Written by Kelsey Dickerson, College Life Editor

Valdosta State’s fastest 2015 cross-country athlete, Tyra Holloway is gearing up for another great season.

While she hasn’t been sticking to a specific routine to beat last year’s times, she has been watching her habits. “[I] make sure I’m eating right, running, and taking advantage of practice time,” said Holloway, a junior exercise physiology major.

Her practicing seems to be paying off, as she led the VSU team in the season’s opening meet at the Jacksonville State University Struts in Oxford, Alabama, on the second of this month. Holloway was excited for the meet but, “a little nervous.” She came in first amongst the Blazers and 36 over all divisions in the 4k race.

Holloway, who went to North Cobb high school, has been running cross country since the seventh grade. “I did soccer and all of that stuff, but my parents said I needed a sport to do,” she said. “I didn’t really choose cross country, my parents chose it for me, but then I liked it.”

“I had no idea what cross country was, but I was on the middle school team so I just ran every day and I was like ‘Oh! That’s fun.’ I like it better than track,” said Holloway.

Holloway most looks forward to the big races, when all of the cross country teams in the area show up to compete. “Conference, like the Gulf South Conference with all the schools, you see who you’ve been waiting to race all season,” said Holloway about her favorite race of the season. Regionals, just before championships also seemed to be a favorite.

Last year, she made history as Valdosta State’s first female cross country athlete to ever run in NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships where she came in 174 out of 247, and was one of two Gulf South Conference runners to compete. Holloway also received honors for academics, and was selected for the 2015 GSC FireSeeds Fall All-Academic team with a GPA of 3.75.

The team will continue their season on Sept. 10, at the Ga. College Bobcat invitational.