Two years into her college career at High Point University, cross country standout Jemissa Hess was forced to make a decision.

Hess’s coach, Al Barnes, decided he was going to leave the university after five years and no longer serve as the team’s coach.

She had two choices: either stick with the team and the school or try to “go to a bigger school and reach full potential.” Barnes was the one who presented the option of thinking about another school.

“He told me he was leaving,” Hess said. “But he sat me down and said even if he wasn’t leaving, with the potential I had reached, it would be selfish to try to keep me.”

High Point did not have the same caliber runners as other “bigger” programs, according to Hess. Therefore, it left her without someone to push her and help improve her running.

Hess said it was a tough decision because out of high school, High Point was the college that wanted her the most. She was offered a full scholarship, compared to only partial scholarship offers from Georgetown and Virginia.

At first, she said she didn’t “want to go to [the state of] North Carolina,” but things quickly changed after Barnes convinced her otherwise.

While at her old school, Hess was the first-ever runner from High Point to take part in the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

But, Barnes had already thought about Hess going elsewhere for her junior season.

“She’s an Olympic-quality athlete,” Barnes said. “So, I thought she could consider other options. N.C. State has had success and excellence ever since I was a kid. The coach has been a winner, and I knew they treated their athletes well. And she could get better training with better facilities.”

So, Hess decided to make the move.

Luckily for her, she didn’t have to leave everything behind because Barnes would join her.

Even though his main job is running a personal training studio, Fitness Together, which is located in Cary, N.C., he became a volunteer coach for State.

She also didn’t completely have to leave behind her major. According to Hess, State doesn’t have interior design, but she is now an arts applications major, and she gets to take classes at Meredith dealing with her former major.

Now, Hess, a senior, is starting to rack up on top-notch performances for the Wolfpack.

Last season as a junior, Hess finished 50th nationally at the NCAA Championships. She took third place at the NCAA Southeast Regional and the ACC Conference Championships. She earned all-region and all-ACC honors with her performances.

But success is nothing new for Hess. In high school, she didn’t know much about cross country. Her sister, Zorina, who is about two years older, told her about the sport, so Jemissa decided she would give it a try. The two ran together at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va.

Instantly, Jemissa was on the same level as her sister.

“She was as good as me when she was a freshman,” Zorina said. “I was a senior.”

Zorina said she did everything she could to motivate her sister and teach her about the sport. But there wasn’t much she could do, because Jemissa had proved to be as good as her sister.

With this season, Jemissa said she still has plenty of goals in mind. She said she hopes to win ACCs and Regionals. The two people, both from Duke, who finished ahead of her last season, graduated last year. Alongside of ACCs and Regionals, and Hess added she hopes to earn a top-10 finish in the NCAA Championships this year.

“When I finished 50th last year, I think I should have been in the top 30,” Hess said. “This year, I’m looking to finish in the top 10, and I would be amazed if I could do so.”

With running, Jemissa has a career she would like to pursue. She said even if she “doesn’t get it at first,” she plans to “keep trying to do it professionally.”

“They say your best years are in your late 20s,” Hess said.