CSU cross country retains leaders, chemistry

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

August 19, 2024

Courtesy of CSU Athletics | Olivia Allen

Good things come in pairs.

Colorado State cross country was unexpectedly graced with the return of two top runners for the 2024 season. Coach Kelly Hart received news from all-conference runners Quinn McConnell and Lars Mitchel this summer regarding their status with the team. The outlook of the team and its chemistry will benefit greatly from this new development.

The women’s team is already coming off of an impressive year with a team Mountain West Conference championship. Retaining a veteran leader will help the next ones up.

“Lars — I had no clue,” Hart said. “He just told me kind of out of the blue. Quinn—I knew she was thinking about it. She texted me and said, ‘I did my run on the grass today.’ I kind of knew what she meant by that.”

Knowledge carries great value in many sports, and cross country is no different.

“In cross country, experience goes a really, really long way,” Hart said. “The leadership they bring to the rest of the team, the confidence they’re going to give their teammates.”

With promising young runners on the team this year, the guidance from upperclassmen will be essential. The chemistry within the team will have to repeat that of last season.

“All the women, I think, will benefit from having Quinn back,” Hart said. “The men’s team at regionals last year — that was their best performance. They all just talked about looking around and seeing each other, which was why they just kept pushing, kept holding on to the pace even when they thought they couldn’t.”

Following a strong 2023, the Rams will kick off their year Aug. 30 with a meet in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.

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About the Contributors

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

Michael Hovey is one of the sports editors for The Rocky Mountain Collegian, facilitating the sports desk, collaborating with reporters and writing pieces of his own. He joined the newspaper in February and has greatly appreciated all the opportunities that have come with the organization. After settling on a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, Hovey stumbled upon The Collegian at the recommendation of a friend. Writing news stories gave him a deeper connection to Colorado State University and its community, making his studies that much more meaningful. Having played numerous sports at a fairly mediocre level, Hovey jumped at the opportunity to cover Division I sporting events. He now gets the chance to surround himself with talented writers, artists and athletes while exercising his preferred form of the English language. Hovey's favorite part of the job is meeting new people and learning about the things they’ve dedicated their lives to. The most surprising part has been the extraneous passions he’s discovered in nearly each one of these people. Hovey’s main goal this year is to foster discovery and allow people in athletics to show a separate side of themselves that may not generally be known. His secondary goal: Try not to stutter on a national broadcast. If not working at The Collegian, Hovey can be found engaging in outdoor activities, finding something tasty or listening to hip-hop.

Damon Cook, Sports Editor

Damon Cook is returning as one of the sports editors for fall 2024 at the The Collegian. He's been at the paper since August 2022. After starting as a construction management major at Colorado State University, Cook quickly found out he didn't have a passion for it. After taking a year off, he realized he could work in sports — something he has always been passionate about. So with newfound aspirations, he switched his major to journalism and media communication to chase those dreams. After a year of working as a beat writer covering volleyball and women's basketball, Cook took over as sports editor in summer 2023. Since then, he has become established in reporting on football and men's basketball and looks forward to providing that coverage this upcoming season. Cook will begin his third semester as the sports editor before graduating in December, having borne witness to some of CSU's historic feats. His passion for bringing readers the best coverage has only grown. Having started in the wake of a complete overhaul of The Collegian sports desk, Cook has watched the desk grow considerably, thanks to the efforts of so many amazing people he gets the pleasure of working alongside. Having learned so many things from so many people, including to never wear a tie, Cook looks forward to helping The Collegian sports desk reach heights never imagined before. With a much greater understanding of the power of words, one of Cook's inspirational quotes for this upcoming year has been from Eric Cartman in South Park: "Respect my authoritah."

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