Uncertainty – a word that has been on everyone’s minds during the past few months. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been the case across the Missouri Valley Conference and Bradley Athletics.
On Sept. 14, the MVC announced that every sport that plays its championship season in the fall will be postponed. This week, a meeting amongst MVC coaches was held to discuss the possibility of having a cross country season.
“It’s got approved at one level for cross country but it is not official [concerning] how it’s going to work out,” Bradley head coach Darren Gauson said. “There are still a few things to go through before they make any final decision.”
The preparation process has been very different throughout the summer and slightly over a month into the semester. As of right now, runners are still working in small groups due to COVID-19 restrictions. Gauson said there was no timetable on when full team practices will be allowed.
Gauson admitted it has taken a lot of adjustment for the athletes and staff, but has been encouraged by the collective effort.
“I think [we have dealt with it] really good,” Gauson said. “We got in the habit of doing Zoom calls every Sunday and had guest speakers and professional athletes do some motivational stuff.”
That “motivational stuff” seems to be bearing fruit within the roster. Gauson said his team is at the same level of fitness it would be at if there were a cross country season. He also cited assistant coach Fabia McDonald and her energy as a big source of motivation for the runners.
The team is hopeful for a season despite the earlier postponement, although it does not expect the MVC to reverse its earlier decision.
“I hope we have something when it’s safe and fair to do so,” Gauson said. “Our team and other teams would like to compete, and I think that’s the hardest part – you just have to wait.”
The Bradley cross country and track teams have consistently been among the best in the MVC. Last year, the men’s and women’s cross country teams finished first and second in the conference, respectively.
Although both teams lost a few valuable runners, Gauson vouches that the future looks bright. The team was also able to add multiple track athletes, which the team had lacked in the past.
After the key losses of Jake and Luke Hoffert for the men’s team, recruitment has looked strong for the Braves with seven new runners on the team. Gauson described this recruiting class as one of their best on paper.
The women’s side did not have many key losses from last season. Bradley was able to pick up solid recruits to bolster an already high performing roster, now having potential point scorers for every distance.
“Our women’s team is definitely the strongest it has ever been,” Gauson said. “If things were normal, we would have an awesome group to compete this fall.”
The Braves have had their biggest influx of international recruits this offseason. The men’s team added Rodrigo Alvarez Gonzalez from Mexico, Max Dieterich from Germany and Mason Jones from Canada. The womens’ teams welcomed Lara Gebel from Germany, Olivia Hobbs from Australia, Ashley Maguire from Canada and Julia and Wilma Nielsen – twins from Sweden.
These recruits, along with their other teammates, will probably have to wait until the spring semester to showcase their talents. The indoor season, which usually serves as preparation for outdoors, will be an exciting time for a team that is craving competition, according to Gauson.
The NCAA has yet to release a schedule ahead of the indoor track season, which normally would start in January 2021.
