Spencer Glubay, Walla Walla University senior bioengineering major, finished 48th out 335 cross-country runners at the 64th annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics cross-country meet. The race was hosted by the Cascade Collegiate Conference in Vancouver, Washington, on Nov. 22, 2019. The competition took place over a 5-mile (8-kilometer) grass track at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
Glubay ran a time of 25:52.8, crossing the line one minute and 13 seconds behind the first-place finisher Mark Shaw, a senior from Oklahoma City University. “It was absolutely amazing weather for a race,” Glubay says. “I didn’t start out as fast as I usually do, so I got stuck in about 70th place for the first two laps. I was stressed at the beginning because it was so crowded, but during the last two laps I was making up a lot of ground. I just tried to run relaxed and push myself.”
WWU added cross-country as a varsity sport in 2018. Cross-country involves running on natural terrain, such as grass or dirt, and may include hills, woods and other natural features.
Glubay hopes to continue long-distance running, including marathons and triathlons. Last summer he qualified for the Boston Marathon. Glubay says, “Some lessons I’ve learned from running are that life isn’t easy and there is always someone better than you, but you get out what you put in. If you put the time into something, you’ll reap the reward for the time you put into it.”
Spencer Glubay
