While she had been involved in athletics from a young age, University of South Alabama women's distance runner Laura Labuschaigne's love for the cross country didn't really begin until her late teen years.
"I would say in high school is when I really started running," Labuschaigne said. "In elementary school, we had the option of participating in a lot of different sports, but in high school is when I started focusing on distance running."
Her passion for the sport was also aided by a familial tie.
"My brother and sister really set the path for me though, because they were both really talented distance runners," Labuschaigne said. "They ran in high school and still compete at a collegiate level back home in South Africa."
Early on in her running career, another person also played a key role in the development of her love for the sport.
"When I first started running, I was still getting a feel for the sport," Labuschaigne said. "I was privileged enough to meet a lovely lady named Tanya Malherbe who was my coach from grade 10 onwards; that's when I really fell in love with the sport. I admire her because she was a professional runner and her determination and passion woke up a passion inside of me as well."
While she participated in both cross country and track and field during her high school years at Paarl Gymnasium, the cross country side of it wasn't nearly as competitive as it is here in the United States.
"My high school back home is very renowned for its sports, but that is mainly for rugby. Obviously because of my size, I didn't play rugby," Labuschaigne said with a laugh. "I was the only person in the entire school who ran cross country. Most people thought cross country was just walking and not running, so a lot of the times we just used cross country for base training for the track season. Here in the states though, cross country is huge and super competitive."
Over the last several years, Labuschaigne's home country has provided a number of talented athletes to South Alabama, which played an important role in how she ended up here in Mobile nearly 8,400 miles away from her hometown of Durbanville, Western Cape, South Africa.
"[Track & Field head coach Paul] Brueske is a very good recruiter and has a soft spot for the South Africans," Labuschaigne said. "When I was almost done with my senior year of high school, I actually thought I was going to go to the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. I was privileged enough though that Brueske found me and made contact with me. That's kind of when I started considering coming to the [United] States. It was kind of a foreign idea to me and I didn't ever really think I would realize that dream, but I'm so lucky that there were already some other South Africans who had established themselves here. They were able to lead me and support me during the whole process."
After signing with the Jaguars that August, Labuschaigne arrived on campus in the spring of 2014.
Although she saw success during her first outdoor season placing among the top 15 in the 800m and the 1,500m at the Sun Belt Conference Championships that May, her first season competing for the Jaguars in cross country wouldn't see the same immediate success as she would have to adjust to a different type of conditioning.
"I just remember after my first cross country season, I thought 'How am I going to survive three more of these?'", Labuschaigne said. "The American approach to distance running is high-mileage, which is something that I wasn't used to at the high school level. Our workouts in high school were more 'high intensity' with very low mileage. The focus here is more long term, which I think is very important at the college level because you don't want to burn out after a year or two.
"It definitely takes some time getting your mileage up to the 50- to 60-miles a week range and being able to run that consistently and stay injury free. My first year that was a major adjustment period for me. My body was going through a lot of changes, but after my first summer back home I focused on doing the base training and getting the mileage."
Another variable for Labuschaigne was the adjustment to a new environment, one which included being in a new country that season.
"In the beginning you don't realize how much [the change] takes out of you because you are in unfamiliar territory," Labuschaigne said. "Me and my cousin [Niel Giliomee] came over together and we had each other in the beginning; that was very valuable because we helped each other get out of our comfort zones. The biggest mistake I feel that you can make in your first semester is to be too introverted and not reach out to others. It helped a lot that we were part of a team, so we instantly had a bunch of friends."
However, while there was a huge difference from what she was used to back home, the Southern culture played a role in the adjustment process.
"The culture difference between South Africa and America is pretty big, but I like that I'm in the South part of the country where the people tend to be very conservative like us back home," Labuschaigne said. "People talk about the southern hospitality and I can confirm that it is a real thing and I'm very appreciative of that. There are a lot of nice people in the South and they've made the transition a lot smoother and a lot easier."
Even though she struggled that first cross country season, Labuschaigne learned a significant lesson about herself as an athlete and a runner.
"You are definitely tougher than you think you are and through hard work and determination, anything can be accomplished," she said.
While most of the '15 cross country season didn't yield the results Labuschaigne might have hoped, she saved her best performance for when the Jaguars needed her the most at the Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championship. Labuschaigne was one of four Jag runners to record a top 10 finish with a sixth-place mark and helped the Jag women win their first Sun Belt Conference championship since in 22 years. The Jaguars finished with a total of 46 points, 20 fewer than Appalachian State and 38 less than Texas-Arlington, to pick up the program's fourth Sun Belt title.
Out of the 75 individuals at Nash Farm Battlefield Park, Labuschaigne posted a time of 18:13.4 over the 5k course and with her top 10 finish, earned second-team all-league honors.
Prior to her performance at the SBC event, Labuschaigne's best performance had been a 50th-place finish at the Alabama Crimson Classic two weeks earlier.
One key asset that Labuschaigne had that first cross country season was a strong core group of runners – JoAnna McCoy, Ashley Heitling, Nicole Durham and Ivy Chastain – as they pushed each other to be better.
"Having that group definitely helped us in the races because you were able to go into races not feeling so alone," Labuschaigne said. "In track races, we are in a lot of different events and it can be a bit intimidating because it's you and you need to get the job done. In cross country it's different because you go in as a team and you have that mentality. You are also able to help each other during a race. I'll never forget my very first Sun Belt Cross Country Championship race. Myself and JoAnna and Ashley ran together the whole time and if it weren't for them, I would have fallen back way earlier than I did. Seeing your teammates fight and their determination gives you the mindset that 'I can do this too; I owe it to the team.' That's really what pulled me through. I was very lucky to come in with a quality group of senior girls. I really looked up to them and they really paved the path for my future success."
The success at the league event also proved to be a turning point for Labuschaigne in her cross country career.
"It definitely motivated me going into the next season as well as regionals the next week," Labuschaigne said. "When I came here, I really didn't think of myself as a cross country athlete. My approach really was 'Anything I'm able to do is a bonus.' I was able to make it through my freshman year and sophomore year started out really well and it made me realize that I was more competitive that I thought I could be. I started to give myself a little more credit and I started being a little more aggressive in the races. When I was able to finish in a good position at the Sun Belt Conference [Championship] I realized I can compete with these girls."
After another successful spring on the track, Labuschaigne returned to South Africa the following summer and worked even harder in her distance training.
Last fall, Labuschaigne returned to the cross country course and emerged as one of the top distance runners in the sport both in the Sun Belt and the region.
During the 2016 season, Labuschaigne began the year with a win at the Azalea City Classic and continued her success throughout the fall as she went on to post top-30 finishes in all five of her events. Labuschaigne capped off the cross country year by picking up first-team all-league honors and just missed out on all-region honors as she recorded a time of 21:01.1 – a new personal best – to place 29th out of 212 runners at the NCAA South Regional.
Labuschaigne attributes her success last season to her work ethic and relentless training.
"I would say hard work every day and doing what I'm supposed to everyday," she said. "In distance running, there's no hiding; it's consistent hard work. The summer training for me really made a huge difference because I did what I was supposed to do when I was supposed to do it."
Now in her junior season, Labuschaigne is looked on as a leader for the Jaguars and she has readily embraced that role thanks impart to lessons she learned as a freshman.
"This season, we have a lot of freshmen on the team, so I have to be more aware of my role as a leader," Labuschaigne said. "Two years ago there were other seniors who helped show me how one should be in that role.
"In this role, you have to be more aware of your attitude because the freshmen really notice and they look up to you. When we have a tough workout and some are feeling negative, you [as the leader] are going to have to be the one telling the others about the privileged that we have to be here and that we are able to practice and compete, so let's change our attitude and mentality. I have to stay aware of my actions and body language. I feel privileged to be in a leadership role because both the returners and the freshmen are really a quality group of people and I'm fortunate to be surrounded by them."
One other new change Labuschaigne has had to get used to this season is that of a new head coach. However, she feels that it has helped her development even more.
"I think change is good at times. It definitely was an adjustment for me since I'm a junior in cross country and a senior in track," Labuschaigne stated. "[Cross Country Head] Coach [Parker] Cowles has implemented some very positive changes for us though and I feel it they are coming at the right time. The cross country runners are getting in the gym a little bit more, doing some fliers, more hurdles. He definitely has a different approach to training and I like it. I feel that we are training smart, not that we didn't do it that way in the past, but it's a little bit more individualized and I feel it is really working for the new girls. It's been a change, but a positive change."
Thus far this season, Labuschaigne has continued to be an elite runner for the Jags as she began the year with wins at the Azalea City Classic and the Greater Louisville Classic. Dating back to last season, she had finished inside the top 30 or better until just missing out on extending that streak in her last outing as she placed 31st at the Crimson Classic.
Led by Labuschaigne, the South Alabama women have also seen team success as they won the first two meets and placed 18th at the Crimson Classic which featured a field of 14 regionally-ranked teams.
With this fall's success, expectations are high for the group to repeat it's success from Labuschaigne's freshman season with a conference championship. The junior believes this group is capable of obtaining that goal as long as they remember a couple of key things.
"You have to see yourself as a worthy competitor, so going into our remaining meets, we have to maintain a confidence," Labuschaigne said. "We don't need to be arrogant, but we need to be confident going into the races and believing in ourselves. Working together as a team will be very important. If we are able to keep up the pace with the way our training's been going this fall and believe in ourselves, the future's looking bright for us."
Labuschaigne has been impressed with what she has seen out this year's freshmen class and they have even pushed the seasoned runner.
"They have unbelievable focus and determined," she said. "They came in and I honestly feel like they are keeping me on my toes a little bit. I don't think I've ever been around such a hard-working group. That's extremely encouraging to me and it comes internally for them because they want to do it well and that's really inspiring to me."
Labuschaigne is on track to earn her degree in the spring and hopes to attend grad school to get her master's degree in accounting. While she still wants to run competitively, she doesn't necessarily want to make a career out of the sport.
"Running will always be a part of my life and I will always be grateful for the sport and the opportunities it has handed me," Labuschaigne said. "I've not only been able to develop myself athletically but also personally and professionally."
Labuschaigne and her other teammates will look to pick up the program's fifth women's title on Sat., Oct. 28, when they travel to Boone, N.C., for this year's Sun Belt Conference Championship.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the Finish Line Club, the track and field and cross country specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All donations to the Finish Line Club go directly to support the South Alabama track and field/cross country programs. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/finishlineclub.
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