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We have all heard of five-star athletes who were highly recruited by many I-level universities after graduating from high school. However, we don't usually hear that athletes compete for achievement, achievement, and team unity in junior-level competitions.
We have not heard of courses designed to provide this sense of athletic achievement.
The Anne Arundel Community College Women’s and Men’s Cross Country Team is an excellent example of amateur athletes competing with this sense of purity and demonstrating the lofty goals proposed by Avery Brundage. The former president of the International Olympic Committee famously said: "Sports must be amateur, otherwise it is not sports. Professional sports are entertainment."
Under the leadership of coaches Keith Bigelow and Susan Noble, the AACC cross-country program achieved outstanding results in the 2021 season and finally reached its climax at the National Junior College Sports Association Championship held at the Georgia Military Academy in Milledgeville.
The Riverhawks season is best defined as a united season, where runners from all walks of life train, compete and connect as a whole. The scoring method of the cross-country competition requires a solid depth for the success of the team, and both AACC teams met this requirement this fall.
Starting from the Trailblazer Twilight Invitational held at Hood College in September, sophomore Madison Palmer won the first place in the women's group with a time of 21 minutes and 44.6 seconds, one and a half minutes ahead of the second place player. Zhong, the Riverhawks have compiled impressive results throughout the season.
In the Green Horror Challenge hosted by McDaniel College on September 10, the women's team won first place, and Palmer won the first place for the second consecutive game. Jasmine Jones ranked third, Hannah Titus, Rebecca White and Jasmine Mauldin ranked 10th-12th.
At the same time, the men's team led Paul Watson in fourth place and finished second in total.
At the Towson Alumni Invitational on September 25, AACC competed with powerful opponents of NCAA Division I, including the Navy. Paul Watson completed the game within four minutes of the championship, and Palmer ranked 21st out of 51 contestants-defeating competitors from the Navy, Loyola and Towson.
The Level I competition prepares the men's and women's teams for the XX Regional Championship, which was held on October 30th at Westmoreland County Community College. All five players of the male Riverhawks entered the top 10, and Watson and Luke Jimenez won regional honors.
On the muddy track, the women's team has four players in the top 10. Palmer ranked first in all divisions with a time of 21 minutes and 28.4 seconds, while Jones ranked second with a time of 21 minutes and 54 seconds. Holly Boggs ranked fourth with a score of 23:12.6, and Sierra Keen ranked fifth with a score of 25:18.8. Titus ranked AACC in seventh place with a score of 27:39.9.
AACC ended the season at the NJCAA Division III Championship on November 13. As every athlete and coach knows, you want to reach the top for the people, and Riverhawks does just that. Five female runners created a personal best, led by Palmer, who ranked eighth among 90 runners and won the national championship. Jones also became the best player in the United States in 16th place.
For men, five players created a personal best led by Watson. Watson ranked 17th among 140 players and won the national championship.
In summarizing the season, Bigelow reflected on the challenges facing college coaching and pointed out that “in August, we are not even sure whether we can fill the full roster.”
Once the team is assembled, the coaches know that some work needs to be done to get the athletes to adapt. Bigelow said that the results of the entire season "demonstrate their hard work and willingness to unite as a team throughout the fall."
Coach Noble responded to these comments and pointed out the benefits of AACC sports because "the surrounding communities and counties are affordable and convenient. Students will receive transferable first-class education, and the AACC sports department is supporting our student athletes on the court. And the performance in the class is very good."
Congratulations to the amateur athletes and coaches of Anne Arundel Community College Women's and Men's Cross Country Team in the fall of 2021. Each of you has participated in the highest level of competition, which makes our county proud.
Until December 19 (virtual): Al's Run-The Jingle Bell 2nd year. Organized by Al Cantello Memorial Scholarship Fund. Information: https://www.active.com/running/distance-running-virtual-events/al-s-run-the-jingle-bell-year-2-2021
December 18: Celtic Solstice 5 Miller Druid Mountain Park Information: https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Baltimore/CelticSolsticeFiveMiler?remMeAttempt=
January 1 (9 am): Informal New Year's Day gathering at the city pier
February 12 (8 am): Valentine's Day 5K, Kinder Farm Park. Information: www.annapolisstriders.com
Send running news and calendar items to Bob Cawood at rhbc@cawoodlawfirm.com.