SUNY Cortland Athletics

This is part of a series of interviews that Cortland track and field/cross country runner Shannon Imbornoni '21 conducted in 2020 with former Cortland track and field and/or cross country individual national champions.

Interview Menu

Andrea Spaulding ’87

Andrea Spaulding is a two-time individual NCAA champion, one-time team NCAA champion in outdoor track and field and an eight-time All-American. Spaulding was inducted into the SUNY Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame in 2015 for women’s track and field and basketball. Since 1984, Spaulding has held the school record in the indoor 500m. Additionally, Spaulding won the Cortland track and field Red Letter Award for outdoor in 1987. The Tully native currently resides in Apex, N.C.

Some of the questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.


Why did you choose Cortland?
I knew Cortland had a strong physical education program.
 
What do you remember about your national title season(s)?
We had a very talented team and everyone worked hard in practice. Everyone on the team always seemed to perform well at meets, especially at NCAA’s. We also had a lot of fun along the way. The team was fun to be around and to spend time with. It always felt good to celebrate together after a big team win!
 
What was winning your first title like?
I set the national record in the 400m hurdles and [the team] won NCAA’s in the same season. I did five events at the NCAA meet and I knew we needed all the points we could get [to win]. I really did not have much time to think about [all the points needed]. My coach and teammates congratulated me [after each event] and then we talked about what I needed to do in my next.
 
What is your favorite memory of Cortland?
My favorite memory is going to track meets and spending time with the girls on the team. The outdoor track at Cortland was not made correctly, so for our outdoor season, we had to go away for every meet. I would have to say I have a lot of great memories from Cortland, but track left a lasting memory that will be with me the rest of my life. I still keep in touch with the coach [Laura Crain] and some of my teammates.
 
What have you taken from being a part of the team?
The hard work and dedication of the team has been instilled in me and has carried over into my career as a physical educator and my coaching.
 
What are you doing now?
I teach high school physical education in the Wake County Public School System in North Carolina. I teach weight training, freshmen physical education/health, lifetime sports, team sports and adaptive physical education for students with autism. I also coach indoor and outdoor track. I coach boys and girls sprinters, anywhere from 55m to 400m, hurdles and relays.
 
Do you have any advice for Cortland XC/TF athletes now?
Enjoy your time in your spikes and cherish the moments every step of the way.