REDLANDS, Calif. – Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Mike Schmidt recapped the 2021 season for the Maroon and Grey Cross Country teams in our first edition of Coaches' Corner.
Looking back on the season, what were some of the highlights?
Tucker Cargile qualifying for his 7th overall National Championships (3rd for XC) and earning the 2nd Cross Country All-American Honor in school history (the other also belonging to him). He also set the New School Record in the 8K.
Isabella Glenn qualifying for her first NCAA Division III National Championships
Chloe Bullock running the fastest 6k for a First Year in school history
How would your players describe you as a leader? What is your leadership style?
I believe the athletes look at me as a mentor and teacher. I am an educator and the Track and Cross Country course is my classroom. The lessons that athletics teach are different for everyone. But over the last year (Covid), the most important lesson we've taught is how to be comfortable with uncertainty. At the same time, I love to make practice a light environment where we're focused but also able to share a ton of laughs. Doing that provides a space that's separate from the rigors of class/other campus commitments.
What is your vision for the program?
Our vision as a staff is to provide a high-performance culture and teach lessons that our student-athletes can transfer into all areas of their life. When we do that effectively it leads to great performances on and off the course. The ultimate goal would be for that to culminate in a National Championship appearance for our teams.
How do you attack recruiting heading into this offseason?
For Cross Country and Track coaches there is no off season! We recruit all year long and focus on finding student-athletes who are passionate about our sport, have a big drive to improve, and who want to be part of that supportive culture of high performance we offer. Throughout the recruiting process we do our best to make sure our recruits know exactly what's waiting for them here at the University of Redlands not just athletically but also academically and socially.
What was your most memorable moment as a coach this season?
At the NCAA West regional meet, with about 500 or 600 meters to go in the women's race, I started counting places and realized that Isabella Glenn was going to finish in one of the automatic national qualifying spots. It brought a tear to my eye because I knew in order to qualify Isabella would need to have made incredible improvements from her high school times and over the years, I've seen all the hard work that she had put in to achieve that.
What differentiates the University of Redlands to other like institutions? What drew you to coach here at the U of R?
The University of Redlands provides a special opportunity for a first-class athletic experience while earning an amazing education. The supportive environment on this campus makes it so our student-athletes are able to balance all of their interests and achieve at the highest levels. For me, I saw that Redlands was a great place to be a Track & Field and Cross Country athlete. We have amazing facilities, and we are able to go to some incredible meets. Additionally, coming from New York, the weather was a definite plus. Right when I stepped foot on campus I knew that this was a special place.