The Creighton cross country program looks for progress each year, and this season some runners have made many leaps in their stride.
With coach Matt Rogers taking over at the helm, the Jays have progressed in ways that even shocked some of them.
The Jays men’s cross country team placed fifth in just their second year at the Big East Championships, two slots higher than last year’s finish of seventh. The women’s team lowered its score from 228 last year to 203 this year.
The progression is exactly what the Jays want in order to become a high caliber team in the Big East Conference.
“The future of the program is one we want to see become more competitive, and moving ahead of teams within our new conference that have full track programs is something that we find very exciting,” Rogers said.
“We look at moving up in the conference right now, rather than a regional or national team.”
Two of Rogers’ top runners that have helped build this year’s success are junior Garrett Kenyon for the men and senior Courtney Sawle for the women.
Kenyon continues a streak of coming in first for the Jays that goes all the way back to his freshman year. At the Big East Championship, Kenyon finished 29th with a time of 24:57 in the 8k race.
Kenyon credits much of his success to teamwork and how each person pushes one another.
“Teamwork on this team is a big thing,” Kenyon said. “The senior leadership on this team has helped a lot … we are all leaders on this team.
“It is not like there is just one guy.”
Rogers sees much of the same and sees Kenyon pushing the pack.
“Our goal with [Kenyon] is to ‘close the accordion’ is what we call it. Our team and our pack behind Kenyon has worked hard together to pull closer to him,” Rogers said, “He doesn’t see himself as a front runner, but as [one] who everyone else is trying to move closer toward.”
While there has been a steady top runner for the men the last three years, the women have experienced an unexpected changing of the guards with Sawle.
Last year, Sawle was 40th in the Big East Conference and now currently sits at 11th in her senior year.
“She has allowed all the other girls to know that senior year is something special and something to take advantage of,” Rogers said.
Sawle gives credit to confidence, and her new coach as reasons as to why she has exceeded expectations this year.
“My freshman year, I did not have a lot of confidence. [Rogers] instilled in me that if I set boundaries on myself then I will never get better,” Sawle said.
Sawle passes this on to the lower classes that if they think they cannot be better than her, they are letting themselves and their coach down.
“They could if they want be better than me by their senior year,” Sawle said.
The Jays are excited about the progress they have made even if it is a little bit surprising.
“Now we are right behind those top four schools, and we are not stopping here. We are ready to break into that top four,” Kenyon said.
The cross country teams return to action at the NCAA Regional Championship in Peoria, Ill. on Nov. 14.