Taking Mooney Tragedy in Stride
Cross country head coach gives her account on the journey with the freshman runner
Nathan Epstein
Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: Sports
On Sat., Oct. 3, a car accident took place that left freshman cross country runner Clint Mooney paralyzed from the waist down. While driving his cousin home from Hampden-Sydney, Mooney's car struck a deer and he was catapulted through his windshield.
The effect has been profound on the Longwood cross country family. The team has lost a fellow teammate, Mooney's parents have lost the opportunity to watch their son doing what he loves, but for Head Coach Catherine Hanson, the loss goes beyond simply a coach losing a fellow student athlete.
The relationship between Hanson and Mooney began with Mooney's mother, Lisa Mooney. Mooney, a former Longwood Office of Human Resources, first offered Hanson the job as Longwood cross country head coach.
While still living in upstate New York, Hanson received a phone call. "It was somebody who said, 'This is Lisa Mooney," said Hanson, "I'm calling to officially offer you the position of head coach of cross country,' and I flipped out."
Now the newly hired head coach of Longwood cross country, Hanson did not know the town of Farmville, the surrounding area, or her team all that well either.
One day, Lisa Mooney starts into a conversation with Hanson, and it was then that Hanson first learned of Clint Mooney. "She said, 'You know, my boy Clint runs cross country at Prince Edward,' and I'm like, 'Really? You don't say,'" said Hanson, "You know, here we go; another conversation about a kid who runs cross country, and I don't even know my own kids yet."
Hanson met Clint Mooney that same day. "Here comes this kid about ten minutes later, skinny as a rail, has got a camouflage hat on that's tipped up; looked like a total redneck," said Hanson with a smile, "Jeans that are way too big for him, and he comes striding up and she introduces me to him, and he shakes my hand real firm, and you know, he's like, 'Oh wow! You're the coach at Longwood?' I'm like, 'Well, I just started."
A graduate of Prince Edward County High School, Mooney transferred to Prince Edward from one of the top cross country programs in the country at Midlothian High School. It was clear to coach Hanson and the rest of her players that Mooney wanted to run cross country at Longwood.
The effect has been profound on the Longwood cross country family. The team has lost a fellow teammate, Mooney's parents have lost the opportunity to watch their son doing what he loves, but for Head Coach Catherine Hanson, the loss goes beyond simply a coach losing a fellow student athlete.
The relationship between Hanson and Mooney began with Mooney's mother, Lisa Mooney. Mooney, a former Longwood Office of Human Resources, first offered Hanson the job as Longwood cross country head coach.
While still living in upstate New York, Hanson received a phone call. "It was somebody who said, 'This is Lisa Mooney," said Hanson, "I'm calling to officially offer you the position of head coach of cross country,' and I flipped out."
Now the newly hired head coach of Longwood cross country, Hanson did not know the town of Farmville, the surrounding area, or her team all that well either.
One day, Lisa Mooney starts into a conversation with Hanson, and it was then that Hanson first learned of Clint Mooney. "She said, 'You know, my boy Clint runs cross country at Prince Edward,' and I'm like, 'Really? You don't say,'" said Hanson, "You know, here we go; another conversation about a kid who runs cross country, and I don't even know my own kids yet."
Hanson met Clint Mooney that same day. "Here comes this kid about ten minutes later, skinny as a rail, has got a camouflage hat on that's tipped up; looked like a total redneck," said Hanson with a smile, "Jeans that are way too big for him, and he comes striding up and she introduces me to him, and he shakes my hand real firm, and you know, he's like, 'Oh wow! You're the coach at Longwood?' I'm like, 'Well, I just started."
A graduate of Prince Edward County High School, Mooney transferred to Prince Edward from one of the top cross country programs in the country at Midlothian High School. It was clear to coach Hanson and the rest of her players that Mooney wanted to run cross country at Longwood.
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