Women's Cross Country | 11/9/2020 1:38:27 PM
Kerry Flower returns for her third season with the Russell Sage College women's cross country and track and field teams in 2020-21. She is a two-time All-Empire 8 selection in cross country, having earned first team accolades in 2019 and second team honors in 2018. Flower was the individual medalist at both the 2019 SUNY Cobleskill Invitational and Oneonta State Airfield Invitational.
Flower became the first Sage field competitor to compete for the 2019 All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference Championships (10,000-meters). She now holds the school record in the 1,500-meters, 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters. Overall, Flower is a five-time Empire 8 Athlete of the Week.
A native of Schenectady, NY, Flower is an art and design major. She is a standout in the classroom as with a 3.7 grade-point average.
Kerry Flower - Why I Play
Institution: Russell Sage College
Sport: Women's Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field
Academic Major: Art and Design
GPA: 3.7
Class Year: Junior
Academic Honors/Clubs/Community Service Roles?
Dean’s List, Vernacular, SAAC representative, Sage Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.
What Have You Done During the COVID-19 Pandemic to Stay Active and What Are Some Positive Effects of the Pandemic You Have Experienced?
I have continued my training throughout COVID-19. I have also tried many new hikes, learned to better appreciate nature and have discovered more digital art while continuing to paint.
What Role has your Cross Country/Track & Field Played in your Personal Development?
My sport has taught me to persevere through mental and physical challenges. It has directed my determination toward improving myself both physically and creatively. Running keeps me focused and driven toward goals.
At what age did you start competing in cross country/track & field and what made you stay with it? Did you play any other sports growing up?
I started competitively swimming at age 9. I always excelled at swimming and was on the varsity swim team in 8th grade. I switched to running when I was asked to be part of the Varsity Track team and discovered that I liked running more. I have been running since then and qualified for New York State Championships in both Cross Country and Track in high school. I am currently happy to be part of Russell Sage’s Cross Country and Track programs being coached by Coach David Taranto.
Why Did You Decide to Attend Russell Sage?
I like the Art and Design program. I also wanted to attend a college with small class sizes that was not too far away from family and friends.
How has Playing Collegiately and in the Empire 8 Prepared You For Life After College?
A team mentality teaches you to have a positive outlook so as to encourage others to work collaboratively toward improvement and growth. Winning and losing are also part of life. Competition teaches you that you must accept losing as much as winning. You need to accept losing in order to win.
Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time in College:
During the cross country season last year, my team won the Stephen Warde Invitational at SUNY Cobleskill. That was exciting because it was the first time we had ever won an invitational and I also earned a first place finish in the 6,000-meters with a personal record time of 23:51.15.
Favorite Professional Athlete: Emma Coburn
Favorite Foods: Bagels, Pasta and Peanut Butter
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Cookie Dough
Advice to Younger Student-Athletes on Why You Chose to Play a Collegiate Sport and Why Playing A Sport is So Important/Beneficial?
Competing in a collegiate sport forces you to be invested in your health, team relationships, and focused on academics. For me, training to be physically strong every day, motivates me to also work as hard to succeed in my classes.
The Empire 8 Conference's “Why I Play” Series features a student-athlete from one of its member institutions who discusses devotion to its respective sport.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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