Lady Patriot softball player Taylor Brunson decided to use her last year of eligibility with collegiate sports to join the FMU cross-country and track teams.

“I switched from softball to cross-country and track,” Brunson said. “I finished my four years of softball. My fifth year, I have another eligibility for a different sport. I like to run, so I just talked to my coach, did it and it all just worked out.”

Brunson said she received a four-year softball scholarship and played softball at a junior college for two years before she transferred to FMU. She continued to play out the rest of her four years of softball at FMU and decided to take up her last season of sports with cross-country and track.

“I went to junior college for two years, transferred here and played softball for another two on a softball scholarship and had another year left of school, so this will be my last season to play sports,” Brunson said.

Brunson described the differences between softball, cross-country and track and explained how busy her schedule can be while playing sports. As she comes to the end of her college career, the cross-country and track practice times are less than what softball required for practice. Brunson said the cross-country and track schedules are a lot less stressful and worked with the relaxed vibe of her senior year.

“Softball was a lot busier,” Brunson said. “We had a lot of stuff in the morning and practiced for four hours in the afternoon. With track and cross-country, it’s just like you run an hour or an hour and a half, then you’re done for the day.”

Brunson said she enjoyed softball and the concept of a team, but cross-country and track serve her in a different way. Brunson said it is different from softball because the goal is no longer a team effort but is instead an individual striving to overcome a specific time.

“Softball is more of a team sport and track is a lot more individual, because you’re just trying to beat your own time, so I like that about track,” Brunson said. “I’m only competing against myself, constantly trying to beat my own time. Beating your old time is such a good feeling.”

Brunson said she was satisfied with making the switch to the cross-country and track team.

Brunson said she plans to continue running on or off of a team after college.