Running Man: My cross country family

By Joey Schwindt
Sports Writer

I have had the pleasure of being a part of the LCC cross country and track programs these last couple of years.

Since moving to Lansing last July from my hometown of Empire, which is three and a half hours north of here, Coach James Robinson and my teammates have made this feel like a second home for me.

Coming out of high school, I did not boast the fastest times and was not heavily recruited. I decided to make a big decision in visiting LCC on Halloween of my senior year of high school.

On that visit, I sensed this was the place for me, and Coach Robinson offered me a spot on the team. That same night, I contacted him and let him know I committed to becoming a Star.  

If I had the opportunity to go back to that day, I would make the same decision, as my time here so far has been life changing. Throughout my year here, I have met so many lifelong friends that I consider to be family. 

I currently live in an apartment in Lansing with four other teammates, and am in the same building as many more teammates. This allows us to hang out all the time and become even closer.

When it comes to the running side of things, Coach Robinson’s training has made a huge impact on me. Since coming to LCC I have improved by 5K time by over a minute, and am becoming increasingly faster.

In early October at the Louisville Classic Cross Country Invitational meet in Kentucky, I ran my personal best in the 8K race; I averaged 5:25 a mile for a nearly five-mile race. This is something I would have never seen myself doing coming out of high school, when I averaged 5:45 a mile in my best race for 3.1 miles.

I appreciate Coach Robinson for this great opportunity and am looking forward to the rest of my time as a Star.