FURMAN UNIVERSITY CROSS COUNTRY & TRACK MISSION BOOKLET TABLE OF CONTENTS 3. SEVEN FUNDAMENTALS OF FURMAN CROSS COUNTRY 4. LETTER OF SUPPORT - PRESIDENT DAVIS 5. LETTER OF SUPPORT - ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, GARY CLARK 6-11. STAFF BIOS HEAD COACH, ROBERT GARY ASSISTANT COACH, CHRIS NEAL ASSISTANT COACH, RITA GARY ASSISTANT COACHES, CHAD BALYO & CORY LESLIE ASSISTANT COACH, CRAIG FORYS & MICKEY MCCAULEY 12-15. FURMAN ELITE BIOS 16. ACADEMIC OVERVIEW 17. STUDENT LIFE AT FURMAN 18-19. TRAINING FACILITIES 20. PHYSIOLOGOICAL TESTING - FIRST PROGRAM 21. PERFORMANCE ROOM + NEW PROJECTS/VISION 22. COMPETITION SCHEDULE + “TWO PEAKS” SYSTEM 23. BACK TO BACK CHAMPIONS 24. MEN DANCE TO 2014 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS 25. 2015-2016 TRAINING ENVIRONMENT 26. FURMAN CAMPUS 27. DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE 28. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA 29. BACK COVER SEVEN FUNDAMENTALS OF FURMAN CROSS COUNTRY, TRACK & FIELD A VISION THAT INSPIRES Athletics can be a powerful tool for bringing out the best in people. Whether on or off the track, the vision of Furman Cross Country, Track and Field is “Everyone Develops the Potential Within” A PRACTICAL, CLEAR, AND RELEVANT MISSION Training and competing at the NCAA Division 1 level of play is demanding. Striving to compete successfully teaches lessons about life that are invaluable and useful, long after a college career comes to an end. By pur- suing excellence at the highest levels of conference, NCAA, and Olympic competition, the mission of Furman Cross Country, Track & Field is “Life Lessons through the Pursuit of Athletic Excellence” RISE TO A HIGHER ‘PALADIN PURPOSE’ Success is more than a great athlete, a winning coach, or a fully-endowed scholarship program. Furman is first and foremost an academic institution. Being Division 1, along with 400 NCAA teams, and being the only sport truly in-season all year teaches time management, goal-setting, and accountability in academics as we fulfill our higher “Paladin Purpose” and “Become a True Paladin Champion” POSITIVE AND INSPIRING RECOGNITION The possibilities for recognition are big. Although Track & Field may ‘start small,’ it’s important to ‘think big’ and from this mindset build a running program that is competetive at the highest level of NCAA competition, inlcuding qualifying men’s and women’s teams and individuals for the NCAA Championships during the cross country, and indoor and outdoor track season on a regualar basis. SUSTINABLE FUNDING, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY Develop a broad base of funding support for Furman’s track program through revenue development, endowed scholarships and giving from alumni, parents, friends, companies and the community. In the long term, the foundation for sustainable funding is exceptional stakeholder value- continuously reinforced through adher- ence to the highest levels of accountability and transparency. MODEL OF EXCELLENCE By building a deep and lasting affection and meaning for Furman through the track program, the opportuntity for stakeholders to become involved and give to Furman becomes an irresistible proposition and wealth-generator for all involved. SERVE OUR COMMUNITY Provide scholarship opportunities for local- area athletes, serve as catalyst for the greater Greenville area to embrace the mental and physical benefits of running, and provide opportunities for residents and visitors to watch- and be inspired by - national and world-class athletes competing under the (purple) skies of RUNFURMAN. LETTER OF SUPPORT FURMAN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT, DR. ELIZABETH DAVIS As Furman’s President, I give my full support to Furman’s Cross Country and Track programs as we pursue our aspiration to be one of the nation’s premier programs. The Seven Fundamentals of Furman Cross Country, Track & Field, so artfully crafted under the coaching leadership of Robert Gary, Rita Gary, and Chris Neal, demonstrate the integral role that intercollegiate athletics serves as part of the educational mission of the university. Our goal is to pursue the highest level of athletic excellence, compete for national championships, and demonstrate that a world-class Cross Country and Track program is possible at a liberal arts university committed to academic excellence and the classic ideals of the student-athlete. LETTER OF SUPPORT FURMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, DR. GARY CLARK Furman University’s mission for college athletics is to hold ourselves to a very high standard eth- ically, academically, and athletically – essentially we want to do things the right way. We believe the cross country and track programs here are uniquely positioned to fulfill that mission on a na- tional and international stage. Coach Robert Gary is the perfect match for our program and our goals. Coach Gary, a two-time Olympian himself, has coached with the US National Team in both cross country and track. Most recently he guided the USA Men’s senior team to a silver medal finish at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Poland. At the 2013 US National Track & Field Championships, 4 athletes represented Furman Elite, including Nicole Bush who won the steeplechase national title and represented the United States at the World Championships in Russia. In 2014, Furman was represented with 8 Furman Elite athletes at the US National Track & Field Championships. In 2015, Furman Elite once again was represented with 8 athletes at the US National Track & Field Championships, inlcuding 2 colle- giate athletes. Stephanie Garcia placed 2nd in the steeplechase and will represent Furman Elite and Team USA at the world championships in Beijing, China. Coach Gary has put together a staff whose collective expertise is unparalleled at the collegiate level. Over the course of this past year, both men’s and women’s cross country teams won the SoCon Championship, the first time in program history both team’s won; Tripp Hurt qualified to the NCAA National Championships back to back years running a school record 8:41 for the 3000 meter steeplechase; and the staff’s first recruiting class, both men’s and women’s ranked #4 and #10 respectively. I am excited for our student athletes and the experience I know they will have as a part of the Furman University Cross Country and Track programs. ROBERT GARY, DIRECTOR & HEAD COACH ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS TWO-TIME U.S OLYMPIAN (1996, 2004) 3000M STEEPLECHASE TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS QUALIFIER (1999, 2003) ELEVEN-TIME WORLD CROSS COUNTRY USA TEAM MEMBER 2004 UNITED STATES CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR 3 FASTEST COACHED ATHLETES M 800 1:46.38, 1:47.04, 1:47.21 - 7 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM MEMBERS M 1500 3:34.19, 3:34.71, 3:35.21 - 3 UNITED STATES TRACK & FIELD NATIONAL CHAMPIONS W 1500 4:05.31, 4:08.34, 4:09.02 - 1 AUSTRIALIAN NATIONAL CHAMPION M MILE 3:53.04, 3:53.66, 3:54.08 - 4 USATF 1500 INDOOR CHAMPIONS M STEEPLE 8:13.66, 8:19.28, 8:20.09 - BIG 10 CHAMPION IN EVERY DISTANCE EVENT W STEEPLE 9:23.48, 9:24.59, 9:51 M 5000 13:21, 13:24, 13:29 W 5000 15:19.50, 15:31, 15:45 M 10000 27:50.08, 28.02, 28:48 USA TRACK & FIELD COACHING ASSIGNMENTS 2013 IAAF WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS BYDGOSZCZ, POLAND - MEN’S SENIOR TEAM HEAD COACH (* MEN’S TEAM SILVER MEDAL) 2011 IAAF WORLD TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA - MEN’S DISTANCE COACH 2010 WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS PUNTA CANTA, MEXICO - MEN’S JUNIOR TEAM HEAD COACH 2010 IAAF WORLD JUNIOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS MONCTON, CANADA - DISTANCE COACH Paladin Head Coach Robert Gary is a native of Chicago, Ill. and a two-time Olympian (Atlanta, 1996 and Athens, 2004), two-time World Championships qualifier, 11-time World Cross Country USA Team member, and Track & Field News 2004 Cross Country Runner of the Year. Following an illustrious running career, Gary has established himself as a one of the nation’s elite coaches through his involvement with USA Track and Field, as Head coach of The Ohio State University Men’s Track/XC Program, and now as Head Coach of the Furman University Track/XC program as well as the Furman Elite post-collegiate group based out of Furman University. In his role with USA Track & Field, Gary has been actively involved in preparing Team USA for international competition. Most recently, he coached the USA senior men’s team to a silver medal at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland (the highest Team USA finish in history). In 2011, he served as the men’s distance coach for Team USA at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. In 2010, he was the head coach for the USA junior team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain., and was also USA’s U-23 distance coach at the North America, Central America, and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) meet in Toluca, Mexico. As Head Coach for the professional training group, Furman Elite, Gary helped guide Cory Leslie to a new personal best and IAAF ‘A’ standard in the 3000m Steeplechase of 8:20.31 as well as 3:34 for the 1500 which made Cory one of only 5 Americans with the IAAF A-standard in two different events. Cory will represent Team USA in the 2015 Pan-Am Championships. Gary became the only American to have coached three different American Steeplechasers to 8:20 or faster marks and four 1500m athletes to 3:35 or faster marks. After Leslie placed 4th at the 2014 USATF Championships, training partner Craig Forys had the 4th fastest steeple in America running 8:24 in Lucerne, Switzerland. Additionally, Gary also guided huge PR’s of 13:21 (5000m Olympic standard) for Jeff See and 3:37 for 1500m for Isaac Presson. On the women’s side of Furman Elite, third-year member, Heidi Gregson once again placed inside the top 3 in winning the 2015 Australian Championships at 1500m.