It’s right before a race. What is sophomore Sara McCune doing? First she listens to her special pre-race play list. Then she stretches and warms up with her team. Soon after that, she separates herself from the group and warms up alone. Finally, the last thing she does before each race is to write “recycle” on her leg.

McCune admits to being scared to take out the recycling at home. Once she is done taking it out to the curb, she always sprints back inside, feeling very happy to be out of danger. The word association then helps her shake out of soreness and get reenergized.

Perhaps her tactics are abnormal, but nobody can argue with her success. Last year, as an incoming first-year, she earned all-NWC honors as well as all-NCAA Division III West Regional honors.
Her coach, Malcolm Dunn, went as far as to call her “a cross country superstar” in an e-mail.
This year, McCune looks to grow off of that success. Individually, McCune wants to go to nationals, but she lists a team trip to nationals as her number one goal.

“That is definitely the thing that’s the pie in the sky,” said McCune.

Last year, the team finished sixth in the West Regionals. Currently, the team is ranked third in addition to being ranked 32nd nationally.

What’s been the difference?

“We’re all more in tune with one another,” said McCune.

“We have all become a lot closer and better of friends. We understand each other better,” said sophomore teammate Michela Corcorran.

During all of this growth, McCune has continued to impress her coach.

“Her enthusiasm and energy are phenomenally positive and extremely contagious. Whenever you meet Sara or talk to her, you end up feeling lighter and happier. She is extremely supportive and caring of her teammates,” said Dunn in an e-mail. “In my mind, she exemplifies the type of athletes with whom I want to work: an athlete that gives so much of herself, works hard to improve and truly desires to be the best possible athlete she can be.”

Her teammates are also appreciative of all she does for them.

“She’s very supportive and so enthusiastic! She has a great energy that’s contagious and she’s always very positive,” said Corcorran, again in an e-mail.

McCune has also benefited from training with fellow sophomores Corcorran and Yasmeen Colis who can challenge her in practice. In high school, McCune would often spend most practices alone, just behind the men’s team and just ahead of the women’s team. It is a great relief for her to have someone to push her.

“We have some amazing workouts that have been so much fun,” said McCune.

Another reason for change this year as opposed to last is a change in her summer workout routines. Instead of running 40-45 miles a week, McCune worked on a farm for 12 hours a day and only ran about 35 miles a week. The result of this was a better full body fitness that she hadn’t had before.

Outside of cross country, McCune is volunteering for the first time with the Storytime Project at Whitman as well as continuing to attend the Trees and Landscaping Committee meetings. Next year, she is looking to spend her spring semester abroad at Costa Rica, where she will work toward her environmental studies major.