Thousands of student-athletes have played a sport at Rockhurst High School. The rich tradition of grit and passion fostered through athletics dates back to the founding of the school in 1910. Nearly 115 years of athletic accomplishments have turned the halls of Rockhurst into a place of local legends.
In the history of Rockhurst cross country, though, there has arguably never been a runner like Henry Acorn. Acorn’s relentless work ethic and determination have forged one of the greatest Rockhurst athletic careers of all time. Many people around Rockhurst believe Acorn is the greatest cross country runner in the history of the program.
“I’m sure Wes Porter, Zach Harriot, Tom Seitzer and there’s probably a couple others would not like to hear this, but he’s the best,” Head Coach Michael Dierks said. “He’s the best distance runner that I’ve ever seen in a uniform for Rockhurst.”
It’s not often that a coach speaks that highly about an athlete at Rockhurst. Acorn’s dominance over the past few years raises the question: Is Acorn the greatest runner in the history of Rockhurst?
Over the last decade, Rockhurst has been a perennial force in Missouri high school cross country. The Hawklets boast three state championships and five top-four finishes since 2016.
After back-to-back top-two finishes in 2023 and 2024, Rockhurst cross country might only be starting to peak. The two returning varsity runners next year, freshmen Jack Morrison and Jack McGovern, both posted top 20 times in program history over this past season, with the latter finishing with the fourth-best in Rockhurst history as well as an eighth place medal at state.
Rockhurst’s ascendancy in the ranks of Missouri high school cross country has been built upon the shoulders of elite individuals. In 2018, Rockhurst’s dominant duo of Wes Porter and Tom Seitzer certainly fit that mold. In addition to the team winning state for the second time in three years, Seitzer’s state time of 15:28.9 put him second in Rockhurst cross country history at the time. The next year Porter followed up with a new school record of 14:53.9, clearing the old Rockhurst record by more than 30 seconds.
Yet, in 2024, Acorn surpassed both to record the greatest time at a state meet in school history: 14:52.4. Acorn’s record helped catapult Rockhurst to a third championship.
The year prior, Acorn finished fourth at state, trailing three of the top six times in Missouri history. His 2023 time of 15:07.00 is 11th all-time in the state.
Acorn doesn’t just blaze on the cross country trail. He also has a decorated resume on the track. Acorn holds the best 1600-meter time in Rockhurst history at 4:06.31. That time helped him secure the individual state championship in the event last season. Acorn’s other accomplishments in track include four-time all-state, 2024 state champion in the 4×800 relay and Rockhurst school records in the 3200 meter and 2-mile run.
All of these accomplishments scream GOAT status. With Rockhurst cross country at possibly its greatest point in program history, it’s hard to argue that the best runner on the team–not to mention in the state of Missouri–is anything less than the greatest runner in Rockhurst history.
When Acorn first entered the program, his presence was felt immediately.
“He was a freshman that immediately moved up into our varsity that on probably one of the first days in the summer was up there running with the top guys in a way that was just very natural,” Dierks said. “You know, if I look at photos of him four years ago, he looked a lot like either Jack Morrison or Jack McGovern, small, you know, kid that hasn’t really developed.”
Just like their coach, Acorn’s teammates have seen his ascension through the years. Senior Kai Somasegaran has run with him all four years at Rockhurst.
“I know his goal since freshman year has always been to break 15 [minutes in a 5K],” Somasegaran said.
While Henry’s start to his cross country career at Rockhurst was certainly impressive, his dedication and improvement launched him to where he is today.
“I’m a pretty ambitious guy… so I like to set big goals,” Acorn said.
Teammates and coaches rave about his unwavering work ethic.
“He’s a very hard worker,” Somasegaran said. “When he sets his mind on a goal, there’s nothing stopping him from achieving it.”
Acorn’s work ethic led to much improvement since his freshman year. A common topic brought up in interviews with his teammates and coaches has been how he finishes races.
“He’s gotten a much better kick,” senior varsity teammate Bill Hayes said. “He’s gotten much better at being able to close gaps and catch people in the last parts of the race.”
“He’ll gap people at the end of the race, which I think is an amazing quality of him as a runner,” Somasegaran said. “I remember he used to be kind of an iffy sprinter.
“Two years ago, he started being able to sprint a lot better–especially at the end of races.”
In the 2024 state meet, Acorn trailed at multiple points during the race. By the end, however, Acorn had left every other runner in the dust.
Acorn’s powerful kick has allowed him to find a manageable pace in races.
“I’m kind of able to settle in, sit back a little bit and read what’s going on,” he said. “Then, I usually like to just lock eyes on one guy, see what he’s doing. And when he moves, I move with [him].”
As a teammate and runner, Hayes understands Acorn’s strategy.
“He doesn’t usually start out in front,” Hayes said. “He likes to catch people at the end, which I think is great.
“You might feel a little pressure being at the front trying to lead the pack and set the pace, but if you start out behind and then catch him at the end, all you have to focus on is just winning.”
In 2023, Acorn finished fourth individually at state. The Hawklets, however, finished second by a heartbreaking eight points.
“I felt for them because I knew how hard they worked, and I knew how close it was,” Dierks said.
Heading into his senior year, Acorn was missing one key aspect of Rockhurst greatness: a state championship.
“We knew what our end goal was,” Somasegaran said.
Rockhurst’s 2024 cross country season was full of sky high expectations. For Acorn and his teammates, it would be their last chance to win a state championship.
“We were really committed this year, working hard every single day,” Somasegaran said.
Hayes agreed.
“[It] really fueled us… it would be our last chance.”
When the time came for redemption, the Hawklets didn’t blink. With an infusion of young freshmen on the team, Rockhurst ran the table in Missouri and won state by 25 points.
“We just had to do our job,” Acorn said, “and that’s exactly what we did.”
The Hawklets even qualified for nationals, an accomplishment only one other Missouri team has ever achieved. In Portland, the Hawklets placed 13th in the country.
“We had no doubt throughout the entire season that we were going to win.” Somasegaran said. “It was just believing in ourselves and executing.
“It was really cool to be able to celebrate that.”
With a legendary cross country career in the books, Acorn will head off to the University of Virginia, a familiar school for Rockhurst cross country runners.
“A lot of Rockhurst runners from the past have gone to Virginia–Zach Harriot and Wes Porter,” Acorn said. “I kind of just saw it as a place where I can improve the most.”
According to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Virginia finished the season ranked 21st in the country. Now, the Cavaliers will look to build on that success with Acorn joining the program.
Acorn seems to have every feather in his cap when it comes to Rockhurst running. He has set records and won state championships in track and cross country. As the program heads into a new age, many great runners will likely grace the halls of Rockhurst, but no matter what records are broken, Henry Acorn will always be one of a kind.
