Haleigh Spencer '19 Recruiting Profile

Cross country has taken over a large part of my life the last three years of high school. Now I know that you are familiar with the classic "sports story," but this really did change my view of how I think about the world. 

The first time I joined cross country, it was my sophomore year of high school. I was absolutely, utterly clueless. No one in my family had ever run a distance sport before, and I have to admit, I was a pretty bad runner at first. And I quickly found that out after running my first 5K, which was 39.49 minutes. But that first day of practice was the start of something I never would have envisioned I'd be doing today. 

The Davidson cross country team is more of a family than it is a team. It is the most close-knit, caring, hardworking team I have ever seen in my life. It's what kept me wanting to show up at seven a.m. to run every morning during summer vacation. Sometimes it was like being in a movie. Like some days when we would carpool to Prarie Oaks Metro Park. I'd be in the car with some of my teammates, while one of the upper classman drove, listening to music on the radio and seeing the sun rise across the cornfields as the fog lifted. Almost in slow motion, like I was free for those 20 minutes, and nothing else mattered. Those are moments I will never forget, and I will cherish forever. 

It is also the people on the team that really made cross country something I wished I would've started sooner. There are so many different types of personalities and traits on the team that it was fascinating to watch as an observer and be involved in. Now I am an upperclassman varsity runner and I get to mentor not only one, but three, "little sisters" on the team. I love those girls!

Adding to that, cross country has really lef me to appreciate a peace of mind. For whatever reason, when I was running after a while, there was a warm, blank feeling that clouded over my mind. A "runner's high." It was peaceful and quiet, and also surreal. For a moment, I forget about that upcoming project in class that is due, simplistic chores at work and at home. Just looking around me and seeing the warm, green leaves on the trees or hearing the soothing sound of gravel crunch underneath my toes - in a way it is very meditative.  It changed a part of me,  which I think is something that never could have happened had I not run cross country.

Running cross country has taught me that if I just focus on what I want to accomplish, I can achieve it, even if it is painful or difficult. It has taught me that I can accomplish things that I never thought that I could do because of the support of my family of teammates and my coaches. I really don't think that I could have improved so much as a runner without the support and encouragement of the other girls on my team, including my little sisters! 

I think that what sets me apart from a lot of other cross country runners is that I started cross country late compared to other runners, and I also had no distance running experience. I have been able to make huge improvements in my times in just two and a half years! I feel that this also helps to make me a great team member, since I know that it is possible to improve yourself if you just make the commitment to doing your absolute best! I think that when you are able to commit to do your best every single practice and every single race, it shows that you are willing to work hard, to do your best not only for yourself but also for your team. This shows that you are willing to push through the hard times and focus on achieving not only your own goal or PR but the team's. This is how I want to continue to go through life, whether it is studying for a test, solving a problem at work, or competing in sports. 

I am hoping to study either biology or some form or engineering in college. I am hoping that I can join a college level women's cross country team that will help me to be successful in college, just like my high school team has helped me in high school. I know that I can make a positive contribution to any team, by always doing my best, but most of all, encouraging my teammates and helping them be their own personal best too.

My high school cross country experience isn't over yet, and I am hoping to do even better over the winter as we go into indoor training with track. I am really excited to compete with track in the Spring!

I think that I would be a good candidate for any college team because I am committed to doing my best, and being the best teammate that I can be.