From Missouri to the Olympic Games, Courtney Frerichs has competed on the grandest global stages that distance running has to offer.
Frerichs raced to silver medals in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2017 World Championships in London, and she was the first American woman to complete the steeplechase in under nine minutes.
Yet the world-class runner finds she is most successful when her main goal is not focused on the results.
“It is so easy to let outcomes and numbers define what we view as successful, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is making the most of the opportunity in front of you,” Frerichs shared on Wednesday, Nov. 20, in the Southwell Athletic Complex at Columbia College, where she addressed more than 800 student-athletes and coaches who converged for the 2024 NAIA Cross Country Championships.
“The most important thing is making the most of the opportunity in front of you.”
Olympic silver medalist Courtney Frerichs during the 2024 NAIA Cross Country Student-Athlete Experience
Frerichs’ inspirational message set the stage for a top-notch championship event in Columbia, Missouri, as Columbia College teamed up with the City of Columbia to host the NAIA national meet at Gans Creek Cross Country Course for the first time.
Columbia College will serve as the host institution for the 2027 and 2030 NAIA championships at Gans Creek as well.
“Cross country national championship season is one of my favorite times of the year,” Frerichs told the runners. “I might be a little biased, but I think it is hard to beat Midwest cross country. And how amazing is it (for you to participate in) the first national championship to be held at Gans Creek.”
Three days of festivities culminated in race day on Friday, Nov. 22, as the championships brought an economic impact of nearly $900,000 to mid-Missouri, according to the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The spectacle attracted more than 2,500 people to Gans Creek Cross Country Course, which opened in 2019 as a state-of-the-art facility for the sport.
“When we host a high-profile, premier event like this, it helps establish Columbia with a reputation of a destination that can host these big events,” Megan McConachie, communications and outreach supervisor at Visit Columbia MO, told KOMU TV. “When you have visitors come in, they’re going to stay at our hotels, dine at our restaurants, shop at our stores, get gas at our gas stations.”
The event was made possible thanks to the strong partnership among several stakeholders, says Drew Grzella ’01, Columbia College’s associate director of Athletics. The partners organizing the large-scale event included the City of Columbia, the Columbia Sports Commission, the NAIA and Columbia College.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase Columbia as a running community, to showcase Gans Creek Cross Country Course,” Grzella told KFRU Radio. “Hosting the meet has been really good for Columbia College and for our cross country program. When you know this is coming, it becomes something that the college community can promote and that coach (Brennan) Cape and our cross country program can use in recruiting.”
After winning the American Midwest Conference meet on Nov. 8, the Cougar men’s team placed 29th at the national meet, led by sophomore Kalieb Redda who secured NAIA All-American honors. The women’s team finished 33rd in the country.
Both CC squads practiced at Gans Creek about once a week throughout the fall season, particularly on the hills that provide good terrain for training, coach Cape told the Columbia Missourian.
“I’m really excited that (our student-athletes) got this team experience,” Cape said. “This is a hard race, and it’s definitely got its own learning curve. I think this will pay dividends over the next few years as they hopefully make it back here.”
On Thursday, Nov. 21, the day before the meet, all 72 teams that qualified for nationals visited various Columbia Public Schools elementary schools as part of the NAIA’s “Teaming up for Character” initiative. Student-athletes from Columbia College met with students at Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary.
The national qualifiers participated in physical education classes and shared about the core values of the NAIA Champions of Character program: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
Less than 24 hours later, the runners from across the country took Frerich’s inspiration onto the course at Gans Creek, putting into action the final words of the Olympian’s speech.
“Remember to have fun, and be fearless out there,” Frerichs said.
For the latest news, recaps and opportunities to watch and follow Columbia College Athletics, visit ColumbiaCougars.com.
