One minute before her race, Cox is in her lane, still swaying a bit to music that's no longer playing. The gun goes off and Cox's teammate runs the first 100 meters around the turn, then passes the baton to Cox, who sprints the straightaway of the Carolina blue track, her long braids suspended in the air behind her. She can see the St. Augustine's College competitor out of the corner of her eye. Cox maintains the Carolina lead and passes the baton to her waiting teammate. UNC loses in the fourth leg.
Cox walks slowly across the field.
Here at UNC's Belk Track and Fetzer Field, Crystal Cox has three identities. Cox is a sprinter on Carolina's track team. Cox is a student, a Communications Studies major from Spring Lake who attends classes in Bingham Hall, a five-minute walk from the track. She said she loves her debate class and thinks about going to law school one day. Then she spends her day going to class, studying or doing housework, until her daily track practice from 3-6 p.m.