Brockport cross country runner Ethne Degan was named the Empire 8 women’s cross country Runner of the Week, the league announced Monday. The honor followed her dominant third-place finish at the Tom Balon Alumni Meet, hosted by Brockport on Sept. 6.
“I was pretty excited and grateful,” Degan said. “I think it’s mostly the individual performance and the team win from the weekend. I am in a much better spot fitness-wise, at this point in the season, than I have ever been for cross country. I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can go as a team and how much I can improve as an individual.”
Degan finished third overall out of 104 runners in the women’s 5-kilometer race. She was the top finisher for Brockport with a time of 19 minutes, 2.1 seconds; a new personal record.
“I think it was a really good confidence booster that sets a really positive tone to start the season,” Degan said. “Running a collegiate best was really refreshing. I had some rough races last year, so to be able to, right off the bat, show that I can do a lot better makes me more confident for cross country than I have been in a long time.”
Her approach to this season has been centered on trust and consistency.
“Going into my first race, I was focused on trusting myself and the work that I have already put in,” Degan said. “I had a much longer, more consistent summer training season this year compared to last year. I think that has helped me build a better fitness base.”
During the Tom Balon race, Degan felt the payoff of that preparation.
“In the final stretch, I could see the clock and knew I was on my way to a fast time if I finished well,” she said. “That provided some motivation to finish faster even though I was hurting.”
The sophomore will not compete again until October at the Highlander Invitational, hosted by Houghton University.
Looking ahead, Degan has set ambitious goals for both her and the team.
“I want to place well at both the Empire 8 Championships and Regionals this year,” she said. “My championship season last year was not what I wanted, so improving on that and ending my season in a way that I am proud of is a big goal of mine. I have other goals as well, but they are what I call ‘secret goals’ that I keep to myself so that I can focus on them without the pressure of others knowing about them. I’ve found that it helps me not be so nervous or put as much pressure on myself to perform.”
Before the Highlander meet, Brockport cross country will compete at the Yellow Jacket Invitational at Genesee Valley Park in Rochester Sept. 20 at 10 a.m.
