For Jayde Rosslee and Kaitlyn Sheppard, cross country is a home away from home.
Both athletes grew up and competed an entire ocean away from where they are now. Having crossed continents, both now approach a pivotal season. Surrounded by great supporting casts, Rosslee and Sheppard hope to lead the men’s and women’s teams to heights never before seen.
But the journey hasn’t always been easy.
“You go from being a national champion back home and all of a sudden, you’re 10th in the Missouri Valley Conference,” said Rosslee, a South African native, on his adjustment to the team. “It’s a humbling experience, but it’s been part of my growth.”
Last year, Rosslee had the best season of his career, winning the MVC Men’s Championship race, being honored as the MVC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year and finishing 87th in the entire country at the NCAA Cross Country Championship race. He was the first to qualify since 2017.
He also had the honor of representing his country at the World Cross Country Championship Men’s 10K, where he finished 59th.
Hailing from England, Sheppard also had to make a big adjustment when moving to the United States.
“The races are a lot faster,” Sheppard said. “Back home, I can run a minute per mile slower and still be near the front.”
Yet, so far, Sheppard has flourished in the U.S.
Last season she won the MVC Women’s Championship race, joining five of her teammates in the top six spots; the first time in MVC history that’s ever happened. She won MVC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year for her efforts and consistently placed in the top four in races all season long.
It can be tough staying together as a team in a sport where individuals can often outshine the others, but Rosslee has faith the men’s team can pull through.
“We’ve had a really good recruiting class these last two years,” Rosslee said. “Our coach has a working recipe for the guys to get through the season and be competitive.”
The women’s team was great at putting up good performances together, and Sheppard believes they can be just as dominant in the MVC as last season.
“Carrying that momentum is super important,” Sheppard said. “That’s what brought us that one-through-six result at the MVC. If we keep it up this year, we’ll get the same result.”
Two of Bradley’s best athletes are leading one of the Braves’ most promising teams into a season that will have massive ramifications for the team’s growth from here. With head coach Andrew Carlson at the helm for the foreseeable future, the team has a solid foundation of leadership. If the men’s and women’s teams can build from where they were last year, it could be a historic season.
Rosslee is already looking forward to where the season could take him.
“I’m excited to get into regionals and nationals and be a competitor, not just someone who competes,” he said.
For him, improving on last year will be difficult, but Rosslee welcomes a challenge. It’s why he came here in the first place.
For Sheppard, heading into her last season, emotions could be running high, but she won’t let that get in the way of her hard work. The distance between who she was then and now is longer than any ocean could fathom. Only one thought occupies her mind.
“I want to put everything I have left into this season.”
