Chris Brodnax, a sprinter at California Lutheran University, will never forget the day he learned that Berlin Marathon Canceled Because of Coronavirus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was in the middle of a weight room workout with teammates on March 12 when the coaches called the team into an emergency meeting and shared the news: The 2020 track season was over.
While imagining what the next few months would look like, Brodnax thought about the athletic goals he could no longer pursue. And he thought about the effects the cancellation would have on his younger teammates that he mentored.
“I was sad and disappointed,” Brodnax told Runner’s World. “Even if I didn’t reach the goals that I set this year, I at least wanted to try and be there for my teammates. I wanted to be a leader to push all of my teammates that are coming after me to set their goals and train, because I knew my time was basically up.”
In the weeks that followed the announcement, Brodnax and the rest of the collegiate community remained in their homes and transitioned to online instruction. Instead of working out with their teammates and coaches every day, NCAA athletes trained alone and connected with their team virtually.
While he was given the option to return and NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, Brodnax chose to graduate with a degree in music production this spring. Two weeks prior to his interview with Runner’s World, Brodnax watched his graduation from a computer screen. Now he’s applying for music industry positions in a market that cratered with a record 20.5 million jobs lost in April, according to CNN.
Brodnax is one of thousands of NCAA seniors who are faced with similar dilemmas in the wake of COVID-19.
On March 12—the day before the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships were scheduled to start in Albuquerque, New Mexico—NCAA President Mark Emmert and the governing body’s board of governors canceled all remaining winter and spring championships In May, Jones announced she hired Merhawi Keflezighi as her agent and.
Most of the qualifiers were already in Albuquerque, making their final preparations for the meet, when the indoor championships were canceled at the last minute—and were caught off-guard to not only be losing their winter championship, but the rest of their season as well.
“I understand why it’s being canceled, but as a senior it’s heartbreaking,” Furman runner Gabbi Jennings told Runner’s World on March 13. “I had trouble absorbing it at the track when it was announced, but when it was announced all over social media with my teammates, that’s when it started to hit me.”
fall season suspensions could provide an additional season of competition and an extension of eligibility for student athletes in spring sports who were affected by the COVID-19 season cancellations.
The council adjusted financial aid to allow teams to carry more members on scholarship to account for incoming recruits and athletes who decide to stay. Members also voted to provide schools with the flexibility to return student athletes for 2020-21 without requiring that athletic aid be provided at the same level awarded for 2019-20, according to the NCAA’s press release.
“The council’s decision gives individual schools the flexibility to make decisions at a campus level,” council chair and Penn athletics director M. Grace Calhoun said, according to the press release. “The Board of Governors encouraged conferences and schools to take action in the best interest of student athletes and their communities, and now schools have the opportunity to do that.”
However, the NCAA’s plan to preserve an additional year of eligibility for athletes put heavy financial strain on universities. According to USA Today’s analysis of school’s financial reports to the NCAA, giving an additional season of eligibility to seniors on spring-sports teams could cost public schools in the Power Five conferences anywhere from $500,000 to $900,000. Schools that are not in the Power Five are facing lower financial losses, but the additional revenue needed still presents challenges.
In the weeks following the NCAA ruling, athletic departments across the country were forced to make unprecedented choices that affect the lives of senior student athletes.
Many institutions provided the opportunity for seniors to return for an additional year of eligibility, while some schools won’t allow them to pursue competition with their teams in 2021. Several universities discontinued a number of sports programs, with men’s track and cross country being a common casualty. And in the wake of a decision made at the conference level, several schools are now facing the added challenge of fall season suspensions.
Amid the myriad of dilemmas caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, nine NCAA seniors spoke with Runner’s World about the decisions they had to make.
Taking the Opportunity to Return
When Jennings graduated from high school in Slidell, Louisiana, she had personal bests of 4:52 in the mile and 10:43 in the 3200 meters. After four years training in Greenville, South Carolina, she developed into a national contender with personal bests of 4:37 in the mile and 9:47 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
This track season, Jennings was hoping to finish top three in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships and improve on her ninth-place finish in the steeplechase at last year’s outdoor championships. She was on track to accomplish her goals and receiving interest from professional running groups before COVID-19 hit.
When the Furman athletic department gave her the opportunity to return and maintain her scholarship, Jennings knew staying a fifth year made the most sense for her. She hopes that taking another year to develop as an NCAA athlete will open more doors to compete as a professional in 2021.
“It was in my best academic and athletic interests to stay a fifth year,” Jennings said. “A lot of runners reach their peak performance levels when they are seniors—ramping up to finish it out strong and move on to the next chapter of their lives—and that was kind of where I was except it was cut short. I felt like I couldn’t reach my fullest potential at that point especially because my main event [steeplechase] is only a spring sport.”
In order to complete her coursework and final year of eligibility, Jennings’s academic advisors found the best solution was for her to graduate with her degree in communications this spring. In the summer, she will re-enroll as a “non-degree seeking post-baccalaureate student” with a focus on studio art. When she leaves Furman in the spring of 2021, she will have a bachelor’s degree in two majors.
“I’m hitting two birds with one stone,” she said. “I get to do the major that I love and I get to redeem myself on the track next spring. … I feel like I got the most out of this situation that I could.”
Clayton Brown, a senior at the University of Florida, will also return to use an additional year of eligibility offered to him to help him capitalize on his NCAA and Olympic dreams.
Before the NCAA Indoor Championships and the outdoor season were canceled, he was hoping to win an NCAA title after finishing fifth in the triple jump at last year’s indoor championships. Brown, who hails from St. Andrew Parish in Jamaica, also hopes to compete for his home country at the Tokyo Olympics—postponed by the International Olympic Committee to 2021.
As soon as the cancellation and postponement were announced, Brown said he knew right away if the opportunity was offered, he would come back to Gainesville and finish his NCAA eligibility.
“It makes sense for me,” Brown told Runner’s World. “I was in shape this year, but I’ll come back and get ready for next year.”
The combination of wanting to accomplish more on the track at the collegiate level and be ready to contend for a spot on the Olympic team motivated Brown’s decision to return.
“I’m confident about my decision,” Brown said. “It’ll help me prepare for the Olympics and it’ll help my [Florida] team win.”
Turning Pro Without a Sponsorship
After dealing with injuries in 2019 and redshirting, fifth-year senior Dani Jones returned to the University of Colorado for the 2020 season to take care of “unfinished business.” The four-time NCAA champion (5,000 meters, cross country, 3,000 meters, and the distance medley relay) wanted to win more titles before competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team headed to Tokyo. When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, those dreams had to be put on hold this year.
“Everyone has to move on from college and we expected that after this fifth year, but I felt like I had no closure,” Jones said. “I didn’t get that last meet, I didn’t get those last championship races, I didn’t graduate and walk, and properly say goodbye.”
In the weeks that followed the season cancellation, Jones said the Colorado athletic department gave her and fellow distance running seniors Joe Klecker and Makena Morley the option to return. But all three athletes made the decision to turn professional.
Academically, Jones was on track to complete her double major this spring and didn’t want to pursue a graduate program at this time. But the decision to move on from the track program was still challenging.
“It was extremely difficult,” Jones said. “On social media, it’s really easy to see the decisions made, but there is so much time and energy spent on it—a lot of phone conversations, talking to family, and a lot of self reflecting on what you want and what you think is best. For me, it came down to being ready to move on and wanting to put all my cards into racing and training.”
In May, Jones announced she hired Merhawi Keflezighi as her agent and joined Joe Bosshard’s professional group in Boulder, which includes Olympians Emma Coburn, Dominique Scott Efurd, and Aisha Praught-Leer.
At the time of her interview with Runner’s World, Jones did not have a professional sponsor, and she wasn’t sure when the opportunity would come as most major shoe companies have put a hold on signing athletes. For the time being, Jones is focused on training and the opportunities she can control.
“Despite the whole year not being what I anticipated, I understand that I’m fortunate to be continuing,” she said.
No Choice But to Leave
Wisconsin senior Alicia Monson also turned professional when she hired agent Stephen Haas in April. But for Monson, the decision to move on was forced by the University of Wisconsin athletic department, which will not permit seniors to pursue another year with their teams.
While the NCAA allowed schools to Andy Mead/ISI Photos to help pay for scholarships for returning seniors, Wisconsin made the decision to not pursue waivers that would extend eligibility for seniors or offer scholarships to them. According to a report from the The reversal followed a coordinated effort from Brown student athletes and alumni who set up, the Wisconsin athletic department is projecting a revenue shortfall of more than $4 million for this fiscal year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 9, Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez encouraged seniors to “graduate and move on with your life,” in comments said on his monthly radio show. “We appreciate everything that you’ve done. But move forward. The future is in question, and we can’t promise you anything.”
While Monson was leaning towards turning pro prior to the athletic department’s announcement, the university’s decision was still disappointing to her.
“I know the university is trying to look out for everyone and look at the big picture but at the same time, if someone was willing to come back and pay for it, then they should be able to do that,” Monson said.
During the 2019 track season, Monson won the NCAA indoor 5,000-meter title, and last fall, she finished second at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Like Jones, she was hoping to compete for a spot on the Olympic team this summer. Now, she will run professionally while completing her degree in the fall.
While she does not have a professional sponsor yet, Monson feels encouraged by the next phase of her running career.
“We don’t know exactly what timeline that will take, but to know that that’s the next step for me is a relief,” Monson said. “I’ve made that decision and partially that decision has been made for me. I’m at least taking it going forward.”
Heading into the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Penn senior Nia Akins already knew she wouldn’t be able to compete during the outdoor track season. On March 11, the Ivy League canceled all spring sports for the 2019-20 school year and left individual schools to decide whether to participate in postseason play in winter sports, according to a report from ESPN.
Among her NCAA peers, Akins was ranked No. 1 in the 800 meters. After running a personal best of 2:00.71 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University in February, Akins was on track to improve on her runner-up finish at the 2019 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
But she never got the chance to prove it. Akins and her Penn teammates had just landed in Albuquerque International Sunport when they learned the indoor championship was canceled.
“It was very sad and kind of a heartbreaking experience, but I was very fortunate to be around coaches and athletes who were able to make light of the situation,” she said.
On April 2, a few weeks later, the How Coronavirus Is Impacting Running Events its spring-sport athletes whose seasons were impacted by COVID-19 to have an additional year of eligibility as graduates, despite the NCAA granting the option for seniors.
In the weeks that followed the season developments, Akins continued to train in Philadelphia, but then she took a complete break when classes transitioned into a virtual setting. The time off from training was beneficial mentally and physically for the nursing major.
“I had so much time to figure this out and I wanted a clearer head as I make bigger decisions moving forward,” Akins said. “My thought process was focused on graduating when classes transitioned to online.
“I had a lot of conversations with my family and teammates about helping me come to a conclusion about what I want to do, but it’s been a very slow process, and I want to make sure that when I do make a decision, I’m making an emotionally sound decision,” she said.
On Monday, May 18, Akins graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing. Right now, she’s training and studying for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX)—a standardized test used to determine if a candidate is ready to become licensed as an entry-level nurse. She is preparing to take the exam this summer.
“Whatever I decide to do with running, I want to make sure that it is compatible with nursing as well,” she said. “It’s very easy to lose the clinical skills. I feel like I've missed a full semester of that so it’s definitely something I'm really looking forward to. I don't know what that would look like with COVID-19. Also, if there are opportunities to race in the near future, that is something that I'd be interested in doing too, so I’m just figuring out how that all works out, waiting patiently, and seeing what opportunities come up.”
The past few months, Akins has also been processing the hurt of the black community, after the death of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that followed. On June 11, she shared her thoughts with Runner’s World A Part of Hearst Digital Media.
“It’s a lot of hits honestly, but I’m proud of the community that I have here in Philly, everyone has been very supportive, and I’ve been able to train through it all with the little resources available,” Akins said. “Doing something is better than doing nothing. I think everybody will get mentally stronger from this.”
Dealing With Program Cuts
Dominic Morganti, a rising senior on the Brown University men’s cross-country and track team, was shocked and devastated by Brown’s initial decision to eliminate men’s track, field, and cross country as a varsity sport.
Morganti was coming off a breakthrough cross-country season where he finished 33rd overall at the 2019 NCAA Northeast Regional, and he was hoping to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships as a senior this fall.
But 12 days after the university announced that it was eliminating the men’s team, the school reinstated the program.
On May 28, the Ivy League institution announced that it was transitioning 11 sports from varsity to club status. In the process, Brown granted varsity status to the sailing team, previously a club sport. The announcement was outlined as part of the “Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative,” which followed an external review that started over a year ago and was guided by the principles of “increasing competitiveness,” “gender equity,” and “ensuring diversity and inclusion,” among other considerations outlined in a press release.
The reversal followed a coordinated effort from Brown student athletes and alumni who set up fundraising campaigns, petitions, conducted research into the dynamics of the university’s decision-making process, shared their stories with media outlets, and built a website the school reinstated the program.
Brown alum and professional runner Jordan Mann shared his perspective on the June 7 episode of the Rambling Runner podcast. Former members of the Brown women’s track and field team jumped to the program’s defense in an op-ed for the Brown Daily Herald How Coronavirus Is Impacting Running Events essay titled, “Brown University, If You Were Actually Serious About Racial Injustice You Would Not Be Cutting the Men’s Track Team.”
“A lot of people came together to showcase that Brown [track, field, and cross country] is diverse and excellent, and the school listened to us,” Morganti said.
Paxson and director of athletics Jack Hayes informed the team of the reinstatement via video call on June 9. After 12 days spent dealing with uncertainty in the wake of program cuts, Morganti was overjoyed to hear that his team was back.
“It was like the world's biggest weight was being taken off my shoulders,” he said. “I had no idea what my future was going to be. I had no idea if I was going to stay at the school, if I was going to transfer, if I was going to try to tough it out and stay in shape for a year and then go run somewhere else. I had all these difficult questions ahead of me and everyone on the team was asking those same questions because they were all in the same boat, but that weight of uncertainty for the future, especially during this really bad time, was lifted pretty much instantly, which was very liberating.”
But now, Morganti said the team is approaching the future with gratitude despite the uncertainty with COVID-19.
“I've never realized how much I love running and competing as an athlete until it was on the verge of being taken away from me,” he said. “Thankfully this was temporary and even for people who aren't facing their programs being closed, [who are] looking out at this upcoming fall wondering am I going to have a sports season? It's still just temporary. And the fact that I have being an athlete to come back to, is amazing and should not be taken for granted.”
Unfortunately, other programs that were cut haven’t been as lucky.
On May 14, the University of Akron became the first to announce the discontinuation of teams in an effort to reduce financial strain as a result of the pandemic.
By eliminating the men’s cross country, men’s golf, and women’s tennis programs in addition to salary reductions for select coaches, staff positions, scholarship and operating reductions, Akron forecasted a $4.4 million reduction in expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year, according to a press release.
Five days after Akron announced its program changes, Central Michigan University (CMU)—which is also in the Mid-American Conference—discontinued the men’s indoor and outdoor track and field program. On May 26, Appalachian State University followed by discontinuing the men’s soccer, men’s tennis, and men’s indoor track and field programs.
While Akron, Central Michigan, and Appalachian State announced program cuts in response to financial strain caused by COVID-19, Brown denied such claims when transitioning 11 sports from varsity to club status.
Handling a Fall Season Postponement
Because he redshirted his freshman year at California State University, Chico (like most runners in the men’s cross-country program do), Wyatt Baxter planned his class schedule so he could earn his degree in public administration in five years. After leading the Chico State team to a podium finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships last year, Baxter was hoping the Wildcats could compete for an NCAA title in 2020. But this fall, he will be a fifth-year senior on a team that is unable to race.
“Cross country was always the light at the end of the tunnel,” Baxter told Runner’s World. “When we talked about [the track season cancellation], we figured we’re on hiatus for now, and we have a couple of months where we have to work extra hard and stay focused, and then having that [cross-country season] stripped away was definitely a hit.”
Following the May 12 announcement that all California State University schools—which consists of 23 campuses—will be hosting virtual courses instead of in-person instruction for the fall semester, the California Collegiate Athletic Association determined that NCAA competition will also be suspended this fall.
For the Chico State cross country team, the announcement came as a blow to the program, which has recorded 20 top-10 NCAA championship finishes in the last 21 years.
In November 2019, the How This Pro Changed Her Training Approach to 26.2 were hosted in Sacramento, California—a 90-minute drive from Chico—where 500 Races - Places for the Wildcats. The men’s team finished third in the country, matching the program’s best NCAA championship finish in history. The women’s squad finished seventh overall.
Seven of the top eight runners on the men’s side were planning to return and compete for an even better finish in Fall 2020. But they will not get that opportunity this year.
“It’s hard to really even think about it because it just hurts, and it’s challenging,” Chico State head coach Gary Towne told Runner’s World. “If we’re the only conference in the country that isn’t competing this fall, that’s going to be really hard to watch.”
While the Chico State athletic department has the ability to absorb seniors who choose to return, Towne said the decision to bring seniors back is up to each coach’s discretion, because the department is not fully funded. The coaches must determine if the program has the funding to bring the athlete back on the same scholarship amount—and if not, the athletes must decide if they’re willing to pay for tuition in addition to rent, food, and additional living costs.
At the time of Towne’s interview, he said based on his phone conversations with athletes, most of the seniors are leaning towards moving on.
“With the situation of them exploring [the option of] preserving that last year, I have to be fair to them and their parents about the financial implications,” Towne said. “All I've tried to do is provide them information so that they can make a decision that they feel comfortable with and their parents feel comfortable with. I don’t want them to feel like I'm trying to urge them to come back for that extra year or the extra semester. This is really difficult for me as a coach, but I know it’s really difficult for them.”
Moving on
Like Jennings, her teammate, Savannah Carnahan made steady improvements in four years at Furman. In Spring 2019, she ran personal bests of 15:45 in the 5,000 meters and 33:35 in the 10,000 meters. In November 2019, the All-American contributed to Furman’s ninth-place team finish by crossing the line 13th overall at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Before the 2020 season was cancelled, Carnahan was interviewing for PhD programs around the country. The chemistry major was accepted at Princeton University.
When the season was cancelled, Carnahan’s first thought was to pursue an additional year of eligibility. She briefly entered the transfer portal to pursue a fifth year at another school. Carnahan wanted to become a 15:30 5K runner and a first team All-American on the track. But in the days that followed, she realized her academic career should be the priority.
“At the end of the day, I couldn’t put my education on hold for one 15-minute race even though a part of me definitely wanted to, but I also didn’t want to give up going to Princeton and doing amazing chemistry research,” Carnahan told Runner’s World. “You just don’t know if that’s going to be there the next year with how everything is changing. It was a really tough decision.”
In facing the dilemma of returning to compete for another year or move on, Brodnax chose to focus on his achievements and his legacy as a leader on the team.
His decision to graduate was rooted in confidence knowing that he accomplished most of the goals he set for himself at Cal Lutheran. In 2019, he won the 400 meters at the SCIAC Championships. He also garnered All-SCIAC honors Two weeks later, the NCAA Division 1 council announced that individual schools.
In his last track meet prior to the cancellation, Brodnax finished second to his younger teammate in the 400 meters. He was thrilled because his protégé surpassed him and was on track to keep improving.
“I've seen them grow and I see the progress and what potential they have,” Brodnax said. “Every time I look at them, I look at the younger version of me. I want them to be an even better version.”
A few weeks ago, Brodnax graduated with a degree in musical production. Right now, he’s applying for jobs, which has been a challenging process during the pandemic. To stay motivated, he’s embraced his work as a DJ and music producer for the collective, Health - Injuries. In April, the collective released its latest song titled, “Legendary,”
“I wanted to make an uplifting song that embodies the idea that even though you go through trials and tribulations, every person has something special about themselves that makes them legendary and those challenges actually show you how special you are,” he said.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
