RCC to add cross-country
Dec 13, 2021The athletics program at Rockingham Community College is soon to grow. Beginning in Fall 2022, RCC will officially initiate men’s and women’s cross-country teams. These two teams will join the women’s volleyball and men’s baseball teams, both of which have experienced renewal and success.
RCC’s Director of Student Life & Athletics, Maggie Murray, believes that adding cross-country is the way to go.
“Our baseball and volleyball programs are steady right now and have built a good foundation for moving forward in athletics. We’re excited to add cross-country because it makes sense,” she said.
“We have a large, beautiful campus, and there are other Region 10 colleges with whom we compete that are less than two hours away. It’s a good time for growing our base of student-athletes at RCC ,” Murray continued.
Coaching the cross-country teams will be Morgan Burnette, who has served as a faculty member at RCC since August 2015. He teaches biology and human anatomy and physiology. Athletically, Burnette has been a competitive runner at local 5K, 10K, and half-marathon races for the past six years. He has trained for and successfully run three marathons and a 50-mile ultramarathon relay race (in which his team earned third place).
“I cherish this new role as head coach of the cross-country teams, as I view it as an opportunity to grow both as an educator and as an athlete,” Burnette said. “I’m very much looking forward to sharing what I have learned with our team, and I am eager to see what I will learn from them as we become better scholars and better athletes together. Go Eagles!”
