Natalie Sargent never asked to be the poster girl for Loyola women’s cross country team. She runs because she loves it.

According to Sports Information Director Brett Simpson, Sargent is featured on the Wolfpack’s fall sports poster because she’s the top returning runner.

Sargent, a sociology senior, was the ‘Pack’s fastest female in the 2003 season. Her record last year includes first place in the Spring Hill Invitational and second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Region XIII Championships.

Despite her impressive stats, the lithe runner said using a team photo for the poster would have been better.

“I was actually kind of mad that they put me up there (on the poster) again,” Sargent said. “There are so many pictures that we have of the team that are cute.”

Last season, coaches and sports writers named her to three all-star cross country teams: All-GCAC, All-NAIA Region XIII and All-Louisiana. Her 5K time of 20:42 at the Region XIII Championships qualified for the NAIA National Championships.

Sargent ran her best career time, 20:03, at the GCAC championship her sophomore year. She said having her parents there gave her an extra edge.

“I remember feeling strong that day,” she said.

Sargent claims she has lost some of that strength due to an injury. She twisted her ankle on a trail run while studying abroad in Australia.

“I am very strict about getting healthy and healing, so I kept off it for three months and really got out of shape,” Sargent said.

Though she may have lost some endurance, Sargent said she has kept her speed and remains confident that she can get back into shape.

Men’s and women’s cross country coach Al Seither said that although Sargent is not where she was this time last year in terms of endurance, he still expects many great things from his team leader.

Seither has his team run between 35 and 40 miles a week. Some runs can be as long as six miles, and runners can take on four miles in the morning and then do speed work in the afternoon.

The cross country team had trained two weeks before it ran the first meet of the season in the Tulane Invitational, Sept. 3, at Gretna Park. Sargent finished fourth on Loyola’s team with a time of 22:02.

“I usually don’t train hard over the summer, but I can at least run five miles easily,” Sargent said. “I can’t do that right now.”

In the University of Southern Mississippi Invitational Sept. 10, Sargent improved her time to 21:56 for 25th place.

The Tampa, Fla., native said teamwork was the key to the success of the women’s team in the 2003 season.

“We work off each other,” she said. “Last year, we had such a great season because the first six of us were at the same potential.”

The ‘Pack’s star cross country runner said running helps her stay focused.

“Running is so liberating to me, it’s like a meditation almost,” Sargent said. “I never go out on a run to think about things, but when I get home they seem so much clearer. It keeps me in line.”

Sargent comes from a family of runners. The family’s Thanksgiving tradition includes a Thursday morning race called the “Turkey Trot” in Washington, Indiana. She came in first in the “5-Turk-K” two years ago but gave up the title last year to one of her cousins.

In addition to her commitment on the cross country team, Sargent also juggles volunteer work for Kids ‘n’ Health and Outdoor Recreation. She is active in Loyola’s campus ministry and was a group leader at the Bienvenue retreat Sept. 4 to reach out to new students. She also said she tries to attend the Awakening retreat twice a year. Conference championships are the same weekend as this fall’s Awakening, but Sargent said she plans to arrive late.

Sargent’s post-graduation plans include attending graduate school for public health, but she’s not ready to hang up her running shoes. She said she’d like to run the New York Marathon with her sister.

It wouldn’t be the first time she’s trained for a long distance race. Before her freshman year, Sargent was training to do a marathon. She got up to 18 miles when she heard that young people should not run more miles than their age.

She has decided to put off the marathon until she is 26.2-years-old.

Gigi Alford can be reached at [email protected]