Coming out of high school, LSU freshman cross country runner Charlene Lipsey was heralded as one of the top-rated middle distance female runners in track and field.Lipsey recorded the third-fastest 800-meter outdoor time in the nation — a personal best of 2 minutes, 5.83 seconds — last year while at Hempstead High School in Hempstead, N.Y.It’s easy to see why Lipsey would spend much of her time and focus on the track when she came to LSU. But during the recruiting process, LSU cross country coach Mark Elliott entertained the notion of also making Lipsey a cross country athlete.”My high school coach spoke to coach Elliott, and they both agreed it would be best if I ran cross country this year too,” Lipsey said.Elliott said the strength of the LSU middle distance track program is what drew Lipsey to Baton Rouge.”She can help the cross country team be more successful,” Elliott said. “It’s part of her preparation in getting ready for the indoor and outdoor [track] season.”For the most part, the transition has not been as seamless as initially thought for the Hempstead native. Dealing with the southern Louisiana heat and humidity has been her biggest challenge.”Running cross country is extremely harder than what I expected,” Lipsey said. “I’m not used to practicing in the heat. So I get tired much quicker, and it’s hard for me to breathe sometimes.”Lipsey, who only ran cross country one season in high school, said she is growing accustomed to her coach, teammates and surroundings in Baton Rouge.Lipsey, an elementary education major, received some lessons of her own this season. Much of her adjusting came with the assistance of fellow 800-meter runner and cross country senior teammate Kayann Thompson.”She has had a very good transition,” Thompson said. “Most of the time, I just tell her to keep focused. She understands very well.”Lipsey proved her worth in the Lady Tigers’ first meet of the cross country season. The freshman finished third individually for the Lady Tigers at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with a 5K time of 19 minutes, 16.6 seconds – good enough for No. 34 overall.In the LSU Invitational, Lipsey finished even higher in the standings. She crossed the finish line at No. 14 overall and second individually for the Lady Tigers despite clocking a 20 minute, 0.69 second-time”The 5K and the 800 [meters] is totally different,” Thompson said. “No matter what way I put it, the 5K is much, much tougher.”Lipsey’s early contributions didn’t come as a surprise to Thompson.”She works hard and has good endurance,” Thompson said. “She’s very determined, and she is a good competitor.”Lipsey said track will remain her first love, but for now she is focused on cross country. She said she wants to help the cross country team have a strong placement in its closing meets, which includes the Southeastern Conference Championships on Oct. 31.”On the track, she will show her merit,” Elliott said. “Overall cross country-wise, she’s doing really well.”—-Contact Jonathan Schexnayder at [email protected]