Shannon Rowbury always thought of herself as a track runner. And Shannon Rowbury’s race was the mile.
Not anymore. Head coach Kevin Jermyn told the All-American track star she could also be a quick-footed harrier, and after refocusing her training, Rowbury has in fact run into the cross country elite.
“I realized that cross country was something I could be good at even if I was a middle-distance type runner,” the junior said.
During the off-season Rowbury, armed with new confidence and resolve, made huge strides, dropping times and dashing past competitors. After routinely hitting the tape behind several teammates a year ago, Rowbury now paces the Blue Devils. Rowbury’s Top-100 finishes in 2003 have become podium performances this season, including first-place times at the San Diego State Aztec Invitational and at the Great American Cross Country Festival.
The two-time ACC Performer of the Week has given the Duke program, which has been on the verge of breaking into the nation’s elite for the past few seasons, the lift it needed to become a national championship contender. Ranked 20th in the preseason poll, Duke now sits at the top of the ACC rankings and holds the No. 5 spot in the nation as the team prepares for the ACC Championships this weekend.
Rowbury says most of her newfound success stems from her renewed focus on training, driven by an increased level of talent and camaraderie on this year’s team. “Knowing that we had such an awesome team really motivated me to train hard,” Rowbury said. “You want to run well because you know your teammates are depending on you, and if your teammates are your friends, it means that much more.”
Jermyn shared the sentiment that intra-squad competition has pushed Rowbury to new levels, but he also offered an alternate explanation.
“I think the biggest difference between last year and this year is that she’s a year older,” Jermyn said.
As a junior, Rowbury, who continues to compete in track and ran the 1,500-meter at the 2003 NCAA Championships, only has another year and a half to run at Duke. Talent-wise she has always had the potential to run on the trail like she does on the track, Jermyn said, but in the off-season she decided she wanted to go after a more diverse set of goals.
“I used to bury myself in the beginning and lose all concept of place and where I was and what I was doing,” she said. The extra training gave Rowbury a vital confidence boost on the course. Now, with an increased aerobic base, she knows that she can keep up with the race leaders.
But becoming a team and national front-runner also has its challenges.
“When you start doing so well, you start to put so much pressure on yourself,” Rowbury said.
Heading into the ACC Championships this weekend, pressure will definitely be a factor, but Rowbury will rely on the strength of the team and her coaches to keep the situation from becoming overwhelming. “Our 10th Runner could be in the top three on other teams, so I know we have the depth to challenge anyone out there,” Rowbury said.
Although the team could be satisfied with Rowbury’s growth this season, her coach is most excited about potential for improvement.
“She’s getting closer and closer to finding out how good she is, but she still has, truly, probably a ways to go,” Jermyn said.
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