Thomas Sumter's Livingston runs his way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

Conditions were far from perfect when the Thomas Sumter cross country team made the trip to Darlington last week. The temperature rose north of 90 degrees, which is never a fun experience for runners as the summer turns to fall. There were even a couple of copperhead snakes seen during the route, but that didn't slow down the Generals.

The TSA boys ran away with the team title after claiming four of the first six finishes. Leading the way was a sophomore, Nate Livingston, trying to make a splash in his first race of the season. His second-place finish also helped him run his way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week honors.

"It feels like I'm very supported," Livingston said of the Thomas Sumter faithful. "I have a very good community around me, and everyone wants me to do my best. Everyone is there for me."

Thomas Sumter head coach Rob Coursey was thrilled to see the way the sophomore performed on Wednesday. The Generals saw two of their top runners graduate in the spring, and he thought Livingston was going to be ready to step up in their absence. Through one race, he was proven correct.

"I've known since he was in the eighth grade that he should be one of those frontrunners. I think William (Wright) and Jake Marshall graduating last year, that kinda opened the door, and he realized he can take this team," Coursey said. "He's a great young man, a great leader. You can't ask for a better teammate. He's a pleaser, and he's going to give it everything he has."

Livingston was able to put in a performance like he did at Darlington because of an elite offseason in the eyes of his head coach.

"Nate just worked and worked and worked," Coursey said. "We actually had to dial Nate back a little bit. His miles were great, but he's still a sophomore in high school, so he had to pump the brakes a little bit. His whole body has changed from last year to this year. He's more balanced with the miles, and weightlifting and plyometrics was a big part of his big time drop."

While the conditions were far from perfect, Livington managed to cross the finish line with a time of 20:12.59, just ahead of two of his teammates, Ty Fisher and Trent Spilker.

"It's all about the dedication and all the work you put in. All that matters is how bad you want it," Livingston said of pushing to finish second. "The course was hilly, but it didn't stop me from doing my best."

The Generals are taking a different approach this fall, running fewer meets and instead focusing on intense training to prepare for a few select events. Livingston hopes this first race helps set the tone for a great fall in their future races.

"I feel like the next meet, we're going to show everyone who we really are," he said. "We have a really bright season ahead of us."