Freshman Dayana Ramirez

Hometown: Trenton, NJ
High School: Trenton High School

Nanticoke, P.A – Mercer County Community College (MCCC) freshman Dayana Ramirez took first place at the Luzerne Invitational Cross Country meet last weekend, which marked her inaugural top finish in her collegiate career.

Her 21:58 time, while surprising, was not entirely unexpected. Ramirez is a natural athlete, having spent four years playing soccer and running track at Trenton High School.

“The world of cross country is new to me,” Ramirez said. Though she has been a lifelong runner, she noted that cross country is markedly different from track, both physically and mentally.

Not only are the distances longer – Ramirez ran 800, 1600 and 3200 meters in high school, compared to 5000-meter cross country races – but the change in surface also makes for a different running experience.

“Getting used to the terrain was a point of adjustment,” Ramirez admitted. Whereas springy, polyurethane tracks help preserve runners’ energy, the uneven cross country terrain forces runners to exert more to over longer distances.

“I’ve always been into running miles,” she said. “But I would run solo. In cross country, there are so many competitors, which makes it a completely different experience from running alone.”

Though the meet was her first time leading the pack in college, Ramirez is no stranger to the spotlight. In May 2019, she, along with her teammates, took first place in the distance medley relay at the Willingboro Relay Championships with a time of 15:59.

“Whether we’re running a 400, 800 or an hour long, she crushes the workout,” cross country Head Coach Doug Johnson said, adding that the team’s workouts include combinations of long distance runs, as well as interval training.

“Dayana has an undeniable spirit,” Johnson said. “In practice, she tackles every challenge I throw at her, no complaints.”

Mercer’s cross country team will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlander Challenge at Branch Brook Park in Essex County.

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