The Lady Demon cross country team had a competitive season of new records and advantages. Competing against colleges such as Louisiana Tech University, Houston Christian University, Rice University and more, the team showed up and gave their all at each meet.

This year, the Cowboy Stampede meet was the second meet at McNeese State University, and it featured the return of a pivotal Lake Charles athlete for the Lady Demons.

Lalaina Wood, a senior health and exercise science major, was injured during the 2024 season and finally got to return to the field this season. “My first meet back at McNeese was the 5K, and it was really good. It was my second 5K in two years, but there was a huge personal record and a goal I wanted to hit,” Wood said.

“I had my mind set on achieving a big goal of mine, which was breaking 20 minutes,” Wood said. “It’s really all about the mental mindset and putting in the work going into the meet.”

Since that meet, Wood has noticed dramatic changes. “Coming out of high school, I had never run cross country, so coming into college, it was a shock and I didn’t want to. I went from telling my coach in high school that I was never going to run for more than two miles to running ten miles just a few months later,” Wood said.

“I’ve definitely built my aerobic base over the last couple of years. I think I’ve definitely shifted from a focus on more mid-distance and speed, to a focus on long distance and 5Ks now,” Wood said. “Cross country in college has definitely shaped the athlete I’ve become today in my distance focus.”

With her return this season, Wood beat her best times at every meet and earned a spot at the Southland Conference championships hosted this year at NSU. “You always want to perform your best for conference, and I had a PR, so that was different. Being at home made the stakes higher,” Wood said.

“Being able to show up at home, comfortable in the course, was great because I knew that I had the advantage … I know where every pothole is and anything I need to run around is at,” Wood said.

After Wood’s success this season, the team plans to return next year with an even stronger mindset. As the indoor track season begins in January, team improvement and practice continue to pave the way.