Previously called “Outside the Box”, Sarah Orbuch's features have been properly renamed to “In the Yeo with …” In this piece, Orbuch sat down with Oberlin's newest All-American Carey Lyons.

Just a sophomore, Carey Lyons is already an All-American runner. In the absence of junior Molly Martorella – who is the team's top performer, but missed most of the season due to injury – Lyons was there to shoulder the load and lead the women's cross country team to a historic ninth-place finish at nationals.

As a freshman, Lyons earned the NCAC Newcomer of the Year honors and was just behind Martorella in each race. That season she got her first feel for the national stage and helped the Yeowomen place 15th in the country. This year she grew into an elite runner – winning her first two races and finishing within top pack each race the rest of the way.

For Lyons, the difference between the two seasons is that she knew what to expect.

“Last year going into each race I was not quite sure what was going to happen and how I was going to feel, but this year I knew how competitive each race would be and I knew I had to stay aware of the runners around me.”

She had high expectations for her team and herself all season.

“Going to nationals for a second year in a row is a tribute to how much work we put into the sport and how important it is to myself and teammates,” Lyons noted. “Running in nationals as a team is different than an individual because it shows that we - as a team - work really well together and love and appreciate each other.”

Her preparation for nationals was no different than any other race.

“My main focus going in was to not get sick, there is not much running-wise we can do to help us at that point.”

It was the preparation and hard work that led Lyons and her teammates to the school-record finish. Lyons was able to share the moment with fellow sophomore classmates Emma Lehmann and Lindsay Neal who completed the second-year trio as the team's top three finishers.

Outside of her historic cross country and track seasons, Lyons is a hopeful biology and neuroscience double major, with the ultimate goal of doing scientific research. She spent her last winter term in Hawaii working on an organic farm, “woofing,” and volunteering at an arboretum. WOOFING - Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms - involves living in a local, environmental sound community while volunteering on a farm.

Part of Lyons' future goal of scientific research involves the social aspect of environmental studies, and woofing is a perfect opportunity to get that kind of experience. This past summer, Lyons continued her environmental studies by volunteering at a restoration project and she plans to work at another nature center this upcoming winter.

It can be really hard to train for cross-country and track when your environment and resources change each season, but obviously this does not impact Lyons, who looks to continue her success this winter and spring in track and field.