The Rise to Prominence of the Rowan University Women's Cross Country Team

The Success of the Rowan University Women's Cross Country Team

The Rowan University women's cross country team, also known as the Rowan Profs, has seen immense success over the past few years. Their rise to becoming a powerhouse team in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and NCAA Division III cross country has been an inspiring story of hard work, dedication, and team spirit.

A Quick History of the Program

Women's cross country was added as a varsity sport at Rowan University in 1980. The inaugural season saw the Profs place third at the NJAC Championships. In the early years, the team saw modest success, with a few runner-up finishes at the conference meet and regular appearances at the NCAA Regional Championships.

The program saw a resurgence when coach Derick "Ringo" Adamson took over in 2013. His emphasis on recruiting and creating a positive team culture quickly led to improved results. In 2015, the Profs finished second at the NJAC Championships, foreshadowing even better things to come.

Recent Successes and Standout Performers

The 2016 season saw the Rowan women's cross country team capture the first NJAC Championship title in program history. They went on to place 9th at the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional meet. This began a run of sustained success across the next several seasons.

In 2017, Rowan defended their conference title in decisive fashion. The team went on to place 5th at the regional championships, earning a bid to the NCAA DIII National Championships for the first time ever. The Profs placed 16th at the national meet, with freshman standout Sarah Peacock finishing 48th overall that year.

The 2018 campaign was another good one, as the Profs finished 2nd at NJAC's before returning to nationals and placing 13th as a team. Peacock built on her strong freshman season by placing 17th overall, earning All-American honors.

Rowan won their third NJAC title in four years in 2019, once again qualifying for nationals and finishing 14th. Junior Rachel Schmitt led the way, placing 32nd to also collect All-American accolades.

COVID-19 Brings Challenges in 2020

The 2020 season saw significant disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NJAC canceled conference championships, so the Profs focused their efforts on the regional meet. An 8th place team finish there qualified Rowan for nationals once again, though the NCAA DIII Championships were also ultimately canceled.

Individually, Sarah Peacock capped off an excellent career by placing 2nd at the regional meet to earn All-Region honors. She departs the program as one of the top runners in Rowan history after collecting three All-American and four All-Region awards.

The Current 2021 Season

This year, under coach Adamson's continued leadership, the Profs are again excelling. Rowan captured their fourth NJAC Championship in the last six seasons in decisive fashion. They followed this up with a runner-up finish at the Regional Championships to punch their ticket to Nationals once more.

Sophomore standout Julia Smith has led the way, winning the NJAC individual title and placing 8th at Regionals. She looks poised to contend for All-American honors at Nationals. Fellow sophomore Olivia Pacholski and junior Klara Koenig have also run well as Rowan's #2 and #3 runners.

The team competition at the 2021 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships takes place this Saturday, November 20th in Louisville, Kentucky. The Profs hope to improve upon their 14th place team finish from 2019. After capturing their latest conference title, this tight-knit squad has plenty of momentum on their side.

The Keys to Rowan's Cross Country Success

There are several key factors that explain the ascendance of the Rowan women's cross country team into a regional and national powerhouse program:

Committed Team Culture and Leadership

The student-athletes and coaches are fully committed to achieving team success. Led by head coach Derick "Ringo" Adamson, the team culture emphasizes supporting each other, positive mindset, and unity of purpose. There is outstanding team morale and leadership from veteran runners who help motivate newcomers.

Recruiting and Development of Talent

Coach Adamson has done an excellent job recruiting talented NJ high school runners to the program. He and his staff then help develop this talent through comprehensive training tailored to each athlete. Star runners like Sarah Peacock and Julia Smith are examples of recruits who achieved great success after joining Rowan cross country.

High Levels of Athleticism and Competitiveness

The women on Rowan's roster are top-tier athletes who put in the work to reach peak conditioning. Running up to 70 miles per week, they have the endurance to excel in 5K races. This athleticism is coupled with team-wide competitive drive and mental toughness.

Depth Across the Roster

While front runners garner the accolades, cross country is a team sport that depends on depth. Rowan frequently packs their top five scorers within 30-60 seconds of each other. This tight team running helps secure victories by displacing opponents further down the scoring roster.

Experience on the Biggest Stages

By qualifying for nationals three times from 2017-2019, Rowan's roster has extensive experience competing at the NCAA Division III Championships. This vet experience gives them an edge over less seasoned teams when it comes to high pressure championship races.

The Future Looks Bright for the Profs

With continued leadership from coach Derick Adamson and a talented young core leading the roster, the future looks very bright for Rowan women's cross country. The team culture and ingredients for success are firmly in place as the Profs look ahead to NJAC and NCAA postseason competitions.

Don't be surprised if this already championship-level program continues contending for conference and national titles in the coming years. The momentum and trajectory for Rowan is clearly pointing up as they cement their status as a powerhouse in Division III women's cross country.

FAQs

When did the Rowan women's cross country program start?

Women's cross country was added as a varsity sport at Rowan University in 1980.

How many NJAC championships has the team won?

The Rowan women's cross country team has won 4 NJAC championship titles, coming in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021.

What major national meet has the team qualified for?

Rowan has qualified for the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships multiple times, including 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Who is the current head coach?

Derick "Ringo" Adamson has been the head coach of the Rowan women's cross country team since 2013.

Who are some top performers in program history?

Standout runners have included Sarah Peacock, Rachel Schmitt, and current sophomore Julia Smith.