Oct 7, 2014 5 min read

When Ringgold senior cross country runner Kirsten McMichael crossed the finished line at the Big South Invitational Sept. 25 at Mingo Park, a familiar yet exhilarating feeling overcame her.

After a grueling four months in which she was forced to alter her running form after 10 years, McMichael took first place at the conference meet for the third year in a row with a time of 19:43.7.

She was not alone, either. Her teammate, sophomore Sarah Lucas, took second place. On the boys side, Ringgold senior Noah Smith took first place (16:29.2) and senior Will Jourdain took sixth.

McMichael’s mother and coach, Jennifer Lejeune-McMichael, has seen the cross country program at Ringgold grow, thanks to the athletes approaching the sport with determination and passion. It’s starting to pay dividends with a strong senior class and an energized group of underclassmen.

“Ringgold is definitely on the rise. The kids have placed higher expectations on themselves,” Lejeune-McMichael said. “They hold themselves accountable now. Now, they’ve really bought into the program and success. We’re not there yet. Individually, we have some shining stars and we have some future stars.”

While McMichael embraced the feeling of returning to her true form, watching her teammates celebrate the victory was just as sweet. Few sports require the support of teammates like cross country. When injuries occur or results are disappointing, familiar faces are needed to deliver motivation.

Watching the scene at Mingo Park that day, McMichael could not help but reflect on how far she has come. Days after qualifying for the WPIAL Individual Track & Field Championships last May, McMichael decided to visit a doctor about a pain in her right leg.

She suspected shin splints, but received unexpected news – there was a stress fracture in her right tibia. McMichael was told she could not run for at least two months. More discouraging was the cause of the injury. While most stress fractures result from over-training, McMichael’s came from the running form she used for 10 years.

“That was kind of a shock. I knew it was painful and it hurt, but I guess I have a high pain tolerance” McMichael said. “I wasn’t expecting it to be that bad. That was hard to sit out the rest of the season.”

McMichael’s summer was spent going from physical therapy to the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine in Pittsburgh, where she underwent strengthening and form training with UPMC Director of Sports Performance Training, Ron DeAngelo, who has worked with former NFL players, Pitt’s football team and track athletes.

McMichael performed a form analysis to see what was putting added pressure on her right leg. The result was a surprise.

“When you run, you are supposed to be mid-foot striding and I was field striking really bad. I was basically racing with the brakes on,” McMichael said. “I was putting an unnecessary amount of pressure on my shin. I spent the majority of my summer going to physical therapy, strengthening and completely changing my 10 years of bad form. That’s been quite a process. It’s been crazy.”

McMichael’s hectic schedule was nothing new. She is accustomed to spending countless hours training, but this was different. Mornings were spent at physical therapy, then to form and strength training and finally, workouts with her teammates two or three days a week.

The frustratingly slow results have not hurt Ringgold this fall. While the girls are still competing in Class AAA, the combination of McMichael, Lucas and junior Janika Hutton give the Rams a shot at the WPIAL team title. The Ringgold boys moved down to Double-A and is one of the strongest teams with Smith and Jourdain.

Lejeune-McMichael echoed her daughter’s words of the importance a team concept can have in the sport. When McMichael broke the news to Lucas and Hutton, her partners on the 3,200-meter relay team during track season, they broke into tears. The two have been by their teammate’s side ever since, giving words of encouragement and keeping McMichael positive through the tedious task of changing her form.

“Cross country is crazy. If you asked any coach from any cross country team, they’re like a family,” Lejeune-McMichael said. “They support one another. When they are down or injured, they rally around each other. The first person cheers the last one who crosses the line.”

McMichael was unable to resume running until July and could not do regular workouts until August. The start of the season did not reflect her position as one of the top female distance runners in the WPIAL, but the victory at Mingo Park was a refreshing reminder that changing the way she runs has not slowed her down. It also helped having a group of teammates rallying around her when training became an agonizing process.

With the Washington-Greene County Coaches’ Meet scheduled for Monday on the same Mingo Park course, and the WPIAL Championships at Cooper Lake Oct. 23, McMichael and the Rams are preparing for another postseason run. McMichael qualified for the PIAA Championships a year ago. Running without the brakes should help.

“I didn’t start the season quite where I wanted to be, but the conference win at Mingo Park was a good kick start for me to realize I can still do this, I’m still fast,” McMichael said. “I’m getting there. It’s just going to take me longer than I’m used to, but I’ll be there when I need to be.”