Cameron Steffens ready for last race as a Mount Mercy Mustang: Nationals at home

CEDAR RAPIDS — When Cameron Steffens of Mount Mercy lines up for the 65th annual NAIA men’s cross country national championships today at Seminole Valley, there will be a lifetime of preparation behind.

“It requires so much work and dedication and discipline to be the best you can really be,” Steffens said before the final race of his collegiate career.

The recently-turned 22-year-old would know. Between waking up at 6 a.m. and running a local lawn care business that services 90-plus clients each week, Steffens goes to school full-time and still maintains the No. 1 runner position on the Mustangs cross country team that trains 5-10 miles each day starting at 4 p.m.

The business major doesn’t come from a family of runners, although his parents, “are always there cheering me on every step of the way,” Steffens said. “I couldn’t appreciate that more.”

Originally from Shueyville and a graduate of Cedar Rapids Prairie, Steffens continues to find his place in the community he loves.

“A lot of people in my family do think I’m crazy,” Steffens said. “When you’re out for a run with your buddies and you’re not having to go to work or school and you’re just kind of out there enjoying the outdoors and not having any responsibility. It really clears your mind.”

Someone Steffens has found to lean on when days get long is fellow Mount Mercy Mustang Kelsi Huhndorf, a conference champion for the Mustangs women’s team. The pair have dated for the past two years .

Steffens said they met from being on both the track and cross country teams together and the now-seniors, “kind of started running together for a while and we just got to know each other. The rest is history.”

Now Steffens will try to win his first championship as the Mustang men begin their race at 10:30 a.m. and the women’s field follows at 11:30.

“It’s all you can do when it comes race time,” Steffens said. “We start the first couple miles with the packs we train with and then from there we just go as hard as we possibly can.”

Steffens also has to make sure he runs a smart race.

“If you go out too fast, you’re definitely going to pay for it toward the end and it’ll hurt you more than if you just paced yourself.”

That’s why Steffens tends to wait for the 5k mark. That leaves him with about 2 miles to the finish.

“That’s when I try to kick it into the next gear and go all out from there,” he said.

While Friday’s race will conclude Steffens’ cross country career, the senior will have track season to compete in through the spring and plans to spend the rest of his life running.

“I really just try to let my mind go free and enjoy the feeling of being outside exercising,” Steffens said. “I don’t know how much more competing I’m going to do, but I will continue to run as long as I possibly can.”

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