SE: After Historic Season, K-State Cross Country Back for More
Aug 30, 2021 | Cross Country, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
He has this Kenyan-style bracelet on his left wrist, the kind that's become popular in the running community. It says EMAW in purple script and Cooper Schroeder wears it for a reason.
"I just got it so when I look down and I'm tired during a run, it reminds me that I'm doing it for my team," he said.
It might seem like no sport at K-State was better equipped to endure a pandemic than the cross-country team. The races are outside and the contact between runners is minimal.
But something was missing for K-State Cross Country in 2020.
"It was weird not having fans and I always love having my family there. They try and make it to as many meets as they can," Jaybe Shufelberger said. "You're used to quiet moments in a race, but having the whole race like that was really strange."
K-State Cross Country was one of the first teams in Manhattan to return to competition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, it didn't slow down the Wildcats.
Both the men's and women's team grabbed a top-five finish at the Big 12 Championship in October, the first time both squads have done that at the conference meet since 1998.
And the impressive team finish propelled Shufelberger to the NCAA Cross Country Championship, where she finished 157th out of more than 400 runners in Oklahoma.
A few weeks after the outdoor track season wrapped up in the spring, both Schroeder and Shufelberger began preparing to run it back with K-State Cross Country in September.
Shufelberger was back at her high school, Washburn Rural, running on the cross-country course where she became one of the top runners in the state with the Junior Blues.
"If I'm back home, I love being at my high school. I've always loved the course back there, it's very secluded and you can just hide away," Shufelberger said. "Then we were training outside Winter Park in Colorado. I did a run where I kind of accidentally ran up a mountain. It was brutal, but it was so fun."
Schroeder was also training at altitude in Colorado, running in Durango near the border with New Mexico. Alongside his EMAW bracelet, he wears a "Project Durango" wristband, what Schroeder described as a "save-the-earth type thing" that reminds him of his family's home.
While he was back in Colorado for the summer, Schroeder began building up to the mileage he hopes will power the Wildcats through a trio of meets this fall before the Big 12 Championship.
"We slowly started increasing mileage, starting around 30 miles, and by the end of the summer, the high mileage guys were running about 90 to 100 miles," he said. "Just not focused too much on workouts, try and get the base mileage in and stay healthy."
On his way to an All-Big 12 season in 2020, Schroeder recorded the fastest 8K time in school history at the conference championship. And the junior is far from finished in Manhattan.
"How we placed last year, knowing we got fourth at Big 12s, and we have our top five [runners] back this season, nine out of our top ten runners and three or four new freshman that are really talented," Schroeder said. "Knowing how we did last year and that we didn't really lose anyone, it's going to be exciting to improve on last year."
Both Schroeder and Shufelberger were excited to return to some of the locations that cross country running has taken them to throughout their K-State careers.
Before COVID-19, Schroeder said K-State runners would meet at the team hotel on race weekends and pick a scenic spot to train before a meet. Shufelberger even added a major in Natural Resources and Environmental Science.
"Being able to go to Colorado this summer, literally in the mountains, it's a shame to see some of it not taken care of how it should be," she said. "I think running has definitely piqued my interest in loving our environment."
The 2021 season will take the Wildcats through Oklahoma, Missouri and Florida, before the NCAA Regional meet in Iowa.
Through it all, Schroeder and Shufelberger will have more than just wristbands to remind them of the team and family behind them.
"We have a very hardworking group, we're very supportive and push each other every day in practice," Shufelberger said. "This is a really solid group."
He has this Kenyan-style bracelet on his left wrist, the kind that's become popular in the running community. It says EMAW in purple script and Cooper Schroeder wears it for a reason.
"I just got it so when I look down and I'm tired during a run, it reminds me that I'm doing it for my team," he said.
It might seem like no sport at K-State was better equipped to endure a pandemic than the cross-country team. The races are outside and the contact between runners is minimal.
But something was missing for K-State Cross Country in 2020.
"It was weird not having fans and I always love having my family there. They try and make it to as many meets as they can," Jaybe Shufelberger said. "You're used to quiet moments in a race, but having the whole race like that was really strange."
K-State Cross Country was one of the first teams in Manhattan to return to competition during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, it didn't slow down the Wildcats.
Both the men's and women's team grabbed a top-five finish at the Big 12 Championship in October, the first time both squads have done that at the conference meet since 1998.
And the impressive team finish propelled Shufelberger to the NCAA Cross Country Championship, where she finished 157th out of more than 400 runners in Oklahoma.
A few weeks after the outdoor track season wrapped up in the spring, both Schroeder and Shufelberger began preparing to run it back with K-State Cross Country in September.
Shufelberger was back at her high school, Washburn Rural, running on the cross-country course where she became one of the top runners in the state with the Junior Blues.
"If I'm back home, I love being at my high school. I've always loved the course back there, it's very secluded and you can just hide away," Shufelberger said. "Then we were training outside Winter Park in Colorado. I did a run where I kind of accidentally ran up a mountain. It was brutal, but it was so fun."
Schroeder was also training at altitude in Colorado, running in Durango near the border with New Mexico. Alongside his EMAW bracelet, he wears a "Project Durango" wristband, what Schroeder described as a "save-the-earth type thing" that reminds him of his family's home.
While he was back in Colorado for the summer, Schroeder began building up to the mileage he hopes will power the Wildcats through a trio of meets this fall before the Big 12 Championship.
Day 1 📸 fresh #KStateTFXC x Family pic.twitter.com/6mrPoYAMv8
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) August 28, 2021
"We slowly started increasing mileage, starting around 30 miles, and by the end of the summer, the high mileage guys were running about 90 to 100 miles," he said. "Just not focused too much on workouts, try and get the base mileage in and stay healthy."
On his way to an All-Big 12 season in 2020, Schroeder recorded the fastest 8K time in school history at the conference championship. And the junior is far from finished in Manhattan.
"How we placed last year, knowing we got fourth at Big 12s, and we have our top five [runners] back this season, nine out of our top ten runners and three or four new freshman that are really talented," Schroeder said. "Knowing how we did last year and that we didn't really lose anyone, it's going to be exciting to improve on last year."
Both Schroeder and Shufelberger were excited to return to some of the locations that cross country running has taken them to throughout their K-State careers.
Before COVID-19, Schroeder said K-State runners would meet at the team hotel on race weekends and pick a scenic spot to train before a meet. Shufelberger even added a major in Natural Resources and Environmental Science.
"Being able to go to Colorado this summer, literally in the mountains, it's a shame to see some of it not taken care of how it should be," she said. "I think running has definitely piqued my interest in loving our environment."
The 2021 season will take the Wildcats through Oklahoma, Missouri and Florida, before the NCAA Regional meet in Iowa.
Through it all, Schroeder and Shufelberger will have more than just wristbands to remind them of the team and family behind them.
"We have a very hardworking group, we're very supportive and push each other every day in practice," Shufelberger said. "This is a really solid group."
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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