LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA. (September 18, 2008) -- What started as a hobby for sophomore business major Kristina Rembert is now part of her daily routine. Rembert is a member of the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania women’s cross country and track team.
“I just needed a hobby,” said Rembert. “Now (track & cross-country) is something I just can’t leave alone.”
Rembert began running at the age of 7 when she joined a local track club near her hometown in the Bronx, NY. Rembert continued to run up until high school where she learned they didn’t have a track team but she continued to train with her club.
“I just couldn’t stop running,” Rembert said. “It was something I enjoyed, something I needed.”
Once high school was almost up Rembert decided attending college was the next step she would take in her life. She applied to five schools: St. John’s, Old Westbury, SUNYIT and Penn State-Abington. However, she decide to attend her top choice because it was an HBCU.
Rembert’s love for track re-emerged once she enrolled at Lincoln and joined the popular nationally-renowned track team. The Lions have won 17 NCAA Division III national championships under Hall of Fame coach Cyrus D. Jones. Rembert will be running this weekend when both Lincoln men’s and women’s cross-country teams participate in the Virginia State cross-country invitational Saturday morning.
“I didn’t think I had to run cross country,” Rembert explained. “Coach needed runners and I knew college was different then club.”
Rembert began training for her first college cross country experience by running hills, miles after miles during early morning practices. Rembert remembers her first meet, the nervousness, the fear all at the University of Delaware’s White-Clay State Park.
“I was nervous because it was my first cross country meet ever,” said Rembert. “I didn’t think I would finish. I was worried about the miles, they said it would be three but it was like four.”
As the season progressed Rembert got used to the mileage, her highest accomplishment was finishing 13th at the Wilmington College Invitational. Her effort later in the year helped Lincoln to a second-place team finish at the Albright College Invitational.
Rembert’s cross-country success extended to track and field season. Her highest individual finish was a seventh place effort at the College of New Jersey meet in which she ran 59.55 seconds in the 400-meter dash.
Rembert was also a part of the 4 x 400-meter relay team with Alisha McKeithan, Antonia Jones and Donneisha Smith that finished third in its heat at Penn Relays after running its fastest time of the year, 3 minutes, 53.82 seconds.
Now in her sophomore year and one meet into the season Rembert is hoping to improve her times. At the Wilmington Invitational Rembert finished 44th with a time of 25.10, which she said isn’t one of her best.
“I kept worrying too much about moving up and I kept falling back,” said Rembert. “I want to improve my time. I know I can do better.”
This weekend the cross country team will travel to Virginia State University. Rembert smiles with excitement at the thought of traveling so far and hoping that she will improve her time and not worry so much.
“Cross country is less nerve wrecking then track,’ said Rembert. “I’m more comfortable with track, it’s what I do.”
--LU--