By SARAH CLARK
Staff Writer
People usually expect that college athletes have been training for years, which that is the case for most students. However, there are exceptions to that. Christine Myers is one of the few who have exceeded expectations and impressed her peers and coaches through her hard work and dedication.
Myers is graduating a year early and is a double major in pre law and criminal justice. She started her career as an athlete in her senior year of high school before graduating from the Guilderland Central School District. Although she began her career as a runner later than most, she has still excelled in her sport.
“I walked onto the cross country team as a freshman,” said Myers. She had showed up on the first day of practice and asked to join the team, as she was not recruited. Until this year, Myers did not have a consistent coach, and believes that the key to having structure within a team is consistency. “I am really excited for post college running, to like, see what other options I have,” said Myers.
At The College of Saint Rose, Myers was on the cross country and track and field teams. During her time at the college, she won three championship titles and even qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Each week, Myers runs around 70 miles, and does speed running and hills workouts. She lifts every other day, and spends around two hours a day. As a commuter student, her days start at 4:45 a.m. in order to accomplish her full workout routine.
“When I qualified for nationals for cross country that was definitely just mind boggling,” said Myers. She broke the school’s 5k record at conferences for indoor track and field, and has put her heart into every race she competes in. “It’s just one of those things where I go out there to race and I never expect to break a time, I never put that pressure on myself,” said Myers.
During her senior year of high school, Myers decided to quit softball to join her track and field team. This is where her love for running began, and since it has been an outlet for her.
“I don’t even race with my watch on, I have no concept of time,” said Myers. It is evident that Myers is passionate about running as she is able to fully immerse herself into the sport while competing. “I am not thinking at all, that’s the only time I am not thinking,” said Myers.
One of the hardest races Myers has competed in was the Lake Placid Marathon. This race was a challenge because of the hills, and she was determined to finish the race regardless of how mentally and physically taxing it was. That day, Myers won the race, and she recalls collapsing once she crossed the finish line.
As for preparation, Myers normally begins her routine the night before. She packs her bag, lays out her uniform, and pins her race bib on. On the day of the race, she listens to music in order to keep herself calm.
“I try to keep myself calm,” said Myers. She dreads the hours leading up to a race, as Myers often gets nervous before she begins to run. “Once the gun goes off I am fine,” said Myers.
“So, I definitely liked the small feel of the campus- but as a commuter I really didn’t spend a lot of time on campus,” said Myers. One of the biggest challenges Myers fought to overcome as a student was finding her sense of self during her college career. “If I could change anything I would have slowed down and tried to enjoy it more- I wouldn’t have rushed to graduate early. I wish I had fun,” said Myers.
As she completes her time at Saint Rose, Myers is reminded of her accomplishments that she achieved while here. From taking on a 23 credit course load to breaking records throughout her last semester, she has tackled every challenge she has set her mind to. “I just run to be free,” said Myers.
