Men’s and women’s cross country had historic 2014 seasons. Both teams took first overall at the SCAC Championships for the first time in team history. Nick Hall took first on the men’s side, and Leah Wessler took the crown on the women’s side. This year, the men’s team will be without its top three runner from last year due to graduation. The women’s team will be buoyed once again by Leah Wessler, Steffani Messick, and Katie Sandfort. There will be countless hours of practice ahead for Coach Ted Castaneda’s squad in order for the Tigers to realize the dream of hoisting the SCAC trophy once again. A runner’s greatest tool in tackling these grueling practices may be what lays under their feet. We talked to the CC cross-country squad to see what kicks they are cruising in this season (scroll down to see the shoes mentioned by each runner).
Cole Thompson, Sophomore
Shoe: Brooks Pure Connect Four
Favorite memory in the shoe?: My favorite memory in my Pure Connects is a 15-mile training run through cornfield blanketed country roads in Indiana. It was magical.
Why I Wear It: I prefer a minimal shoe with little support that still holds up on roads.
Katie Sandfort, Junior
Shoe: I rock the Newton gravity
Favorite memory in the shoe?: My favorite memory in my Newton Gravities was the end of my long run yesterday, when the delicious feeling of relief overcame me after we finally got to stop running.
Why I wear it: I wear Newton gravity shoes because they are supposed to help people run with natural form, on your toes, and they’re minimalist kind of. Since I started wearing them I haven’t been injured.
Tucker Hampson, Senior
Shoe: Nike Structure 18
Favorite memory in the shoe?: Running the Bolder Boulder
Why I wear It: “I have been wearing it since 9th grade. It lasts a long time and the elastic bands in the sides help the shoe fit my narrow feet.”
Allie Crimmins, Junior
Shoe: Brooks Adrenaline
Favorite memory in the shoe?: Winning the team title in the SCAC Championships last year.
Why I wear it: They are very supportive and have not severely injured me in a while.
Alex Peebles-Capin, Sophomore
Shoe: Brooks GTS 15
Favorite memory in the shoe?: Hiking Pikes Peak this summer.
Why I wear it: I always get the Brooks GTS when I get new shoes because they’re very stable.
Nick Dye, Senior
Shoe: I have no idea what the model name is, all I know is that it’s a New Balance shoe. New Balance doesn’t use cool shoe names like Cumulus or Kinvara, it’s hard to remember.
Favorite memory in the shoe: Running up the steep hills of Manyunk in Philadelphia. Manyunk is notable for it’s steep hills. One is referred as “The Wall” and is used as part of an annual professional bike race.
Why I wear it: I needed a stability shoe with a lot of support. I’ve had heel problems since buying a lightweight stability shoe three years ago. I now buy heavier shoes with more support in the back. It was my first time choosing a New Balance shoe. When I started running, New Balance was considered the brand old people choose to go for walks in the park. In what seems to be the last year or so, everyone is now using New Balance’s to run.
Jake Rothman, Senior
Shoe: New Balance M980 Fresh Foam
Favorite Memory in the shoe?: Step 1,003 on last Saturday’s run was really excellent
Why I wear it: It is size 11, not 10.5, which is what I usually wear. I am very nervous about how this change will affect my prospects at beating Bolt in the 100 at Rio, but I remain optimistic that the larger size will help this pair of shoes last longer than the previous ones.
