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2023 JCU Cross Country/Track & Field Year in Review

2023 in Review: Cross Country/Track & Field Continues To Reach New Levels Of Success

| By: Jamie Dailey '22, SID Assistant
JCU Cross Country/Track & Field program looks to recreate more history heading into 2024
The 2023 campaign for the cross country/track & field program was a year full of growth, improvement, and leadership that only took them so far to reach new heights. Led by Kyle Basista and his coaching staff, it was another year of success on both the grass and on the track. From individual and team accomplishments to program and meet records, the athletes continued to put this team on the NCAA Division III map; only setting the bar for what they can accomplish in the future. 

Men

Going into the 2023 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons, the team was looking for steady improvements from what they accomplished the year before with earning their first ever top-10 finish at the indoor national championships and accomplishing a national runner-up finish during the outdoor season. 

The Blue Streaks brought back Alex Phillip for his last track & field season for the Blue Streaks, where he finished his career earning back-to-back 10k titles and winning the 5k championship in dramatic fashion at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York for the 2023 outdoor championships. Phillip finished his career at John Carroll becoming a 7-time NCAA Division III National Champion in both cross country and track & field and a 13-time All-American on the national stage, cementing himself as one of the greatest NCAA Division III distance runners of all-time.

Phillip wasn't the only distance guy who qualified to the National Championships, as Ethan Domitrovich earned his second consecutive All-American accolade in the 3000m Steeplechase with a sixth-place finish in the event, running 8:54.93. 

On the sprinters side, they brought in a few new faces that changed the trajectory of the team. With bringing in new talent, the Blue Streaks qualified a few relays to compete on the national stage, earning All-American honors at the national championships in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. 

The indoor 4 x 400m relay consisting of Mick Doyle, Garrett Clark, Tyler Gast, and Basheer Alramahi earned a sixth-place finish in the finals. The team made both of their relays to the outdoor championships and were a big part of the third-place podium finish to gather points for the Blue Streaks. The 4 x 400m relay broke their own school record, running a time of 3:09.44 to earn a top-5 finish.

The 4 x 100m relay consisting of Cameron Klauke, Garrett Clark, Dustin Horner, and Jimmy Kartsonas earned a top-3 finish, running a time of 40.41 seconds in the event to score major points for the Blue Streaks and became a huge contribution to the podium finish. The All-American push for the relays is only going to carry them so far heading into 2024 with this same group coming back for more. 

Moving into the cross country season, the men were coming off a year earning their second straight fourth-place podium finish. The performances continued to improve each week for the Blue Streaks as the season went on.

At the OAC Championships, the men earned their third consecutive OAC team title, tying the program record of 25 points. The success continued at the Regional Championships, where six individual runners earned All-Region honors, which led them to their third consecutive regional team title giving them an automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III National Championships.

The top seven individuals who qualified for the national meet included Ethan Domitrovich (the regional champ), Ryan Champa, Isaac Bourne, Dominic Delmoro, Tommy Naiman, Matt Costanzo, and Ian Paul. The men placed 20th overall at the national championships led by junior Ryan Champa becoming the sixth JCU Cross Country All-American in program history placing 37th individually. 

It was another year of continuous improvement on the men's side reflecting back on the 2023 season. The sky's the limit heading into 2024 as the men return mostly everyone from last year, looking to create more history for the program. 

Women

On the women's side, they made strides in their performances on the track going into the 2023 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. 

After coming off a stellar cross country season winning the OAC Freshman of the Year honors, freshman Abby Schroff continued her success on the track, breaking the school record in the 1500 meters, running 4:36.37 at the Harrison Dillard Twilight meet hosted by Baldwin Wallace. Erica Esper picked up where she left off, breaking the school record in the mile posting a time of 5:02.92 at the YSU Invitational. That wasn't all for Esper. as she managed to qualify for the 10,000 meter race at the outdoor national championships for a third straight year. 

At the Mount Union Last Chance Meet, the 4 x 100m relay consisting of Genevieve Arnold, Mia Scott, Taylor Anthony, and Rosie Murray qualified for the 2023 outdoor championships with a time of 46.79 seconds to get a spot on the national stage. With the relay just missing out on the finals, this is the relay that brings back three out of the four sprinters with a lot of potential on the rise heading into 2024.

Senior Kelsey Dunn made the most out of her last year as a Blue Streak, qualifying for the shot put at the 2023 outdoor championships as well throwing a mark of 43.09m to place 12th in the country. This was her third consecutive year qualifying for the outdoor national championships. 

Moving into the 2023 cross country season for the women, this was a group returning most of their runners and looking to make a big step in their capability to be one of the best teams in the country. With a bunch of newcomers coming onto the team, it elevated the group to push and motivate each other from start to finish.

At the OAC Championships, the women earned their fourth consecutive OAC team title, scoring 32 points, which was a program record at a conference meet. Moving into the Great Lakes Regional Championships, four women earned All-Region honors placing fourth as a team, which was their fourth consecutive top-4 finish, just missing out on a bid to the national championships.

The top-7 individuals who represented the Blue Streaks this season were Abby Schroff, Amanda Keim, Morgan Edwards, Claire Eberhardt, Annie Higgins, Ellie Kitsmiller, and Sarah Weldon. For the women, this is a group that continues to support each other and run as a collective unit through it all. 

Looking back on 2023 for the Blue Streaks, the women have taken advantage of the opportunity and look forward to extending that momentum heading into 2024. With loads of potential that is there and experience to rely on, there is excitement in the air on both the grass and track. 
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