Rockhurst cross country returned five of the seven varsity runners from the 2023 team that won its district and finished 2nd at state. With two probable openings on varsity and a strong stable of runners who trained with the top runners last year, the competition was expected to be strong for those spots. Very few, if any, expected a freshman to break through. But that’s exactly what happened.
Jack McGovern has performed the rare feat of making the varsity cross country team as a freshman. He’s managed to surprise his fellow runners and even himself with the achievement. While making varsity was something he wanted to do, he was not expecting it.
“I think that there was so much talent and so many excellent people on that team, I knew it would be really hard, but that was one of my main goals,” McGovern said.
McGovern’s dedication to his practice and admiration of his sport help him enjoy it.
“Cross country runners have a very strong mindset, which is something I just love about the sport.”
McGovern hasn’t merely been on varsity. He’s impressed this season. He’s run the second-fastest freshman 5K time in the state of Missouri since 2000 (15:36). He earned the MOMileSplit Missouri boys Runner of the Week honor for the week of Oct. 7-12. He’s consistently been ranked as one of the top–if not the top–freshman runner in the state, also according to MOMileSplit.
But McGovern hasn’t done it all by himself.
“I have so much support from my teammates, coaches, and people I know.”
While running is a big part of his life, McGovern has also impressed his teammates with all the other activities he finds time for.
“He’s got a lot of hobbies,” senior Henry Acorn said. “He does photography. He has his lawn mowing business. He edits with photography. He’s a man of many passions.”
Acorn, himself ranked as the top boys runner in the state, can relate to what McGovern has experienced this year. He too ran varsity as a freshman three years ago.
“It was a very weird experience,” Acorn said. “I felt like I was running through the motions. As a freshman, I felt I was kinda just along for the ride.”
Acorn says McGovern’s future looks bright. If he plays his cards right and continues to work hard, his talent could be a great asset.
“I think, generally, he’ll be a top recruit in the nation,” Acorn, who himself is committed to run for the University of Virginia, said.
Aside from his many talents, McGovern’s teammates and coaches also appreciate his humility.
“He’s a very kind soul,” head coach Michael Dierks said. “Probably more worried about his teammates than himself at times.”
Those teammates say they’re anticipating good things from McGovern the rest of this year.
“I look forward to racing with him the rest of this XC season, and the rest of the coming track season,” senior Kai Somasegaran said.
McGovern, himself, is continuing to push, knowing he has the backing of those around him.
“There’s a lot of really great athletes out there, and going up against all those guys is really hard, but I have so much support,” he said. “I have been working to stay on top of all the work with the help of my family and friends.”
