SE: K-State Men’s XC Freshmen Exceed First-Year Expectations, Build Foundation for Future
Nov 06, 2018 | Cross Country, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
K-State cross country head coach Ryun Godfrey expected his men's freshmen class to make up a bulk of the team's scoring at meets this season. This seemed obvious, and necessary, after graduating six seniors from last year's group.
What Godfrey did not anticipate was how well the Wildcat newcomers would adjust to a new level of running, especially the 3,000-meter race increase from high school to college. He fully expected youth and growing pains to lead to a sizable step back from last season's fourth-place finish at the conference meet — the men's highest placement at the Big 12 Championship in program history.
Well, K-State's men finished fifth this season. It marked the program's first time recording consecutive top-five finishes at the Big 12 meet. Four of K-State's five scorers were freshmen — two true freshmen and two redshirts. First-year runner Cooper Schroeder finished first on for K-State, 22ndoverall and second among the conference's true freshmen.
"You're always wondering how freshmen are going to handle the distance," Godfrey said, as K-State will wrap up its season at the NCAA Midwest Regional, a 10k race for the men, on Friday. "To tag on an additional 3,000, now 5,000 meters this week, you just wonder how well they're going to transition, or if it's going to take a full year to develop the strength necessary to do that, and I think they've kind of exceeded what I thought they were going to do."
K-State's freshmen were able to hit the ground running, or at least avoid significant stumbling, for a number of reasons.
First, it's a talented group. But it's also one that recognized they had a solid blueprint to follow in senior Joe Gorthy. Earlier this season, he became the first K-State male to earn Big 12 Runner of the Week honors since 2012.
"Having a guy like Joe on the team, who's been here and is experienced, it just gives us someone to look to, like, 'If you work hard, you'll be successful,'" said true freshman Charlie Parrish, who has scored in every meet for K-State this season, "and we all just want to be successful."
Schroeder, from Manhattan, said Gorthy "really just showed us the ropes throughout the season." Before big races like the Bradley Pink Classic and the Big 12 Championship, Schroeder said Gorthy always reminded the younger runners to stay relaxed and stick to their race plan. They listened, and it paid off.
"If we have any questions, we ask him," Schroeder said. "He shows us what to do and gives us a feel for what's about to happen. It's really nice having him. He's a good leader."
The true freshmen have also pushed each other, thanks mostly to the fact that they all live together.
"You can talk to them about training, talk to them about school," Schroeder said. "It's really nice because they motivate you to go run, so it's not like you have to get up by yourself in a dorm room. You have each other to stay motivated."
"That makes it easier, for sure," added Parrish.
This season, 11 of K-State's 25 scorers — five races, five scorers per race — were true freshmen. If redshirt freshmen like Ethan Powell, who finished third among his teammates at the Big 12 meet in the first race of his career, Jackson Schroeder, Cooper's older brother, and Dylan Brenneman are included, that number is bumped up to 17.
If not for injuries to Powell and the elder Schroeder, along with first-year runners David Lutgen and Kerby Depenbusch, the freshmen's scoring contributions would have been even greater. This only adds to team's optimism for the future, however.
"It's going to be exciting in the years to come," Parrish said.
"I think it's super bright," Cooper Schroeder added of the team's future. "I think getting fifth with not a full team really sparked the team in the locker room, like we can really build something."
K-State cross country head coach Ryun Godfrey expected his men's freshmen class to make up a bulk of the team's scoring at meets this season. This seemed obvious, and necessary, after graduating six seniors from last year's group.
What Godfrey did not anticipate was how well the Wildcat newcomers would adjust to a new level of running, especially the 3,000-meter race increase from high school to college. He fully expected youth and growing pains to lead to a sizable step back from last season's fourth-place finish at the conference meet — the men's highest placement at the Big 12 Championship in program history.
Well, K-State's men finished fifth this season. It marked the program's first time recording consecutive top-five finishes at the Big 12 meet. Four of K-State's five scorers were freshmen — two true freshmen and two redshirts. First-year runner Cooper Schroeder finished first on for K-State, 22ndoverall and second among the conference's true freshmen.
"You're always wondering how freshmen are going to handle the distance," Godfrey said, as K-State will wrap up its season at the NCAA Midwest Regional, a 10k race for the men, on Friday. "To tag on an additional 3,000, now 5,000 meters this week, you just wonder how well they're going to transition, or if it's going to take a full year to develop the strength necessary to do that, and I think they've kind of exceeded what I thought they were going to do."
K-State's freshmen were able to hit the ground running, or at least avoid significant stumbling, for a number of reasons.
First, it's a talented group. But it's also one that recognized they had a solid blueprint to follow in senior Joe Gorthy. Earlier this season, he became the first K-State male to earn Big 12 Runner of the Week honors since 2012.
"Having a guy like Joe on the team, who's been here and is experienced, it just gives us someone to look to, like, 'If you work hard, you'll be successful,'" said true freshman Charlie Parrish, who has scored in every meet for K-State this season, "and we all just want to be successful."
Schroeder, from Manhattan, said Gorthy "really just showed us the ropes throughout the season." Before big races like the Bradley Pink Classic and the Big 12 Championship, Schroeder said Gorthy always reminded the younger runners to stay relaxed and stick to their race plan. They listened, and it paid off.
"If we have any questions, we ask him," Schroeder said. "He shows us what to do and gives us a feel for what's about to happen. It's really nice having him. He's a good leader."
The true freshmen have also pushed each other, thanks mostly to the fact that they all live together.
"You can talk to them about training, talk to them about school," Schroeder said. "It's really nice because they motivate you to go run, so it's not like you have to get up by yourself in a dorm room. You have each other to stay motivated."
"That makes it easier, for sure," added Parrish.
This season, 11 of K-State's 25 scorers — five races, five scorers per race — were true freshmen. If redshirt freshmen like Ethan Powell, who finished third among his teammates at the Big 12 meet in the first race of his career, Jackson Schroeder, Cooper's older brother, and Dylan Brenneman are included, that number is bumped up to 17.
If not for injuries to Powell and the elder Schroeder, along with first-year runners David Lutgen and Kerby Depenbusch, the freshmen's scoring contributions would have been even greater. This only adds to team's optimism for the future, however.
"It's going to be exciting in the years to come," Parrish said.
"I think it's super bright," Cooper Schroeder added of the team's future. "I think getting fifth with not a full team really sparked the team in the locker room, like we can really build something."
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