Bryce Philbeck, a sophomore majoring in Communications Studies, and Gavin Hellerstedt, a senior majoring in Engineering, are members of the Concordia men's cross country team. They sat down in the Lambda Lounge and talked about their first two meets and expectations for the rest of the year.

Philbeck is a new team member, having only been at Concordia for a year and a half. He has loved his time at the university so far. Philbeck chose Concordia because of the family aspect; he knew it was one huge family, and they treated student athletes with support. “It feels a lot more team-based than my last school; it's like a family here,” said Philbeck. His favorite moment so far on the track team was when he ran the steeple chase. He said, “Running steeple chase was my favorite. I have so many friends who run it, and being able to run with them was great.”

Their first meet, the Coyote Challenge, occurred in San Bernardino on Sept. 6. The team placed fourth. For the Coyote Challenge, Philbeck's main preparation involved drinking plenty of water for hydration, getting sufficient sleep and maintaining a balanced diet.

For the team's next event, Philbeck kept the same routine. He said, “Keeping good sleep and nutrition is important, so nothing changed for this event.” Philbeck wants people to understand the importance of mental preparation for cross country and hopes that the younger generation of runners understands the crucial role it plays. Another part of his routine is the music he listens to before a meet. Philbeck’s favorite pre-game artist to listen to is A$AP Rocky. 

The men’s cross country team had its second meet at the Biola Invitational in Fullerton on Sept. 12, placing seventh out of 17 teams. Philbeck has loved the team's progress so far and is excited for the team to make more progress. 

Hellerstedt has been on the team for all four years and has loved his time here. Hellerstedt switched over to cross country after he realized that soccer wasn't the sport for him, and he's pleased with the decision. His preparation for the meet was making sure to get some good sleep. The main thing that Hellerstedt wants to change is focusing on his mentality before the next meet. 

Hellerstedt's biggest piece of advice for the next generation of runners is, “Trust the process, but also enjoy the process.” One thing Hellerstedt wishes he had known before he started track here was how well his body was going to get used to more high-mileage running.

Hellerstedt chose Concordia because the coaches wanted to get to know him more. Instead of focusing on just his running capabilities, they focused on his character. Hellerstedt is very proud of the team's result, focusing heavily on team culture, and they are getting better at it. His favorite moment with the team was going to a conference with his teammates and just running as one big group like a family.

Looking to the future, Hellerstedt has an interest in coaching. He said, “I don't understand the science behind the sport too much, so it would be great to become an assistant coach instead; if not that, I could be a great hype coach.”

Cross country is in for a huge season after their first two meets. Their expectations are set even higher, and the team is excited to have better results. The team will be running at the UC Riverside Invitational on Sat., Sept. 27. More information regarding the team and their schedule can be found on https://cuigoldeneagles.com/sports/mens-cross-country.

 

Tags: Track and Field, cross country, sports, Men's Athletics

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