Cross country team gains key member

The Maryville College Cross Country team is starting off on the right foot this season. According to pre-season rankings, Maryville is expected to win the conference meet coming up in just a few short weeks.
A new member on the team is going to be a key component to the team’s success.
Sean Hagstrom, a freshman at the college, is familiar with new challenges. Shortly following his high school graduation in 2005, Hagstrom enlisted into the United States Marine Corps.
Hagstrom said his choice to enlist in the armed forces rather than pursuing higher education first was a decision based upon a “culmination of feelings over the years.”
“I remember being in middle school and seeing the towers fall and how shocking it was. I remember growing up and learning more about the military, what it was and what they did, and I saw it as an honorable job,” Hagstrom said.
Hagstrom is not slowing his pace at all. Following his service in the Marine Corps, he made the decision to pursue a B.A. in Exercise Science at MC. Going the extra mile, he is training for this upcoming cross country season during his free time away from classes and studying.
“I’ve been training for a year prior to coming here,” Hagstrom said. “At first, I did not know whether I was going to go to a traditional school. I did not know if I could keep up with the young bucks.”
Hagstrom has already secured his first individual win during a 5k meet at Covenant College, walking away with a time of 18:24.
This season is far from over, however. There is training to be done before the conference meet rolls around on Nov. 2. The next meet will take place on Sept. 28 at Panther Creek State Park in Morristown, Tenn.