
When it comes to Richards experience
coaching he says his favorite part is the
comradery. “Meeting these girls with a
passion for running, it’s a diverse group
of girls and it's cool seeing how running
can bring them together. Sometimes you
have a handful of people and you’re like
‘how is this going to form a team?’. It's
cool to see them bond over hard work
and practices day in to day out, that's the
biggest reward.”
Over the season, the team has done a
total of six games, including their most
recent one on Nov. 18 at Saint Martin’s
University. Each member has been
improving and enjoying their time since
the creation of this team, and are looking
forward to continuing to do so.
For those that have an interest in
learning more about the women’s cross
country team, students can check out the
sports athletic page on the Pierce College
website. Students can look forward to the
future of this new team as it becomes a
competitive and sought out school to run
for. It is here to stay.
November. 2019 / Vol. 53, Issue 2