LARAMIE, Wyo. (October 8, 2020) – Wyoming's distance runners were primed for a strong outdoor track & field season in March. They were one of the top groups at the Mountain West Indoor Championships, and looked forward to four more months of competitive racing.
 
But the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the outdoor season was cancelled. Luckily for distance runners, they don't have to wait too long to compete again, as cross country was scheduled to start in the fall. But this fall hasn't gone as it usually does, and the cross country season was postponed. However, two competition seasons in a row being altered hasn't brought Wyoming's distance runners down.
 
"Back in March, the outdoor season was cancelled, and we put a lot of focus on pushing for this fall," said head cross country coach Scott Dahlberg. "We said everything we were going to do in the summer would benefit this cross country season. Fast forward to August when cross country season was postponed, we took a step back and told ourselves to focus on what we can do right now and see how fast we can get by Thanksgiving break. We still put in the work, and we know we're going to get the benefit from what we're doing now, it's just going to be a little longer until we can showcase it. We're just focusing on the moment and seeing how fast we can get before Thanksgiving break."
 
The Cowboys and Cowgirls have taken these changes in stride, stayed positive and learned a valuable lesson in the process. Dahlberg said the teams have learned to focus on what they can control and be thankful for what they have.
 
"Inevitably, there are a few athletes that hit some peaks and valleys, but overall the attitude has been pretty positive for as many obstacles that seem to surface out of nowhere," Dahlberg said. "Obviously, we're making an emphasis on controlling our attitudes, trying to stay positive. We're putting a lot more focus into those types of things that we're able to have control on."
 
When trying to get the best out of a tough situation for athletes, the chance to compete is usually a welcome strategy. And without the chance to compete against other schools, Dahlberg has put his teams in a position to compete against each other and against themselves.
 
"We're going to do a series of things to keep that engagement and monitor progress," Dahlberg said. "We did a time trial a few weeks ago, we had some fun last week with some co-ed, intrasquad relays at a distance that was comparable and fun. We're going to do a fun intrasquad cross country race next week, hopefully without smoke, and then we're going to do another time trial in November whenever it works into that schedule best leading into the break."

In order to truly track how his athletes have progressed, Dahlberg said they'll do the second time trial at the same location as the first and at the same distances. This year is especially important for Wyoming's distance athletes to improve, as both teams are on the young side.
 
The majority of the Cowboy team are sophomores or younger, while there isn't a single senior on the Cowgirl team. Even with the lack of experience and time in the program, Dahlberg is pleased with what he's seen so far from his squads.
 
"The camaraderie right now seems to be really good right now," Dahlberg said. "They are young, but there are some young leaders emerging naturally. They seem like they're doing things the right way and leading within their own personalities in a great way. They've put a lot of that on themselves. Both men and women, we have some really good leaders who have stepped into that role seamlessly."
 
For a lot of the younger athletes on the team, there is one positive to having no competitions this fall. They have more chances to run in scenic areas around Laramie without wearing down before a race. This fall, the Cowboys and Cowgirls have been able to run in Happy Jack, the Snowy Mountains and on trails around town.
 
"We've really tried to get to as many cool places to run as possible, whether that's going west to the Snowy Mountains when we could, or going to Happy Jack," Dahlberg said. "The Pilot Hill parcel has opened up, and I know some of the team has been running up past the water tower for some of their runs. That's something that we really have tried to put more focus on, too, is getting to as many places as we can to keep it enjoyable."
 
One thing is for sure when it comes to the Cowboys and Cowgirls: when they are able to compete again, they will be ready.
 
"The athletes right now have responded tremendously and taken it upon themselves to really make the most of the situation," Dahlberg said.