Many times, freshmen student-athletes have time to adjust to college classes, get to know his or her teammates and start to embrace the college life before being asked to make a significant contribution to the athletic team they are a part of.
Often times, freshmen will redshirt for a year in order for them to get fully acclimated. However, that was not the case for sophomore Bethany Fordham.
The 5-5 native of Groton, Mass., was asked to be a strong part of the USC Aiken cross country team during her freshman season and she exceeded expectations.
Fordham opened her collegiate career with a fourth-place finish at the Bobcat Classic. She notched two more top-10 finishes during her freshman campaign and led the team in all but one race, but that was the tip of the iceberg.
Fordham has excelled this season. Through hard work over the summer, Fordham cut her best time in the 5k significantly and is on the verge of having her name etched in USC Aiken history on the school’s top-five list.
Despite any pressures she has faced, Fordham has once again been at the top of each race for head coach Kara Kinard.
Fordham discusses the pressure she faces and how she handles being the top runner for the Pacers in only her second year.
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