TicketsCINCINNATI - Training for cross-country is not as easy at it looks. It takes time, commitment, and a whole lot of running to be able to get ready for big races.
Graduate student Alec Sandusky was no stranger to the preparation that goes into training when he transferred to Cincinnati in 2020 after running for three seasons at Northern Kentucky University. He said training is strategic, with a lot of structure.
"You have to have race specific workouts, it's not just going out there and running, it is going out there and running with a purpose. I think everything you do should have a purpose, so running isn't as simple as you think."
Sandusky originally came to UC with the plan to run one season as a Bearcat. He redshirted his senior season due to the hefty time commitment involved with student teaching, which presented him the opportunity to have one more year of eligibility. He started looking at schools for grad school, and Cincinnati caught his eye. It helped that a friend of his, Andrew Schille, was on the UC cross-country team at the time and had recently transferred from NKU himself.
"From him talking about his experiences it really pushed me over the edge. I visited here and a few other schools, but the opportunities I knew that I would get here made me think it was the place to be and the team around me really sealed that for me."
It also helped that a built-in training partner, cross-country superstar Aaron Bienenfeld, was also at UC and provided Sandusky an opportunity to train with an elite cross-country racer.
"Me coming in, I wanted to learn from him and see how good I could be. It really turned out to be a great partnership, we got to push each other. I believe that we surprised ourselves because we didn't think I'd be that good," Sandusky said. " I was able to push him to a whole new level. I think when you have someone that is willing to put in the effort and grind with you it just makes everything so much easier.
And grind together they did, as Sandusky and Bienenfeld proved to be a one-two punch for the Bearcats and elevated his running game.
At the 2020 AAC Cross-Country Championships, Bienenfeld finished third and Sandusky fifth, both earning All-Conference honors.
He also became the 18th man in program history to represent the Bearcats at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Sandusky set a new personal best in the 5,000 meter with a clocking of 13:43.02 at the Camel City Invitational, which projected him into the NCAA Top-10 and slated at No. 6 and No. 2 in the UC record book, respectively. In the 3,000 meter at the H-Town Speed City Series, he was able to set another personal best with a time of 7:53.78, enough for the NCAA's No. 12 spot and his second No. 2 spot in the UC's all-time record book.
At the 2021 Outdoor AAC Championships, he ran into second place with a final time of 29:55.97 to finish the 1-2 punch on the podium for the Bearcats and also qualified for the 2021 NCAA Outdoor East Regionals.
He credits running with Bienenfeld almost everyday in making him a stronger and faster runner.
"It sets you up for the big stage, you have someone that was already good enough to compete nationally, and then you have a major training partner. It just gets you ready for the moment. We both were able to do pretty big things and it was a really spectacular, fun season last year."
Despite the success of last season, it was also a unique one with the fall season inevitably being pushed to the Spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this change, along with the limited travel and competitions available to take part in, the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility for any student-athlete that competed in the 2020-21 season.
This provided Sandusky an opportunity to come back and race one more season collegiately and make an even bigger mark on the cross-country program. And so far, he's been strong this season.
At the Butler Twilight Invite this season, the men's team took first place of the six teams in attendance, claiming five of the top ten spots for UC. Sandusky placed first overall in the men's 6k with a time of 17:42.00, which also earned him AAC Male Runner of the Week on Sept. 7th.
At the Notre Dame Invitational he won his second race of the season in the men's Gold Division 5 mile with a time of 25:03.2, earning him his second AAC Male Runner of the Week award of the season on Oct. 5th.
The team is currently in the home stretch of their season, preparing first for the AAC Championships, and feel like they are running with a little chip on their shoulders.
"I think this year in the rankings, we feel we haven't gotten the credit that we deserve, but we haven't had the chance to go out and prove it yet. I think we can go out and shake it up front. Before, it was just Aaron going out there to try and battle the top. Now we have a team that I feel we can compete overall which is exciting for us."
The team has put in the work, and are ready to compete. But they know they have to focus on the task at hand.
"As much as we want to say we are good enough we have to go out there and prove it. This next stretch of the season is the most important, it is really where we have to hunker down and do the little things, and I think we have some really big things coming if we do that."
FOLLOW US
For up to the minute updates on race day and results, follow UC Track & Field/Cross Country (@GoBearcatsTFXC) on Twitter, Facebook (GoBearcatsTFXC) and Instagram (GoBearcatsTFXC) and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #BearcatsTFXC
Graduate student Alec Sandusky was no stranger to the preparation that goes into training when he transferred to Cincinnati in 2020 after running for three seasons at Northern Kentucky University. He said training is strategic, with a lot of structure.
"You have to have race specific workouts, it's not just going out there and running, it is going out there and running with a purpose. I think everything you do should have a purpose, so running isn't as simple as you think."
Sandusky originally came to UC with the plan to run one season as a Bearcat. He redshirted his senior season due to the hefty time commitment involved with student teaching, which presented him the opportunity to have one more year of eligibility. He started looking at schools for grad school, and Cincinnati caught his eye. It helped that a friend of his, Andrew Schille, was on the UC cross-country team at the time and had recently transferred from NKU himself.
"From him talking about his experiences it really pushed me over the edge. I visited here and a few other schools, but the opportunities I knew that I would get here made me think it was the place to be and the team around me really sealed that for me."
It also helped that a built-in training partner, cross-country superstar Aaron Bienenfeld, was also at UC and provided Sandusky an opportunity to train with an elite cross-country racer.
"Me coming in, I wanted to learn from him and see how good I could be. It really turned out to be a great partnership, we got to push each other. I believe that we surprised ourselves because we didn't think I'd be that good," Sandusky said. " I was able to push him to a whole new level. I think when you have someone that is willing to put in the effort and grind with you it just makes everything so much easier.
And grind together they did, as Sandusky and Bienenfeld proved to be a one-two punch for the Bearcats and elevated his running game.
At the 2020 AAC Cross-Country Championships, Bienenfeld finished third and Sandusky fifth, both earning All-Conference honors.
He also became the 18th man in program history to represent the Bearcats at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Sandusky set a new personal best in the 5,000 meter with a clocking of 13:43.02 at the Camel City Invitational, which projected him into the NCAA Top-10 and slated at No. 6 and No. 2 in the UC record book, respectively. In the 3,000 meter at the H-Town Speed City Series, he was able to set another personal best with a time of 7:53.78, enough for the NCAA's No. 12 spot and his second No. 2 spot in the UC's all-time record book.
At the 2021 Outdoor AAC Championships, he ran into second place with a final time of 29:55.97 to finish the 1-2 punch on the podium for the Bearcats and also qualified for the 2021 NCAA Outdoor East Regionals.
He credits running with Bienenfeld almost everyday in making him a stronger and faster runner.
"It sets you up for the big stage, you have someone that was already good enough to compete nationally, and then you have a major training partner. It just gets you ready for the moment. We both were able to do pretty big things and it was a really spectacular, fun season last year."
Alec Sandusky runs in for 🥈to get the 1-2 punch for the #Bearcats on the podium! pic.twitter.com/ImydBO1kH5
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) May 15, 2021
Despite the success of last season, it was also a unique one with the fall season inevitably being pushed to the Spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this change, along with the limited travel and competitions available to take part in, the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility for any student-athlete that competed in the 2020-21 season.
This provided Sandusky an opportunity to come back and race one more season collegiately and make an even bigger mark on the cross-country program. And so far, he's been strong this season.
At the Butler Twilight Invite this season, the men's team took first place of the six teams in attendance, claiming five of the top ten spots for UC. Sandusky placed first overall in the men's 6k with a time of 17:42.00, which also earned him AAC Male Runner of the Week on Sept. 7th.
An amazing start to the season for @AlecSandusky as he finished 1st in the men's 6k at the Butler Twilight Invite with a time of 17:42 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/FxSaf8aWuc
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) September 4, 2021
At the Notre Dame Invitational he won his second race of the season in the men's Gold Division 5 mile with a time of 25:03.2, earning him his second AAC Male Runner of the Week award of the season on Oct. 5th.
Alec Sandusky is 2 for 2 in first place finishes this season after winning the Gold Division at the Notre Dame Invite in 24:17.2 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/ejEL0aYm2o
— Cincinnati TF & XC (@GoBearcatsTFXC) October 1, 2021
The team is currently in the home stretch of their season, preparing first for the AAC Championships, and feel like they are running with a little chip on their shoulders.
"I think this year in the rankings, we feel we haven't gotten the credit that we deserve, but we haven't had the chance to go out and prove it yet. I think we can go out and shake it up front. Before, it was just Aaron going out there to try and battle the top. Now we have a team that I feel we can compete overall which is exciting for us."
The team has put in the work, and are ready to compete. But they know they have to focus on the task at hand.
"As much as we want to say we are good enough we have to go out there and prove it. This next stretch of the season is the most important, it is really where we have to hunker down and do the little things, and I think we have some really big things coming if we do that."
FOLLOW US
For up to the minute updates on race day and results, follow UC Track & Field/Cross Country (@GoBearcatsTFXC) on Twitter, Facebook (GoBearcatsTFXC) and Instagram (GoBearcatsTFXC) and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #BearcatsTFXC