USU men's cross-country and track share a few of their athletes

USU men’s cross-country is training a few track runners hoping to lengthen their distance

By Weslie Hatch

Men’s cross-country has a few members on its team that are using the fall season to train for the track season in the spring.

In track, middle-distance running events are races longer than sprints ranging from the 800-meter to the 3000-meter.

A few of the athletes on the men’s track team also compete with the cross-country team in the fall to better prepare themselves for the track seasons.

“Being on the xc team has helped me prepare for the track season 100 percent,” said Brett McAdams, a senior distance runner. “It’s a nice aspect to be able to train while racing. It’s good because it’s giving me new and different ways to train as opposed to the way we train for track.”

McAdams said for him “it’s like putting money in a bank”. He said during the cross-country season he is able to get in a lot of mileage so when track comes he’ll be able to use those miles to his advantage. He said he wants to “put in as many miles now so come January I can withdraw those miles and not empty my bank.”

Just like McAdams, Justin Sheets, a sophomore distance runner, said being on the cross-country team helps keep the athletes in shape year round so they will already have a good base of mileage going into the track season.

Sheets competes in the 3000-meter steeplechase, the 5k and the 1500-meter events which are all middle-distance events. He said because he does participate in the longer events in track, training on the cross-country team in the fall helps give him the strength to continue through both seasons.

“I think most of the athletes work year round because of their dedication,” Sheets said.

As a middle-distance runner who usually competes in the 800-meter event, McAdams said this coming season in track he will be including the mile in his repertoire.

“It’s been a long season,” McAdams said. “I’m not really a cross-country runner, but I’ve been training hard and running my best. You just have to keep things in perspective and move forward. All of the athletes have been training hard and preparing for the next season."