UCD junior Sarah Sumpter runs at the Hornet Jamboree last month, the second straight meet where she led the team to first place. Sumpter has amazingly returned to form after missing last season with brain cancer. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise file photo
Sarah Sumpter?s story, by all standards, is a great one.
A year ago this month, Sumpter, one of UC Davis? top cross country runners, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Now, one year later, she has effectively beaten the illness.
The cancer has gone into what doctors call a stasis period, and she?s able to run full-time for the Aggies again. And the story she?d much rather discuss is that of her team?s quest for a Big West Conference title this season.
?We?ve been planning to do that for years and it?s finally time to bring it home,? said Sumpter, who had to take last year off from running. ?I think we?ve got it this year.?
In fact, two years removed from winning the conference?s 2009 ?individual championship, the humble Sumpter?would rather talk about how well the group of Aggie women around her has come together than the incredible recovery she has made.
?Everybody has kind of found their place and who they work best with,? Sumpter said. ?They?re all definitely very fit. We?re all closer in fitness to each other than we?ve been before, which is huge. Everybody?s really motivated this season, more than I?ve ever seen.
?We all need to work on starting races as a team. It?s hard when you?ve got a huge group of girls and then you have to really get out quick. Tactically, it depends on where you?re placed and you have to figure out what?s your best maneuver to get out of a pack as quick as possible.?
Now a junior, Sumpter had 80 percent of a large tumor removed from her brain only a short time after discovering that she had developed the cancer during a routine checkup. Sitting out from the sport?she loves for her entire sophomore season, Sumpter spent her time watching her UCD women?s teammates, and ?her guys,? as she likes to call the Aggie men?s cross country team, which t0ok first in the Big West in 2010.
Despite her remarkable story, Sumpter will tell you it is her team that deserves the attention for the way it has run in the early part of this season, most recently?coming in second to powerhouse Stanford at the Stanford Invitational last weekend.
UCD won?s first race ? the Aggie Open ? where Sumpter and teammate Krista Drechsler tied for first place, finishing the race in 13:54 to help the Aggies take down Sacramento State.
Next, at the Hornet Jamboree, Sumpter again led the way. She took third and UCD posted another team victory.
Sumpter finished 12th at Stanford.
But her success has not come overnight. It was in high school in Colverdale, where Sumpter first developed her love for the sport, and her tremendous ability.
?Almost every course that I ran I broke some kind of record,? Sumpter explained. ?I broke the meet record for the Division-IV state race, I won that race. I broke a record at every course in my county.
?Everybody likes to feel fast and it gave me kind of a cathartic experience. It was a time after school where I could just forget about everything and kind of go out and be a little solitary. But at the same time you?re getting exercise and you?re enjoying your surroundings.?
Perhaps Sumpter has used that same mentality ? separating running from the rest of her life ? to focus and stay strong in the face of her recent adversity. But you won?t hear about that from her.
She rather talk about her team and how they?re doing instead.
? Reach Tom Sakash at tsakash@davisenterprise.net
Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=85848
This story falls on page "B1"
Posted by Tom Sakash on Sep 26 2011. Filed under Aggies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entrySource: http://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/aggies/sumpter-beats-cancer-cross-country-opponents/
arturo gatti arturo gatti stoma stoma jim caviezel money ball bill cunningham
No comments:
Post a Comment