When Bob Williams took over the Clark College cross country program last fall, there wasn’t much to take over.
Any two-year college needs a constant supply of new athletes. But with rumors that the men’s program would be cut, just filling the roster was a challenge.
That uncertainty scared off recruits. The previous year’s freshmen began to scatter.
“They wouldn’t even return my phone calls,” Williams said.
Clark muddled through last season with just three men and six women on the team.
Intent on reviving the program, Williams spent the past year being a door-to-door salesman in running shoes.
If there was a high school cross country or track meet in the area, Williams was likely there handing out his business card and selling Clark to any coach or athlete who would listen.
As a result, the Clark College cross country program is once again running at full strength.
Of the nine men on this year’s team, eight are from Clark County. By this week, the women’s team will have its full stable of nine runners with all but one hailing from Southwest Washington or the Portland area.
Clark County will be very well represented when the Penguins take on nine other Northwest Athletic Conference teams at the NWAC Preview meet Sept. 26 at Lewisville Park near Battle Ground.
Williams said he has seen a renewed support of the program under athletic director Ann Walker. Shortly after arriving at Clark last fall, Walker told The Columbian she has no appetite to cut sports programs for budgetary or Title IX compliance reasons.
Sophomore Thomas Normandeau has seen the contrast between this season and last. Fair to say, traveling to meets is a lot more fun when the vans are full, even if there is less room to stretch out.
“It’s a really good social group too,” the Washougal High School graduate said. “So we can really associate with these people and get them integrated into the program and the school.”
Runners come to a program such as Clark for different reasons. Some hope to use it as a step toward joining a larger program at a four-year school. Among them is James Breen, a sophomore from Heritage High who placed fifth in the NWAC Championships last year and hopes to continue running at Eastern Washington after this season.
Others, like many of the local runners on this year’s team, are eager for the chance to continue running competitively.
“I’m always surprised why more athletes don’t do that,” Williams said. “After having a good time in high school, wouldn’t you want to keep doing something for a while, whatever level it is?”
Williams has seen competitive running at all levels. He competed for the University of Oregon under Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman and legendary coach Bill Dellinger. When his competitive days were over, he coached for three decades in Oregon at high schools in St. Helens and Scappoose.
“Whether you’re a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond like I was, there are a lot of opportunities out there,” he said.
On a recent morning at Lewisville Park, Clark’s runners practiced running the course they will race on Saturday. There was a light-hearted banter between the runners, some of whom had battled rainy-day rush-hour traffic to get there.
Some will complete the course faster than others next weekend. But it’s never just about the final result.
Teamwork, goal-setting and focus — running on a cross country team will teach a few skills for the race of life, no matter the speed.
Micah Rice is The Columbian’s Sports Editor. Reach him at 360-735-4548, micah.rice@columbian.com or on Twitter @col_mrice.
