What was the state of the UNCW women’s cross-country team? In recent years, senior Erica Anderson left the program.

So did junior Melissa McGehee.

What’s the situation now?

The surprise return of coach Jim Sprecher, who spent the last four years as the head track coach at Indiana’s Ball State University, motivated the pair of runners to return to the fold and hold leadership positions on the squad.

The new optimism and new expectations have revitalized the team.

“Because we’re back again, we have a different perspective. Because we have a chance to be good,” McGehee said. “We’ve got some freshmen that are talented. If we can keep them dedicated, we can be a good team.”

Anderson quickly added, “I’m pretty excited. I’ve never been excited.”

“It’s a new feeling,” McGehee said.

The new feeling includes a lot more physical exertion. In recent years, the squad produced what some athletes felt was attitude that was a bit lackadaisical.

“We have to be serious,” Anderson said. “It’s been like a club team. Now we show more dedication. We look like a team. It’s exciting.”

The coaching staff greatly increased practices’ running distance and hopes for a lot more endurance on race day.

“More mileage. More working. More intensity,” Anderson said. “Someone expecting us to be good has changed the climate of the team.”

So far, it’s paid off. The women’s squad earned a surprising, but unofficial, second out of eight squads at the non-scored Campbell Invitational Aug. 30. Freshman Rebecca Binsonhaler finished eighth among the individual runners.

The Seahawks also now produce a larger group of competitive runners. The athletes described the squad fielding two or three competitive athletes in each meet in the past (the top five runners on each team count towards scoring). Now they’re confident about having six or seven able-bodied competitors.

The runners believe that the new dedication, training, consistency and numbers will lead to a strong future for the program.

“We were near the bottom last year, we’re happy if we get to the middle,” said assistant coach Layne Scheier, who specializes with the distance runners and the cross-country squad. “… Within a few years get into the top two or three and then start knocking on the door.”