The Race to a Legacy Never Ends

Editor’s Note: Brianna Robles is a senior at Adams State, the reigning NCAA Division 2 indoor and outdoor champion in the 5,000 meters, and a seven-time All-American for the Grizzlies. She secured sixth place last year in Tampa, Fla., to help lead Adams State to a record 19th Division 2 women’s cross country team title. The Grizzlies have an opportunity to set the collegiate all-time mark by capturing a 20th NCAA cross country crown Dec. 2 at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash., breaking a tie with North Central College in Illinois, which has won 19 Division 3 men’s championships. Adams State is scheduled to compete Oct. 15 at the Highlander Invitational at the Ag-Ops Course in Riverside, Calif.

By Brianna Robles for DyeStat

The Adams State cross country team is always followed by a six-letter word: legacy.

This program has been impacted by many individuals whose character, courage and beliefs go way beyond the finish line.

These characteristics open the door to lifelong memories that will create stories that will be told for generations.

This legacy that has been built for decades isn’t about the hundreds of All-American trophies or the 32 NCAA Division 2 national titles — 19 women and 13 men since 1992 — that this cross country program is known for, but more so it’s all about the little details that take place in the small town of Alamosa, Colorado.

Each year is another opportunity to work towards greatness, with no limitations. There’s always the questions of “why” and “how” is this program so successful year after year and the simple answer is belief.

We know that by trusting in this program and in the coaches around us, we will continue to grow as runners, as teammates, and as human beings.

Year after year it’s a new beginning for the Adams State cross country teams as there are unspoken expectations to surpass what was done the previous year.

It isn’t demanded of us, but there is discipline that comes naturally from how much we believe and invest in the program as a whole.

A new team is formulated that may or may not have returners from the top seven national lineup, but in the end, whoever is on that line at the NCAA meet represents every ounce of sweat and the tears of every person that has invested into this program.

However, none of this team’s success would be possible if it wasn’t for Coach Damon Martin, whose personality and training philosophies have given us each the opportunity to chase excellence.

Coach Martin is someone who is willing to go above and beyond to give each of us a chance to show up on race day and not only just participate but leave a memorable impact on those around us. He is a man who has changed many of our perceptions as he taught us the most important secret there is to running is believing in ourselves.

“Coach Martin is someone who is a self-proclaimed ‘believer’ if you show him that you’re willing to do the work and show up each day and do the little things like he asks of everyone then he is going to continue to invest in you and help you become the great athlete that he already believes you can be,” said Emily Schoellkopf, a member of the program for three years.

The dynamic that is created between us and our relationship with Coach Martin is formed by trust, which he emphasizes almost every day that part of this process is trusting the guidance he gives us.

Trust is something that is essential in a team dynamic, as once the gun goes off, we have no control over how the race will play out, but we trust that each and every one of us wearing the Adams State name across our chest is going to give it our all until the end.

“The overall expectation is to chase excellence and when combining each individual’s desire to pursue excellence it becomes even more motivating because we’re all working towards a common goal and we’re there to push each other each day,” Schoellkopf said.

This common goal that we all share doesn’t stop once we have met those goals, but serve as stepping stones for when we approach a bigger stage at nationals.

Despite the fact that our team consists of athletes being from so many unique backgrounds, it allows us to have different voices and perceptions, which are used towards allowing our standard and expectations to be greater as we move forward with each season.

There is this sense of evolution we each encounter throughout the years, as the more we invest into our training and develop a strong mindset, we are able to challenge our previous self. Within this program, in order for us to be able to function as whole, we each individually have to come to the understanding that we have a role to acquire and that is to overcome the negative voice in our heads when it becomes too strenuous.

Morgan Hykes, a sophomore, discusses how the belief system of the team reflects how we are able to push beyond our limits.

“We are a team full of athletes who are dreamers and want more than winning,” Hykes said. “That ripples into every teammate pushing each other day after day making us a force.”

This program has so much to offer us, as it teaches us to mature as runners, but also mold us into being able to function and thrive in an atmosphere where we understand the road to greatness is not given but earned.

When it comes to the championship portion of our season, every race is treated the same as we focus on just believing in each other and the work we have invested in the past couple of months.

When it comes down to each individual athlete on this team, we know the significant impact we can make if we stay grounded and focused on what’s ahead of us.

“This program attracts great athletes. We have people from various regions of the world that are coming here to either finish their eligibility or start from the start as a freshman,” Hykes said. “With that, we are surrounded by greatness from everywhere. That diversity allows us to learn from each other and grow as something more powerful than other programs.”

The approach we have when it comes to any casual run, workout and race day is not to work towards winning, but to promise each other that we will go out there and bleed green.

The way we pursue greatness is to approach it like it’s the very first time doing so, even if it has happened before.

Each time we stand on the line with our hair braided, with green and black ribbons tied up in a tiny bow wrapped around our ponytails, as we each hold each other’s hands which are nicely painted with green nail polish, we hold onto the trust we have in each other, in our coach and everyone that believes in us succeeding.

In the end, we know that once that gun goes off and we stride off into the beginning portion of the race with our adrenaline rushing, our hearts and our minds are prepared to fight for something bigger than ourselves — the Adams State legacy.