Freshman Kathryn Ducommun is running cross-country for the first time in her life, but she says she is up to the challenge.
While being raised in Manvel, Texas, Ducommun helped her high school track team win the district and regional championship in 2008. Ducommun was also a state runner-up in track.
Even though the season is still young, she already sees the differences between high school and college sports, especially in what is expected of athletes.
‘It’s a lot different now because our workouts are a lot harder,’ Ducommun said.’
Ducommun and the rest of the Cougars had a decent showing in the highly-competitive Notre Dame Invitational. Ducommun placed third among the Cougars with a time of 19:08, just behind sophomore Brandi Witte, who had a time of 18:55.’
Ducommun credits her success to her preseason work with head coach Ryan Turner.’
‘(Turner) started me off in the summer, so I went through a lot more summer training,’ Ducommun said. ‘When I got here, I started running with the girls’hellip; it helped a lot being able to run with (them).’
In a field of 17 nationally-ranked teams at Notre Dame, Ducommun was excited to run with the competition. ‘
‘We all decided we were going to run as a team, so we stayed with each other,’ Ducommun said. ‘We went off each others’ paces, we pushed each other the whole time. I think I did good for not ever running cross country really.’
As a freshman at a new school, it can be tough to make friends and feel comfortable, but Ducommun was able to find support from a teammate.’
‘Jasmine (Trier) has (helped). We always (do) everything together now,’ Ducommun said. ‘We’re best friends on the team. We run together and she helped me during the summer when I first got here.’
Balancing sports, school and a social life can be difficult in college, but Ducommun has been able to manage her time well. ‘
‘It’s gotten a lot better. I have had to be more disciplined with my time and my studies, and (I am) trying to focus on that more than track right now,’ Ducommun said. ‘It’s gotten to where I need to be more responsible with everything.”
A hotel and restaurant management student, Ducommun is already putting what she has learned to good use.
‘I kind of just want a home-cooked restaurant type thing,’ Ducommun said. ‘I usually have pasta nights here, and everybody comes and has spaghetti and stuff once a week.”
While she is making her name on the track, Ducommun also played volleyball in high school, and her biggest influence so far has been her high school coach.’
‘I loved playing volleyball. That’s where my heart was,’ Ducommun said. ‘But I was never so great at it that I could get a scholarship for it, so I ran for track instead.”
Ducommun looks to continue making strides as the Cougars head back to Indiana next week for the Sam Bell Invitational in Bloomington.
