Life, in many ways, isn’t a full sprint from start to finish. It takes years of practice, discipline and dedication. The same can be said for cross-country.
The muscles ache, the lungs burn and the heart races. But somehow through it all Jeff Hancock, captain of the Emerson Lions cross-country team, manages to keep going.
It’s a drive to compete and succeed that is seldom seen on the field, rink or court. There are no crowds cheering him on, and more often than not, the odds are stacked heavily against his favor. That still hasn’t stopped Hancock, the outspoken leader of his team.
“We have two team captains, myself and Brandon Fox (a sophomore),” Hancock said. “Fox is a quiet guy and really fast. I'm a more vocal guy, but much, much slower. When it comes to running specifics and in the race leadership, Fox is the go-to guy.
“When guys on the team are having other types of issues, maybe mentally, or just need someone to talk to, I'm their man. It works out really well. Fox leads with athleticism. I lead with my vocal ability.”
Hancock, 22, got his start in cross-country while participating in a dry-land training exercise for another fast sport, ice hockey.
“I won a 100 meter dash competition at hockey camp the summer before seventh grade. I thought I was pretty fast so when school started I signed up for cross-country not knowing what it exactly was. I thought I could just run sprints.”
Hancock’s world was about to be shattered.
“At the first practice I asked my coach when I got to sprint,” Hancock said. “He said, ‘At the end of your two miles.’ I was pretty intimidated, but I stuck with it.”
After transferring to Emerson College from Michigan State in 2008, Hancock contacted head coach John Furey to see if it would be worth to continue running for Emerson.
The prospect of running for a NCAA Division III school appealed to Hancock.
“I've never been the fastest guy. I run because I enjoy it,” Hancock said. “I'm not going to finish in first place and in D-III it gives me a chance to run in against a lot of guys with the same mindset as me. The competition is still really fast at the top of the race, but there are a lot more guys at my level in the middle of the pack.
“As a team we perform to the best of our ability and it pays off.”
Conditioning and training is absolutely essential to perform. Cross-country isn’t only about running, and it’s a year-long grind.
“It’s running, lifting and core. You've got to pile on the mileage in the off-season,” Hancock said. “Steady running in the winter, when school ends you pick up your mileage, but once June hits, then it's time to crank it up. 60 miles a week or more for some of us; you need that base for when the fall rolls around.
“One of the biggest training aspects our coach emphasizes is core work. Sit-ups, crunches, planks, whatever. As coach says, ‘It's all about the core, brotha!’”
Under Hancock’s leadership, Emerson finished this past fall tied with the second-best record in school history, tying for second in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. But Hancock wants to build on that success.
“Next fall, it’s GNAC championship or bust,” Hancock said. “We lose one member of the team [after this year] and he wasn't part of our scorers. Plus, we are getting three or four really fast freshman. If everyone does their part this summer, there is no reason we shouldn't win the conference title.”
Outside of running, Hancock has immersed himself at Emerson in a myriad of extracurricular activities that have fast-tracked him to a career in sports broadcasting. He has appeared on WEBN-produced shows, and hosts The Good Old Hockey Show on Emerson’s talk and information Internet radio network, ETIN.
These experiences have no doubt left an impression on Hancock. There’s an underlying theme that if he can handle all of this, then he can do anything; even run a marathon.
“I completed my first marathon during Thanksgiving break in Philadelphia. It was the most painful experience of my life,” Hancock said. “All of my injuries from the fall resurfaced and my time was god-awful, but I finished. That's all that matters. I'll tackle a marathon again one day soon.”
He’ll just have to be sure to remember not to sprint.
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