Freshman sprinter Marcia McCord set her sights high, however. In the first meet of the season and McCord’s first at the college level — the Cornell Relays on Dec. 1 — she set a school record in the 300-meter dash with a time of 43.44 seconds, earning her the Empire 8 Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Week award.

Since the first meet, McCord has recorded multiple wins and set a school record in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.96 seconds at the Upstate Challenge at Cornell. She has also qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships in the 55-meter and 60-meter dashes. For her ECAC qualifying performance Jan. 26 at the Army Open, she earned the Empire 8 Athlete of the Week award. This was her second conference award of the season.

She attributes much of her success to pushing herself harder than she is used to in practice.

“These practices are a lot different than practices in high school,” she said. “My body has really responded to them.”

McCord earned all-league honors at Rancocas Valley High School in Mount Holly, N.J., in both the 200-meter dash and 1,600-meter relay.

Even with this success, no one expected she would have such a big impact for the track and field team in her rookie season.

Since arriving at college, McCord said the amount of food to choose from helps her eat healthier, which has made her a more effective runner. The food preparation for meets has also been an important change for her.

“I’ve had time to eat when I need to,” she said.

The timing of eating is arguably one of the most important intangibles of track and field. It could make or break an athlete’s day. For McCord, her eating habits have led to the immense success she has seen in her first year as a Bomber.

Head Coach Jennifer Potter tries to transform her newcomers into faster and stronger runners every year, which can be hard because many of the recruits were standouts in high school.

Her philosophy has been to bring the athletes to a completely higher level than they were the year before. It takes most college athletes years before they adjust to the competition and workouts that take place at this level.

“I try to groom them as student athletes,” Potter said.

Those practices have translated into record-breaking success for McCord.

Like many other freshman athletes, McCord had trouble getting used to the college life outside of athletics and away from her family. Coming from a family of seven, McCord was always around a relative.

“My house is about four hours from here,” she said. “I’ve really never been that far from home.”

While she could have dwelled on her homesickness, McCord stayed optimistic about college life and performing on the track.

Her lighthearted personality and positive attitude makes practices fun and has helped her earn the respect of her teammates, creating a family-like atmosphere for the team.

Junior Lizzie Bronson, a teammate of McCord’s, said the freshman’s positive attitude is a great asset for the team.

“She has such a good sense of humor,” she said. “She makes it less difficult to get through practice.”

Sophomore teammate Sarah Moskey said that McCord could be a captain this season — a rarity among freshman — because of her work ethic, athleticism and consistency.

While she may not have captain as a title, McCord is definitely the leader of a talented group of freshmen like Lindsay Morehouse and Lucia Capano, who have helped the team improve every meet.

Having already set two school records and on her way to becoming an established leader, McCord should be a cornerstone of excellence for her promising class for years to come.