Dec 10, 2015 By Mitchell Kendra managing Editor 9 min read

It’s November 21, and sophomore Julie Gerber is standing at the starting line for the last time this season. It’s the last race, and by far the biggest. The entire season has built up to this point.

The starting line is crowded as 280 of the best Division III runners in the country are waiting for the gun to go off for the 2015 NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championships to begin.

In Winneconne, Wisconsin, Gerber is a long way from her small college campus in southwestern Pennsylvania, but that’s okay: she is writing a new chapter in the Waynesburg University women’s cross-country history book.

The chapter begins with the crack of the pistol.

Becoming the first man or woman at Waynesburg University to make it to the national race in cross-country, Gerber wants to keep her eyes on her next goal, being one of the elite runners in the country. Although she said afterwards that she realized this race, just like any other race this season, gave her jitters at the starting line.

“I was definitely just excited to start the race and just see what would unfold throughout the race,” said Gerber.

The only runner from the President’s Athletic Conference to compete in the race, Gerber crossed the finish line in 114th in the field of 280 runners.

Gerber was ready for the race both mentally and physically, but admitted afterwards the environment of the large starting line and the crowd of fans was overwhelming.

Head coach Chris Hardie said athletes do better in situations they are comfortable with: familiar courses, with familiar routines, familiar fans supporting them, amongst many other variables.

The first step in comforting Gerber was by taking some fans to the meet. Since none of Gerber’s teammates qualified for the race, she brought along people who have known Gerber longer than just a season or two.

Gerber was accompanied by her grandmother – who went on her first ever plane ride – as she joined Gerber’s parents, coach Hardie along with assistant coach Michelle Cross and her three month old baby, Gilbert.

After the group arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it traveled the last part of the journey to Winneconne, Wisconsin, where the race was being held. This is when step two of comforting Gerber came into play: Hardie said that it was important for Gerber to have the opportunity to preview the course several times before the race, and therefore the group left a day early so that Gerber could experience the course more.

Gerber continued to run on the course and then later sat down with the coaches to put together a plan for the race. Due to the fact that they arrived late at night, Gerber was the last one on the course that evening.

“The family and I just sat in the van while we were watching Julie with the headlights on,” said Hardie. “It was neat because it was the national championships and no one was there, [since] we go there late. We were the last ones to leave; we shut the lights off… It’s a good memory that we will have.”

She continued to examine the course, studying it for a while – something that Hardie had no problem with.

Hardie said this showed Gerber’s character: after showing up when they did she could’ve simply went for a quick run until it got dark and called it a night, but instead she wanted to truly feel the course and see what it was like before leaving for the evening, and therefore stayed a long time going over it and over it, turn after turn, step after step.

He said this was additional evidence that Gerber wasn’t just going to come and go through the motions at the meet, but that she was really going to prepare herself for this race as she had for all of the ones before it. Hardie had spoken with Gerber about being engaged throughout the races several times before the trip so that when the race came she would be aggressive and keep making surges throughout the race when she needed to.

The race was held at Lake Breeze Golf Club so in another way of comforting Gerber, Hardie related the course back to one last season that was also held at a golf course. Hardie said if he could make Gerber visualize the similar course from last year – where she was successful at – then she could have a repeat performance as she would be more at ease.

Hardie said while the course may be new, the preparation is the same.

Gerber acknowledged after the race that previewing the course like she did was very helpful during the race.

Cross said that one of the amazing things about Gerber is her attention to detail. Cross saw that when Gerber was previewing the course – which she did both Thursday night and Friday morning before the race on Saturday – she was taking into account as much information about it that she possibly could, in order to be as ready for the race as possible.

Cross, Hardie and Gerber spoke and Gerber was well-aware on how to handle the turns during the race and when the wind would be most challenging. While finding areas that the wind would be most problematic was possible, the cold temperature was something that all of the runners had to face.

Hardie said if he could use one word to describe Gerber this season it would be preparation.

“[Gerber is] better prepared than anyone I have ever coached,” said Hardie. “By far.”

Cross said the thing about Gerber is the small decisions that she makes every day that turn out to be big in the long run, such as the diet she follows during the season and the strict weight lifting and running programs she follows, only to name a few.

“She’s willing to pay attention to the details and when it comes down to it that’s what really ends up making a champion, so I really appreciate that about her,” said Cross.

Although there was a banquet that included all of the runners, wanting to keep Gerber as comfortable and familiar with the past as possible, the group ordered Olive Garden for her because it was something they knew she could eat the night before the race and that the familiarity would help the comforting process of keeping her focused on the race and keeping her stress level to a minimum.

While Gerber had goals of placing in the top 100 and possibly in the top 35 in order to receive the All-American status that she did not achieve, she was very satisfied with her time of 22.25. After running at nationals once, Gerber now knows what it takes to make it back again next year and only 24 hours after the race she had already set goals for next season.

“I definitely would’ve liked to place higher but I’ll take this more as a learning experience and then hopefully next year, if I’m able to go again, really try and work on my place and hopefully reach the All-American placing,” said Gerber.

Hardie said Gerber’s three personal goals for the 2016 season are to finish first in the PAC, to run well enough at regionals to qualify for nationals and then to be in the top 100 at nationals, possibly low enough to receive the All-American status.

Gerber and her two coaches believe that the goals Gerber has set for next year are obtainable because of her work ethic, preparation and determination.

Hardie said Cross and assistant coach Laurel Rush are the “real geniuses behind the plan” as they are the ones who work close with Gerber with the training plan. Hardie said they are responsible for the amount of mileage for the runners and the pacing of the training and that the two assistant coaches “put the athletes in great places.”

Hardie said he was glad Cross had the opportunity to travel with Gerber to nationals because Cross works exceptionally well with Gerber and having her at the race was “a great support network.”

No matter where Gerber finished, her coaches said they are proud of her because of what she has accomplished up to this point and the fact that they know she will always give her all during every race in order to get better and strive to reach her goals.

“We are definitely really excited and incredibly proud of her. Obviously this is a historic moment for Waynesburg, so there are a lot of things that go along with that,” said Cross. “But it’s been a pleasure coaching her and just helping her through everything. We’re not only helping her get better as an athlete, but also through life and school.”

Cross and Rush help with the team significantly when it comes to practices in terms of numbers and coach Hardie said they don’t always get the credit they deserve. Gerber commented on her tight relationship with Cross.

“At the beginning of this season after my race at Bethany [College] I sat down and talked with [Coach Cross] and she really helped me get through some things,” said Gerber. “And she’s just always been somebody to stay positive and always encourage me not only in athletics but in academics. I really owe a lot of this too her: just knowing what workouts to do and just listening to what I want to do as well – like if I wanted to go get more mileage in – she’s very adaptable to those types of things. I think she just brings a great spirit to the team too. She’s definitely been like a very big influence.”

The experience of being the first Yellow Jacket to go to nationals is something that Hardie, Cross and Gerber said they all will remember.

“It was just really really cool to see her on the starting line, that’s something I won’t ever forget,” said Cross on being able to travel with Hardie and coach Gerber at the national level for the first time in her coaching career.

Gerber said she hopes her success is repeated in the future with improved results, but also hopes her teammates are able to join her at next year’s national championships as a team.

“I really hope that it paves the path for other people to hopefully go and opens up that door, because we definitely have the potential on the team,” said Gerber. “We know more now what we have to do in order to get there so hopefully it just sets the pace for good things to come.”