Anderson building on breakout season
Exceeding expectations is nothing new to Liz Anderson.
For the junior cross country runner and her team, the expectations have never been higher. The season has only just begun, but the Commodores are already making headlines, thanks primarily to their remarkable success last fall.
Currently, the Dores are ranked eighth in the nation by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, are the defending SEC champs, and are looking to better a second-place finish at the NCAA Regionals and sixth place at the NCAA Championships.
None of this is lost on Anderson, but she's able to keep it in perspective.
"This is definitely something all of us have never dealt with before," Anderson said. "While it's really exciting, you can't get caught up in it. We obviously like to win, but we're trying to look at last year as done, and start over."
So far, starting over is going well for Anderson. Coming back from a foot injury last spring, she placed third overall out of 216 runners in her first meet of the season at the Commodore Classic on Sept. 15. As a team, the Dores placed first.
It was a great opener for Anderson, who is looking to live up to expectations she brought on herself as a result of an outstanding sophomore season.
Last year, Anderson was named First Team All-SEC after placing fourth overall at the league championship meet. She continued her high performance into the regionals, where she placed 11th, and nationals, where she placed 43rd, missing All-America status by mere seconds.
"Going into nationals, I didn't even know All-American was a possibility, which is good or I would've been mad after getting so close," Anderson recalled. "In hindsight, it would've been awesome. But I know that if I could've run faster, I would've."
Anderson's stats would be impressive regardless, but it's especially remarkable considering she wasn't even sure if she wanted to run at the collegiate level.
Vanderbilt was the deciding factor, thanks to head coach Steve Keith and her family ties.
"I visited Vandy as I was visiting other schools in the Southeast," Anderson said. "I remember coming here as my last stop, and I was so tired. But, after meeting Coach Keith and some of the girls, everything felt right. I ended up coming here as a recruited walk-on.
"My dad went to school here, and even though he didn't pressure me into coming here, he was definitely all for it as soon as I mentioned it. He's my biggest fan, and I think me running for Vandy might have something to do with that."
Since coming here, Anderson has met and surpassed her reputation as an elite high school runner coming out of Dupont Manual High School in Louisville, Ky., where Vanderbilt will continue its season on Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic. Anderson is excited to keep excelling, but knows it will take a team effort.
"I've never had this pressure before," she said. "I have felt like I need to step up this season, mainly because I want my team to come with me. You want to run fast, and Kristen Findley has been a great training partner for me. We have a strong group of seniors that have stepped up and will get us there."
All in all, the Commodores have embraced the expectations, and fully expect to exceed them once again.
"We want to be on the podium at nationals," stated Anderson. "There are some really good teams this year. We've had minor setbacks, but our team is so deep, and we have so many people that can be swapped in and out."
Individually, she is both optimistic and confident, and certainly hasn't forgotten about her race at last fall's national meet.
"All-American is definitely a goal. I've got two years under my belt, and more than anything it's experience that counts. If I keep it up, it's definitely doable. Why not? Anything can happen."