New workouts, changes, and techniques are on the rise for the Berkley Cross Country team with the addition of Coach Sydney Devore-Bowman. Her qualifications and prior running experience are extensive. She graduated from the University of Florida, and won both the Pittsburgh Marathon, and went on to win the Detroit Free Press Marathon with a time of 2:42:44, having an average mile pace of 6:13. She adds new perspectives and ideas never seen before by the Berkley team, and is a great influence for this season of runners.
Coach Sydney’s love for running was ignited her freshman year of high school, as she joined the cross country team to boost her college applications. By sophomore year, she became captain for Lakeland, Florida’s high school cross country team, and placed fourth at her state meet. She continued on to run for the University of Florida until some health issues got in the way, and she unfortunately had to leave the team. After college, she began training for her first marathon and quickly joined the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, bringing her to Michigan.
When she is not coaching the Berkley Cross Country team, Coach Sydney works full-time as a marathon/distance coach for post-collegiate runners. Coach Sydney stated, “Running has brought me all the best things in my life. My best friends, my husband, and my career. Running gave me confidence and taught me to believe in myself. Running taught me two of the most essential things of all: self-efficacy and living with integrity.”
Coach Sydney has high hopes for the future of this team, claiming, “I want to have a lasting impact on the students, just as my high school coach had a lasting effect on me. I can’t imagine my life without running, and I hope to be that kind of positive influence in other people’s lives.”
She also sees the distinct benefits of having a female influence on the team, stating, “as a high school female athlete, having a coach that understands the changes and the unique challenges that come with the female physiology that girls can talk to about sensitive topics is so important.” Coach Sydney also continued to describe the large variety of coaching she’s had, all serving her well in different ways.
In regards to the sport of Cross Country, Coach Sydney described her passion for the sport when she voiced, “Cross Country is just magical. I love that XC brings out the best in athletes. Running is hard. Everyone who participates is choosing to do something hard.” Coach Sydney described that before joining the team, the most she had run was a mile on occasion, but the sport changed that drastically.
When asked to give advice for those new to running, or considering starting, Coach Sydney shared, “Give it an honest try. It will take a few weeks and maybe even a few months, but running will teach you that you are capable of more than you think. It will empower you to chase other goals and dreams, and you will likely meet the most amazing people along the way.”
In the few weeks she’s been here, Coach Sydney has already made a great impact. Senior Varsity runner and team captain Lydia Binelli states, “She’s made sure that we’re feeling better all around, in terms of putting more emphasis on stretching and core and other things that aren’t running related, and I think that keeps all of us healthier.”
Coach Sydney has come with many new outlooks and has had a strong focus on keeping the team safe and healthy. Varsity team captain Rachael Wychuse expressed her excitement for a new coach by stating, “I’m glad we have a female coach just because we haven’t had one our entire time here, and there’s a big difference between male runners and female runners, especially teenagers. I think she can understand more of the way the girls’ team works in comparison to the way our male coaches can.”
With the new addition, there are high hopes for the Cross Country team this season. It’s only the beginning of many great things for this team, and they are already off to a phenomenal start. It is hoped to see that continue on, and we see all the team can do with the influence of such a great coach on their side.
