Prior to transferring to Montreat, Talisa was sidelined for nearly two years as she underwent two I.T. band surgeries. “This was her first complete cross country season that she’s been able to train consistently since her freshman year. It’s only going to get better from here,” added Larios. Bishop qualified for her third national championship by virtue of finishing 11th at this year’s regional championship; this weekend however, Talisa managed to beat all of her regional competitors except five Milligan runners. “Milligan finished 3rd in the country- and I was certain that she could run with those ladies, and today she proved it,” said Larios.
“I’m really happy. I wanted to break nineteen minutes all season, so I’m glad it happened here today,” said Bishop. “I wasn’t too sure about the regional meet because I twisted my ankle and couldn’t train for a full week. This race was really uplifting- it was really, really cold, but uplifting!” With heavy cloud cover that called for rain and possible snow-flurries, Bishop’s confidence gave her the ability to endure and to run her collegiate best performance.
Talisa will continue her training as she heads to Florida this Thanksgiving break in order to attempt to qualify for the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at this year’s Jacksonville Half-Marathon.