Eastern Michigan Athletics
Parks Discusses Women's Cross Country's Strong Season and MAC Championships
11/3/2016 12:26:00 PM | Women's XC
The Eagles secured their second consecutive MAC title behind a great team performance
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The No. 13 Eastern Michigan University women's cross country team has posted their strongest season to date thus far, as the squad began the postseason by winning their second straight Mid-American Conference title last weekend, Oct. 29.
Head Coach Sue Parks, who took over the program in 2006, now has her team soaring to new heights after finishing 11th in the conference in 2007. Parks took some time to discuss the team's improvement and how they performed last weekend at the MAC Championships.
Q: Last season, you guys were hunting for your first MAC title. What was it like this time around as the defending champions?
SP: It was nice knowing that our performances throughout the season put us in a strong position to defend our title, but anything can happen in this sport and we knew that we had to show up ready to race well at the MAC meet. I was confident in what the team was capable of doing, but I was also nervous knowing that some of the other MAC teams were motivated to pull off the upset. I'm pleased that we were able to stick to what we did all season and come away with a strong performance.
Q: The team improved their standing from last season by 28 points (55 in 2015, 27 in 2016). What do you think allowed that big jump to happen?
SP: We were not entirely healthy last season and although we performed well, we did not have great depth. This season, everyone came back healthy and ready to go and there was a lot of competition for spots. We are all one team, but I don't think that it ever hurts to have healthy competition among team members to earn spots for the big meets. It has made everyone better as individuals and it has helped us get to the next level as a team.
Q: This marks the third consecutive year in which the team has also claimed the individual title. How important has it been to have that strong runner leading the team?
SP: It always helps to have that low number for your first runner. If your No. 1 runner scores one point, you are basically only scoring the next four and there is always extra motivation for the others to move up closer to that front runner. I believe that having a strong front runner helps everyone raise their level.
Q: Jordann McDermitt has consistently been the team's strongest harrier this season. What can you say about how she has done so far this season?
SP: Jordann never had a strong cross country season in high school, so success has come a bit slower for her than on the track. She is such a hard worker, a tough competitor, and a positive person, and it's nice to see all the hard work pay off for her this fall. Jordann put a lot of effort into doing some extra things this summer to make this a great season so I know this cross country title was special for her. I'm excited to see what she can do the rest of the season.
Q: Natalie Cizmas has really burst onto the scene this year, having some very strong races in her first cross country season. How has she progressed since getting to EMU, and what would you say has been the biggest factor in her improvement?
SP: Natalie came to EMU with very modest high school marks and she simply made the decision to commit herself to being the best runner that she could possibly be. It has not been an easy road, as her body was not ready for the type of work that she wanted to put in at first, but she was patient with the process and her hard work and toughness is beginning to pay off in a big way. She is a very talented and tough athlete who works incredibly hard and that's a hard combination to beat.
Q: Did the team have any sort of strategy that would be used during the race?
SP: We wanted to establish ourselves in that front pack but stay patient in the first part of the race. We've finished strong in all of our races so far this year, so we were confident that we would be able close well.
Q: The depth of the team looks to have been a strength this year, as evidenced by six runners finishing in the top-20 at the MAC Championships in comparison to last season's three. What would you say has been the biggest key to building depth on the team?
SP: We made a lot of progress last track season and we knew that if we built on the success that we had last winter and spring, we were going to be a lot deeper and a lot stronger than we were last cross country season. We added new runners to the mix compared to last fall and it made everyone better. One of our normal top six actually had a slight ankle sprain and did not have a strong race at the MAC meet, and we feel that she could have been among our top group as well. But it's been great to have more depth and know that if someone has an off day, the back up is there.
Q: What has it been like to see the program grow since you began coaching at EMU?
SP: When I first got to Eastern, we were towards the bottom of the MAC, and although we were able to move up to the middle of the conference within a few years, it was not an easy road to get to the top. After a disappointing MAC meet in 2012, we moved up to third the following year. Making that jump from sixth to third helped us believe that we could finally start thinking about contending for a title. We now have a talented group of hard working runners who all strive to compete at a very high level. It's been very rewarding to see the hard work pay off.
The Eagles will keep the postseason rolling next week, heading to the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, Friday, Nov. 11, in Madison, Wis.
Head Coach Sue Parks, who took over the program in 2006, now has her team soaring to new heights after finishing 11th in the conference in 2007. Parks took some time to discuss the team's improvement and how they performed last weekend at the MAC Championships.
Q: Last season, you guys were hunting for your first MAC title. What was it like this time around as the defending champions?
SP: It was nice knowing that our performances throughout the season put us in a strong position to defend our title, but anything can happen in this sport and we knew that we had to show up ready to race well at the MAC meet. I was confident in what the team was capable of doing, but I was also nervous knowing that some of the other MAC teams were motivated to pull off the upset. I'm pleased that we were able to stick to what we did all season and come away with a strong performance.
Q: The team improved their standing from last season by 28 points (55 in 2015, 27 in 2016). What do you think allowed that big jump to happen?
SP: We were not entirely healthy last season and although we performed well, we did not have great depth. This season, everyone came back healthy and ready to go and there was a lot of competition for spots. We are all one team, but I don't think that it ever hurts to have healthy competition among team members to earn spots for the big meets. It has made everyone better as individuals and it has helped us get to the next level as a team.
Q: This marks the third consecutive year in which the team has also claimed the individual title. How important has it been to have that strong runner leading the team?
SP: It always helps to have that low number for your first runner. If your No. 1 runner scores one point, you are basically only scoring the next four and there is always extra motivation for the others to move up closer to that front runner. I believe that having a strong front runner helps everyone raise their level.
Q: Jordann McDermitt has consistently been the team's strongest harrier this season. What can you say about how she has done so far this season?
SP: Jordann never had a strong cross country season in high school, so success has come a bit slower for her than on the track. She is such a hard worker, a tough competitor, and a positive person, and it's nice to see all the hard work pay off for her this fall. Jordann put a lot of effort into doing some extra things this summer to make this a great season so I know this cross country title was special for her. I'm excited to see what she can do the rest of the season.
Q: Natalie Cizmas has really burst onto the scene this year, having some very strong races in her first cross country season. How has she progressed since getting to EMU, and what would you say has been the biggest factor in her improvement?
SP: Natalie came to EMU with very modest high school marks and she simply made the decision to commit herself to being the best runner that she could possibly be. It has not been an easy road, as her body was not ready for the type of work that she wanted to put in at first, but she was patient with the process and her hard work and toughness is beginning to pay off in a big way. She is a very talented and tough athlete who works incredibly hard and that's a hard combination to beat.
Q: Did the team have any sort of strategy that would be used during the race?
SP: We wanted to establish ourselves in that front pack but stay patient in the first part of the race. We've finished strong in all of our races so far this year, so we were confident that we would be able close well.
Q: The depth of the team looks to have been a strength this year, as evidenced by six runners finishing in the top-20 at the MAC Championships in comparison to last season's three. What would you say has been the biggest key to building depth on the team?
SP: We made a lot of progress last track season and we knew that if we built on the success that we had last winter and spring, we were going to be a lot deeper and a lot stronger than we were last cross country season. We added new runners to the mix compared to last fall and it made everyone better. One of our normal top six actually had a slight ankle sprain and did not have a strong race at the MAC meet, and we feel that she could have been among our top group as well. But it's been great to have more depth and know that if someone has an off day, the back up is there.
Q: What has it been like to see the program grow since you began coaching at EMU?
SP: When I first got to Eastern, we were towards the bottom of the MAC, and although we were able to move up to the middle of the conference within a few years, it was not an easy road to get to the top. After a disappointing MAC meet in 2012, we moved up to third the following year. Making that jump from sixth to third helped us believe that we could finally start thinking about contending for a title. We now have a talented group of hard working runners who all strive to compete at a very high level. It's been very rewarding to see the hard work pay off.
The Eagles will keep the postseason rolling next week, heading to the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, Friday, Nov. 11, in Madison, Wis.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's XC
/ Women's XC
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