Fellowship Christian Student Prepares for National Cross Country Championship

Submitted by John Heid, sports information director at Fellowship Christian School

Fellowship Christian School junior Emma Grace Hurley will compete in the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships.

The race will be held at Morley Field at Balboa Park in San Diego on Saturday, Dec. 13. The girls’ race begins at 9:15 a.m. Pacific Standard Time (12:15 p.m Eastern Standard Time).

Last month, the GHSA Single A state champion finished seventh among 177 runners in the 3.1-mile Foot Locker Cross Country South Regional held on at McAlpine Greenway in Charlotte, N.C., to qualify for the national race.

Earlier this week Hurley received a ring to commemorate her state championship, the first-ever state title for a FCS athlete.

Hurley recently chatted about Saturday’s race:

Question: What are your highlights for the season?

Hurley: The major goals I set for myself at the beginning of the season were to be top three at state and finish in the top 30 at the Foot Locker South Regional Meet. Based on my goals – my highlights would have to be winning state and placing seventh at Foot Locker South to qualify for Nationals. Another highlight would have to be how excited Coach Lindner was at the State meet and having him there to cheer on our girls’ team. It was such an amazing privilege to win the first state title for our school!

Question: How did you prepare for the San Diego race?

Hurley: I continued to train after Charlotte -- though at a lower intensity and running less mileage. My goal was to be rested and also ready to run my best at the meet.

Question: What was the field like at the Charlotte race?

Hurley: Running in a field of so many great runners was surreal! I remember looking around during the race and seeing girls ranked in the top spots in the nation that I had been hearing about all season, and hardly being able to believe I was running with them.

Question: What makes you click as a runner?

Hurley: I love to run. I feel God has given me a gift and it’s also my passion. I want to do everything I can to use that gift to the best of my ability to bring Him glory.

Photo credit: Fellowship Christian School