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| McCormick finished first in the 3A State Championships on Nov. 6. (Brian Keck photo) |
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Full Name: Exley Wood McCormick ?Date of Birth: 11/14/1987 ?Academic Interest: Biology/Engineering ?Hobbies: Reading, chilling with friends ?Event PR's: 5000m: 16:29, 3200: 10:12, 1600m: 4:38 ?Brother: Jesse (13) |
scrunners: When did you start to run?
mccormick: I started running in the fall of my seventh grade year.
scrunners: Do you remember your first race? How old were you and how did you do?
mccormick: My first race was with my mother when I was maybe four, but my first competitive race was seventh grade, when I was 11.
scrunners: What made you decide or whom to start running?
mccormick: I started running because I didn't have anything else to do, and Coach Sullivan knew about my mom's running, so he talked me into coming out.
scrunners: When did you join Daniel's team?
mccormick: Daniel is the only team I've ever run for. Seventh Grade.
scrunners: Does or did anyone else in your family run?
mccormick: My mom ran for Clemson, and her 5k best is still 20 seconds faster than mine, which is something I need to remedy.
scrunners: With a first place finish at the State Championships on Nov. 6, how do you feel about your performance and the team's third place finish?
mccormick: I wish I could have run faster, 17:01 was a bit of a surprise when I finished. I thought I had run a bit faster than that. The team was hoping to get first or second, so we were disappointed.
scrunners: What were you thinking as you stepped to the line?
mccormick: I was thinking, "Alright Exley, this is your last XC race . . . ever. You HAVE to win. Just don't let him (Bryan Stoner (Blue Ridge)) get any distance on you in the beginning."
scrunners: How did the race unfold?
mccormick: I stuck on the leaders until about a mile and a half, and then I made a move, hoping to push a brutal pace so it wouldn't come down to a kick at the end, as I would surely lose.
scrunners: Was there a time when you knew that you had the win?
mccormick: I was pretty confident that I hade the win at around the 2.5 mile marker, but I wasn't positive until I saw a bunch of girls from my team at the bottom of the hill, and they were screaming and cheering, and I couldn't let them down. They were my sole inspiration to get up that hill the second time.
scrunners: How much rest do you take in between each season?
mccormick: I didn't plan to take much at all between XC and track this year, but I got my wisdom teeth taken out Friday, Nov.12, and that's going to put a little dent in my training. I plan to take a few weeks of easy running, followed by some higher mileage to get my distance base back up for track season.
scrunners: How will your training change as the track season rolls around?
mccormick: I'm actually not sure this season. We're getting a new track coach, so I will have to wait and see how the training goes. I know I will train just distance and strength over the winter, and maybe run a few indoor meets.
scrunners: What kind of training did you undergo this summer?
mccormick: I trained a good bit out in Montana this summer, getting a nice altitude base, and then I went to Brevard for a week of fun, games, and mountain climbing – I mean running.
scrunners: How did this training change throughout the season and as the state meet came around?
mccormick: We cut back drastically on distance in the last month, to the point where I was worried that I wouldn't have enough endurance to win at state, but I guess this is another example of when the coach knows best.
scrunners: What kind of goals did you set as an individual for the 2004 cross country season?
mccormick: I came into cross country my seventh grade year with the goal of winning state before I graduated, and after the first five seasons, that goal stayed pretty much the same. I wanted to run under 16 this year, but with Upperstate and State moved to hard courses, that proved rather hopeless.
scrunners: What kind of team goals did Daniel set?
mccormick: The Daniel guys were hoping for a top-two finish in the state, but a few minor problems knocked us out of the running for second.
scrunners: Did these goals change at any time throughout the season, why?
mccormick: At the beginning of the season, nobody would have thought that Daniel could have even been a top five team, but some new runners and hard work changed that quickly, and I was hoping that we could win, or at worst, take second.
scrunners: What track events would you like to run this year?
mccormick: I plan to run the 3200m, the 1600m, and the 4X800m in track this year.
scrunners: What kind of goals would you like to accomplish this season?
mccormick: I want four more gold medals: two individual, one 4X8, and one team. Oh yeah, and a ring.
scrunners: Will you run any indoor meets? If so, which ones do you have in mind?
mccormick: I hope to run the Clemson indoor meet, which I also ran last year. Maybe I can run a few others, as well.
scrunners: Does Daniel or you have any rivals?
mccormick: Bryan Stoner (Blue Ridge) and Jonathan Chu (Dreher) are my biggest rivals, but there is always a chance that someone else could step up and do something in track season.
scrunners: How did these rivals develop and when do they become most intense?
mccormick: The rivalry with Bryan developed mostly from seeing times he had run, since we didn't get to race each other very much this season, and most of the times we did, he whooped me, so I guess he was the one I was truly worried about this year. But after Chu smoked me in the 3200 last year, I learned not to underestimate him either. Both are great runners, and I look forward to racing them again in track season.
scrunners: What kind of race strategy works best for you?
mccormick: Usually I don't plan a race other than how hard I want to run. Some races at dual meets I run to win, some I run for time, and some I just run to test my guts and see how hard I can go.
scrunners: Did you have a race strategy going into the state meet?
mccormick: I was worried before state, and I had thought the race through way too many times, so I think I had a separate strategy for every contingency that could have happened.
scrunners: If a race strategy changes how do you adapt?
mccormick: Being able to adapt is crucial in a good racer, so I've practiced learning to change my strategy on the spot. I have learned to throw out a strategy and just race if I have to, or if I can, come up with a new strategy during the race.
scrunners: Does Daniel have a team tradition prior to competing?
mccormick: We have an annual Spaghetti Dinner the Thursday before the state meet, and we have taken to eating at Zorba's in Columbia Friday night before state.
scrunners: Have you ever been injured? Explain.
mccormick: Only minor knee injuries early in my running career, because I had no muscle and could not control my form.
scrunners: How did you stay motivated during this time?
mccormick: I love running, and if I ever lose motivation, I just remind myself, "What would you be doing if you weren't a runner? Oh, yeah, watching TV on the couch."
scrunners: As a senior, would you like to run in college? Why?
mccormick: I would like to run in college, as I cannot remember a time when I didn't have anything to do after school, and I don't really have much else to do, but I do not plan on making my school selection based on running. Academics will be the deciding factor, and hopefully I can run, too.
scrunners: Have you been talking to a lot of coaches?
mccormick: I have talked with the coach at MIT, and I hope to talk to some others in the future.
scrunners: What do you talk to them about?
mccormick: Of the coaches I have talked to, I have mostly asked about the school itself more than the running program, because the education is what really matters, and cross country is a nice bonus on top.
scrunners: What schools are you interested in attending?
mccormick: I am looking at MIT and Clemson right now, but if I had to predict where I will end up, probably Clemson. Maybe I can walk on to the cross country team.
scrunners: What do you look for in a coach and what do you expect a coach to look for in you?
mccormick: Anybody can give a runner good workouts and make them physically strong. I believe that the mark of a good coach is the ability to inspire his runners and make them truly feel the need to win. I have been blessed with several great coaches in my running career, and if I run in college, I will expect the same from those coaches.
scrunners: With new runners joining the sports all the time, what advice can you give them on training and racing?
mccormick: Get a dream, and stick with it. When I was in seventh grade, I told all the older guys I wanted to win state, and most of them laughed at me. "Look at that kid. He's all skin and bones. And awkward, too. He'll never win state." Don't ever let anybody else get you down. If you keep working, and if you want it bad enough, it will come with time.
scrunners: What would you say is the most prestigious meet you have competed in? How did you fare?
mccormick: I have never competed in any post-season races, which basically means that the State Championship is the most prestigious race I have ever run.
scrunners: Have you ever met a professional runner? If so, what did you talk to them about?
mccormick: Through my mom's running connections with Clemson, I have been able to meet several Olympic runners, some of them staying in our house for a few days, such as a Dutch Steeplechaser, and several Scottish runners.
scrunners: If there is one thing in the world you could do what would it be and why?
mccormick: Wow. That's quite a thought provoking question. Hmmm . . . I suppose I would make sure there be enough clam chowder for everybody, because that way, even if they had all just gotten their wisdom teeth out like me, they would not go hungry. Mmmh, Clam chowder . . .