As IUPUC gears up for its second year with a competitive men’s and women’s cross country team, it’s reaching out to athletes from all different backgrounds, hoping to round out its fall rosters.
Cross country debuted last year under the Crimson Pride banner as IUPUC’s first-ever varsity sports team. Due to a short recruiting cycle and just getting established, the team featured only a handful of runners, according to Tim Hoeflinger, IUPUC head cross country coach. This year they’re starting the recruiting process early and working hard make the program more robust.
“A lot of people don’t even know that IUPUC has a cross country team,” said Hoeflinger. “It’s a great opportunity for area student-runners to compete at the collegiate level, including athletes from all different experience levels. As a bonus, each of our runners is eligible for a scholarship.”
The inaugural team was a great example of diverse athletic backgrounds. Freshman Aidan Ernstes ran on the semi-state qualifying Jennings County cross country team and state-qualifying track relay team. His teammate, Freshman Peyton Rehlander, had no running background but played basketball and baseball for Columbus Christian.
The Crimson Pride’s Brett Kleber ran for Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) for two years, and earned 13 letters at Seymour High School in cross country, gymnastics, diving, and track and field. Her teammate, Audra McNear, played no high school sports but started running at age 30 and completed an Ironman.
Coach Hoeflinger noted that while it helps if students have experience running high school cross country or with other organized running programs, it’s not required. “What’s most important to me is they’re willing to do the work.”
He says there’s something special about having a new, tight-knit program. “We push each other, we keep each other accountable, and we really care about each other. We’re a family.”
For prospective team members concerned about getting in shape for competition, Hoeflinger designed a customized summer training program to gear up for the season. He also kicks off in-person practices with a weekend camp the Friday-to-Sunday just before fall classes start. In addition, he spearheads a campus running club in the off-season.
“The beauty of cross country is you aren’t just competing against other teams, you’re competing against yourself,” Coach Hoeflinger said. “If one of my runners can say, ‘I improved my time by 5 minutes since the start of the season,’ that’s what it’s all about.”
To find out if you’d be a good fit for the team, contact Hoefilinger at tihoef@iu.edu or fill out the online form at iupucathletics.com..
Last year, runners participated as individuals, but IUPUC hopes to have enough athletes to participate as a team in 2023.
About IUPUC athletics
IUPUC is participating as an associate member of the NAIA in its inaugural year in athletics, with plans to join the River States Conference (RSC) pending full NAIA membership. IUPUC athletic programs include: baseball, softball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country.