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…
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