Shelby Bradley | Sports Co-Editor

Ryan Schroeder takes on the head coaching position for the Buena Vista University’s (BVU) cross country and track and field teams. Previous Head Coach Jeff Brennan left last season due to his wife getting a new job, which moved their family to Colorado. Schroeder is no stranger to the IIAC conference, as he graduated from Coe College in 2011.

Schroeder has firm expectations for this year’s cross country team. He wants to begin building the foundation for a winning culture.

“Our women are very young and inexperienced so we are out to gain experience and focus on running faster each meet. Our men are young but have the potential to finish better in the conference than they have in the past couple of years, and that’s a focus for us,” Schroeder said.

Senior distance runner Seth Woodson believes in Schroeder’s expectations.

“I feel as a senior it is vital for me to believe in what Coach Schroeder brings to this team. I feel like I have to be the leader to show the underclassmen that no matter who the coach is, they need to keep moving forward to reach their own goals and the team goals as well,” Woodson said.

Schroeder is in his fourth year of coaching cross-country and track, and this will be his second year in the head coach position. He has experience with growing programs and working with national caliber athletes, as well as athletes who are just focused on getting better every day.

When it came to deciding whether or not to take this coaching position at BVU, Schroeder said many factors came into play.

“I ran at Coe College so I’m very familiar with what it takes to be successful in the conference. I always looked at BVU as a school that had all of the tools necessary to become very successful, and BV was always on my radar as a school I’d love to coach at one day. I’m thankful that one day came a lot sooner than I expected,” Schroeder said.

The men and women’s cross country teams ran this past weekend at the BVU invite with the men finishing 1st of two, and women finishing 2nd. The Beavers next meet will take place Saturday, Oct. 4 at Wartburg college beginning at 11 a.m.

Graphic by Justice Gage