Profile of a student athlete: Anne Cote

You might think that someone who just came in first place in a cross country championship would, for the most part, be on cloud nine. If so, Anna Cote’s smile would be the only clue to an outsider that she’s had so much success in Seton Hill University’s (SHU) cross country program. Cote, a freshman, is remarkably modest about her success.

By Steve Meredith

Contributor

Counting her first place finish at the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) championships, Cote has won four individual cross country events for the Griffins.

“I feel like all the hard work has paid off,” Cote said. Cote made history with her win at the championships. She is the first person in the program’s history to be crowned an individual champion.

In addition to placing first at the WVIAC championships, Cote has set new records on specific courses as well as new records for the cross country team. Three weeks ago, Cote was named WVIAC Runner of the Week after winning the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Invitational. By running 3.6 miles in a time of 24 minutes and 6 seconds, Cote set a new record for both the course as well as a new 6K record for SHU cross country. She would later shatter her own record at the WVIAC championships by running the 6K in 23 minutes and 58 seconds.

Winning cross country events is no small feat, and Cote is in top physical condition for a woman her age.

“I run both indoor and outdoor track,” Cote said. “Counting summer training, I pretty much train all year round.” That training has paid off. Cote was recently named Student Athlete of the Month and as a result, people from all over campus have been recognizing her.

“People have been coming up to me saying things like, ‘Hey, you’re the cross country girl,'” Cote said. Before each event, Cote, like many other athletes, tries to focus on the race.

“I just try to visualize the race before I start running,” Cote said.

So what does the freshman say about her future at SHU?

“I’m looking forward to the next three years of running at Seton Hill,” Cote said.

Elizabeth Rettger photo