Sept. 18, 2014

Throughout the fall, GamecocksOnline will catch up with members of the women’s cross country team for a feature called The 6K. This edition features junior Anna Todd of Spartanburg, S.C.

When did you start competing competitively?
My dad got me into it. He’s been a runner his whole life so he got me to join the cross country team at my high school. We started competing against other schools in seventh grade; in elementary school it was more for fun and to teach us about running. I played soccer all through elementary school and middle school so that was my main focus for awhile.

What has been your favorite memory as an athlete?
Traveling in general with the team, especially with the track team. We’ve had so many cool experiences, just being able to travel to different meets and watch different professional athletes compete has been a great experience.

What do you like most about running cross country and distance events?
I love the team aspect. We train every day so we become really close so that’s been cool. The team changes every year so we get to meet a whole group of new people.

What have been the challenges of being a student-athlete?
Balancing school with running. Traveling so much, with missing classes, it’s hard, but running cross country keeps you disciplined. You just have to manage your time well, but it’s definitely worth it.

How do you mentally prepare yourself for longer races?
The more you race, the more experience you get and the more you expect. You get familiar with your competition so it might not get easier, but you get more comfortable, less jittery, less nervous depending on the race.

How did it feel winning the first race you competed in this season?
It felt good. I knew that the whole team was ready to do well. It wasn’t really about individual placing as much as how the team did. I was really happy with the individual performance and just the overall performance of the team. It’s a confidence booster going into Charlotte for everyone to be prepared for the 6K.

The Gamecocks next competition will be on Sept. 26 as they travel to Charlotte, N.C., to compete in the Charlotte Invitational at 6 p.m., at McAlpine Creek Park.