The RoundHouse | 8/30/2019 2:24:00 PM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Wichita State junior Yazmine Wright fell in love with cross country, which isn't always easy to do – especially for a sprinter. There is heat and cold, mixed with dust and mud, topped by long, long runs. Sometimes, exhaustion, collapse and vomit await at the finish line.
 
"The only reason I did cross country in high school was to help improve my 400 time," she said. "It wasn't anything I was super-good at, so I had zero intentions of doing it in college."
 
Things changed, in part because coaches talked her into it, in part because she loved her teammates and because she turned out to be quite good at longer distances. As a junior, Wright is a key member of the Shocker women's cross country team that won the 2018 American Athletic Conference title. 
 
At the conference meet, Wright finished 18^thin the 6-kilometer run (with a time of 23 minutes, 32.9 seconds). Champion Winny Koskei (21:51.96), third-place finisher Rebekah Topham (22:16.50) and No. 26 Rita Schnacker (23:50.66) also return. 
 
"I've had them go the other way, where they're longer distances and they go shorter," coach Kirk Hunter said. "That's pretty dramatic, going from 400 to, this year, asking if she can run a 3-kilometer. It's an unusual direction for an athlete. I've never had anyone like that."
 
Wichita State opens the season on Saturday at the Bob Timmons Classic in Lawrence, although the top runners will hold off their 2019 debut until the JK Gold Classic on Sept. 7.
 
Wright's switch from a 400-meter runner played a key role in that title and her continued growth means as much. Last spring, she helped the women's team win the outdoor track and field AAC title by finishing fifth in the 1,500 and sixth in the 800. Her time of 2:11 in the indoor 800 ranks fifth on WSU's career list. Outdoors, she ranks sixth in the 800 (2:10.76) and ninth in the 1,500 (4:29.39).
 
"It's crazy, because it's a huge range," Schnacker said. "For her, I know moving up to those longer distances was something she really had to change her mind-set on. She is used to racing only two minutes or less. In cross country, it's over 20 minutes. With the longer distances, you have to keep reminding yourself to keep making it a lot bit farther, a little bit farther until you get to the end of the race."
 
Wright, who won the Class 6A 400-meter dash in 2016 for Hutchinson High School, arrived at Wichita State recruited by sprints coach John Wise. Because of her interest in the 800, she checked with Hunter and started splitting her workouts. 
 
As a freshman, she gradually focused on the 800 instead of the 400 and her distance career grew from there.
 
"It also has a lot to do with the people who are on the distance team," she said. "Without the people, it wouldn't have happened the same way. Everyone is really supportive and we all get each other. We really push each other in workouts and it's just a good time."
 
Cross country fosters that team attitude in a way that is sometimes different from indoor and outdoor track. Check the cheers at the finish line at any cross country race to see competitors rooting for each other in a way that doesn't happen in sprints.
 
"It's way more team-oriented," Schnacker said. "The goal is more for the team, for a lot people, and that's how we're able to work together."
 
The support and the success helped Wright defeat some of cross country's obstacles.
 
"I did not enjoy doing long-distance runs when I got here," she said. "When you're a sprinter, you get to go on the indoor track for everything. I did not enjoy having to run in the cold every single day. I definitely think it makes you tougher."
 
Wright prepared for this fall by upping her summer mileage to 60-65 miles a week. 
 
"I think she's just going to continue to get better and better," Hunter said. "She's basically training right with Rebekah and Winnie. We haven't done anything massive yet, but those are two All-Americans. It's the best I've ever seen her."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.