The 2015 Creighton women’s cross country team is led by a trio of seniors. Emily Peterson, Emily Mauser and Katy Kambhu are entering their fourth and final year in the program and have all contributed in different ways over the course of their careers.

Coach Matt Rogers says that each of their personalities is unique, but they mesh well together.

Peterson is a Huntington Beach, California native majoring in biology. She has been a solid contributor in meets since her freshman season in the fall of 2012.

“Emily (Peterson) makes her teammates feel very comfortable with what they are doing,” Rogers said. “The team just kind of knows her as this extremely intellectual student-athlete.”

Some of her teammates describe Peterson as a silent leader.

“She definitely brings quiet strength to our team,” sophomore teammate Grace Mimmack said. “She is one of our quiet leaders that we all look up to as a powerhouse.”

Mauser was named a team captain this season. She came to Creighton from Regis Jesuit High School in Denver, Colorado and is majoring in exercise science.

“Emily (Mauser) is a competitor and a leader,” Rogers said. “She can handle multiple facets of being a student-athlete including being a captain; she can put a lot on her plate. Being a team captain has elevated her physical ability as well; she feels like she has big part in representing this team.”

Mauser is an unselfish leader.

“She is a really good leader– one of our top runners—and manages to be very motivational to everyone,” Mimmack said. “She focuses more on everybody else, more than even herself most of the time.”

Kambhu is an Iowa City, Iowa native studying elementary education. Like Peterson, Kambhu has been a solid contributor since her freshman season in both cross country in the fall and the indoor season in the spring.

“She (Kambhu) just loves that aspect of helping someone directly and being a mentor,” Rogers said. “She makes her teammates feel very comfortable in one-on-one situations.”

One of Kambhu’s skills is that she likes to get to know her teammates outside of the running scene.

“She is definitely the sweetheart of the team,” Mimmack said. “She is super supportive and nice. She is always asking how your day was and how your workout was. That is definitely her best quality.”

Coach Rogers said the three senior leaders provide a good balance of personality and leadership qualities, which is why they have found success as a unit.

“They are very team-oriented,” Rogers said. “They have been able to bring the culture together.”

From freshman year to now, each of them has seen their leadership role change over the years. They have also seen a tremendous amount of growth in all components of their experience of being a student-athlete.

“I think of myself as someone the freshmen or underclassman can come to if they ever need anything; just playing that supportive role,” Kambhu said.

The cross country program has evolved over the past three seasons.

“I think our culture is very different from what it was,” Peterson said. “Helping the freshmen adjust to the new stuff and providing a good example is important because this really is a lifestyle.”

In terms of growth, Kambhu said she has seen most of her growth come in the physical aspect: her running form.

“I’ve grown a lot in my form,” Kambhu said. “I used to heel-strike in high school and reach a lot. Now I am more on my mid-foot running and it’s a lot easier to run.”

Peterson feels that she has seen her mental side of the sport grow over the course of her career.

“I’ve really grown in being able to push myself because I’ve done a lot more than I ever thought I was capable of,” Peterson said.

As a team captain, Mauser said that she has really seen her leadership qualities improve from year to year.

“As a leader I have grown in being more self-aware,” Mauser said. “That has helped me know what other people need on the team. It has made me become a better listener.”

The team placed second in the season opener at the Augustana Twilight last week.

The Bluejays’ next competition is at the Woody Greeno Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska on Saturday.