Cross country: Sprinter finds her legs at long distance

Tynesha Gamble’s athletic resume at Permian High School may have caused a few double takes the last few weeks.

She has been a key member of the Lady Panthers back-to-back district champion track and field teams in 2008 and 2009, winning the 100- and 200-meter titles as a sophomore before finishing as runner-up in each as a junior.

Now a senior, Gamble is getting her kicks at much longer distances as a member of Permian’s girls cross country team.

She dabbled in the sport a bit as a junior, but decided to take the plunge for her final year of high school at the behest of head coach Carl Chancellor.

“It was around July that he actually made me change my mind,” Gamble said. “I didn’t go to the first day of practice and he texted me that day, ‘I guess you overslept, so I’ll see you in the morning.’

“I told myself I’m not going to do it and I told my parents why would I do something I don’t like. They told me why don’t you give it a chance and once I got into it, I’m starting to finally get used to it because you’ve got to work to be in cross country.”

Gamble still has sprinting on the mind and her ultimate goal is to earn a trip to the UIL State Track and Field Championships in one of her specialities.

But Gamble also knows she will be a senior leader for the track and field team and will need to step into a role on the 1,600-meter relay, so cross country certainly could help with that endeavor.

“Athletes in general feel like if they’re a sprinter there’s no benefit in running distance,” Chancellor said. “I think she’s grown up so much and she’s realized that the harder she works at whatever she does, the more benefit it is to her.”

Gamble isn’t just another body on one of the state’s top teams, either.

The senior has scored at each of the team’s six meets this season, including a personal-best time of 12 minutes, 53 seconds, over two miles Saturday in the McNeil Invitational at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

That effort placed her 113th in a field with more than 400 runners, many of whom are among the state’s best — not to mention much more experienced.

“My goal was to get under 13 and when I did that this past weekend I was so proud of myself,” Gamble said. “At least I know I can do it.”

Gamble said she’s enjoyed the atmosphere of the cross country program, with most of the runners also associated with the track and field program.

She’ll get her chance to run at home today in the Odessa Invitational at UTPB Park, and her coach certainly would like to see her continue her solid efforts.

“She’s our No. 5 runner right now and earlier she was our No. 3, but her time keeps dropping every week and that’s all I can ask,” Chancellor said. “Ty has had to grow up a lot. She’s had a lot more dumped on her shoulders this year than she’s had in the past and she’s doing well.”