Copper Mountain College announced a new cross country team on last week’s Z1077 Up-Close Show. Host Gary Daigneault spoke with Copper Mountain College Superintendent President Darren Otten about CMC’s expansion of their athletic program.
After recently hiring athletic director JJ Santa Cruz, Otten mentioned the expectation levels and professionalism “stepping up” at CMC. Otten explained his own passion for the athletic program goes beyond what happens in the field:
“Many students aren’t going to go on to compete in the NBA or any professional level of sports. But if that gets them into the college environment that ultimately earns them a degree or maybe gets them to the next level with a bachelor’s degree, the opportunities that come with that are amazing.”
As part of the athletic program’s expansion Otten then announced the introduction of men and women’s cross country for ’24-’25, explaining what makes running unique and maybe a little unlikely to the Morongo Basin:
“One interesting thing about the Basin is that there’s a lot of real serious runners in these areas. It seems unlikely, part of it due to the high altitude that makes training difficult and part of it is that this is a pretty unforgiving area to train in. Runners will tell you that for every 1000 feet up, you’ll get a one percent gain when you’re running down towards sea level and so that little bit helps.”
