Senior Lindsay Parsons is a leader on and off the course.
Parsons Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) runs for the cross country team along with the track and field team. She has shown that she works hard on the course, and she puts that same effort into school.
Parsons has taken on a lot of new obstacles for this school year. She’s majoring in secondary English education in her pre-internship semester. She’ s been doing observations three days a week at Fruita Monument High School on top of training for fifteen hours a week.
“I’ve learned a lot of time management over the past few years, especially this semester,” Parsons said. “I barely have any time to breathe even with all that time management. I’ve just learned to take breaks when I need to and I’ve learned to prioritize what’s important, that’s school and running for me right now.”
Parsons is the only returning senior on the women’s cross country team, as she is one of the top runners for the Mavericks.
She has five RMAC All-Academic honor roll awards, and two personal best times posted last year.
As the only senior on the team, Parsons has naturally taken on a larger leadership role this year. Her leadership will be key to the team’s success because there are only a few girls returning from last year and their team is very freshman heavy.
“She’s in the leadership role this year for the whole team, keeping the team together, keeping the doing the great team culture that we’re after as well,” CMU Cross Country Head Coach, Tim Reetz, said.
One of Parson’s biggest strengths is her mental toughness.
“Hold onto the girls you think you are capable of running with, whether it be girls from my team or girls from other teams that I’ve raced against over the past few years that I know I can compete with,” Parsons said. Just hold on and try not to die during those middle miles, because that’s what I’ve always struggled with, and then to just push that last mile and make it count.”
The team’s goal is to win nationals, and Parsons will do whatever it takes to help her team accomplish this goal.
Senior Jerod Kuhn and freshman Kira Macgill said Parsons has a leg injury right now.
Both said that Parsons still does everything that she can to continue improving. This includes resting when needed, continuing to work hard and be a leader for her team.
Although Parsons wants to push through the pain. She knows it is not worth the risk of an even worse injury even though it is killing her not being out there with her team.
The Maverick’s first meet is Sept. 19 at 11:15 A.M. The Mountaineer/Cowboy Invite will be hosted by Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colo.
