MUNCIE, Ind. — In the process of breaking her own records, Delta's Nicki Southerland doesn't take every stride so seriously.
In fact, one of the state's top runners often has an imaginary jukebox playing in her head.
"I usually think of parts of songs, random songs, and they just play over and over," Southerland said. "When I'm done I can't remember what it was or why I was thinking of it, but it helps me get through."
Her unexplainable strategy clearly worked as the junior on Tuesday won her third consecutive Delaware County cross country title, topping her area record from last year by more than 22 seconds with a time of 17:52.