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Cross Country – Growth since Gauson

The Bradley cross country team is setting their sights high this fall. Both the men’s and women’s teams hope to qualify for the NCAA national meet. The steady leadership of fourth year head coach Darren Gauson puts this goal within reach.

Gauson believes his ability to recruit has lead to Bradley’s success in the Missouri Valley Conference and nationally.

“We try to recruit the top 200 athletes from around the country and also dip into the international circuit,” Gauson said. “We are determined and persistent throughout the whole process.”

When potential recruits visit Bradley’s campus they realize that the cross country and track and field team is a fun-loving group of individuals that bring their best each day.

Junior Abby Jockisch, a leader on the women’s team, is from Peoria and wanted to go far away from home for college. After her official visit at Bradley, she realized her hometown team was right for her.

“Our team culture makes me feel at home and that I belong,” Jockisch said. “All my teammates and coaches are very open and not afraid to push each other.”

This “pushing” is what makes Gauson so successful, according to junior Jake Hoffert who was cross country’s MVC Athlete of the Year in 2017.

“[Gauson] is very ambitious and he pushes us to our limits,” Hoffert said. “He knows what it takes to be a great team, therefore he pushes us longer and harder than any other coach has before at Bradley. Cross country is all about grit and the best team holds on the longest. I think Gauson has instilled a tough mindset that has allowed us to push through pain well.”

Gauson admits he is demanding and tries to break his athletes down mentally so they can develop the mental fortitude necessary for Division I racing. He believes wholeheartedly in his team.

“If my staff and I believe that one of our athletes can win a meet and they do not reach our shared goals, we continue to push them until they reach the next level,” Gauson said.

The team has lofty goals this season. The men are looking to qualify for the national meet and the women are seeking their fourth Missouri Valley team championship in five years. Both programs are ranked in the top five of the Midwest Preseason Poll.

Jake Hoffert became the first male in 52 years to win the individual Missouri Valley championship last fall. He was granted an at-large bid to the national meet where he finished 156th out of 254 as a sophomore. Hoffert and his teammate Michael Ward are the only current Braves to compete on the national stage. Hoffert believes he can lead the team to the national Championship meet in Madison, Wisconsin, this November.

“Our team is really deep this season and we are looking really dangerous,” Hoffert said. “Sometimes teammates get injured or cannot race for some reason so if one person is not there someone else can step in quickly and we can still win. I have been to the national meet before so if and when we make it I can talk to teammates and be direct with what we need to do to be successful.”

The Bradley cross country teams are consistent because they follow the steadiness of Gauson. Before Gauson arrived on the Hilltop, practice times were described as “soft.” Nowadays, athletes are on time and ready to compete each day.

“We have a good training schedule Monday through Sunday,” Gauson said. “However, I like constructive criticism and am not afraid of change. Our success is due to our ability to make adjustments.”

Although Gauson has improved the cross country program drastically, Jockisch believes that cross country is an individual sport where each athlete has a leader inside themselves that, once found, can propel oneself to victory.

This year’s team is what Gauson has been building toward since he stepped on campus in 2014.

“This is the best team in school history,” Gauson said.

Bradley will host four meets in Peoria this fall including the Missouri Valley Championship (Oct. 27) and NCAA Midwest Regional (Nov. 9). The Braves will also host the Bradley Intercollegiate on Sept. 14 and the Ideal Rentals Bradley Pink Classic on Oct. 12. Both teams will compete in the season opener at the Western Illinois University Early Bird Invite at 5 p.m. tonight in Macomb.

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