Most Tulane runners found other colleges to enroll in after the cuts (Joe Kutner) |
"Guys here, at St. John's, Vanderbilt, all over the country, have been robbed of an opportunity to compete in track and field," said Ryan Gallagher, a junior at Tulane. "I mean, come on, how is that gender equity. Track and field is getting screwed over the most."
Gallagher ran distance events for the Green Wave in his first two years at the school. Last year, the university cited its need to comply with Title IX regulations as the reason for the discontinuation of the men's program.
In recent weeks, even more collegiate runners have joined the orphaned men from Tulane. Marshall and Toledo will discontinue their respective men's indoor and outdoor track teams at the end of this year. And according to Scott Johnson, director of athletics at Fresno State, a number of schools across the nation are feelings the squeeze.
"For the last seven years, [Fresno State's] athletics department has failed to achieve a balanced operating budget," Johnson said. "We tried to come up with new ways to fund programs. The funding was not out there like we'd hoped."
Johnson had made the decision to drop the men's track and field team after this year, but the program was saved. Tulane, Bowling Green and St. John's – to name a few – have not been as fortunate.
The athletes at those schools already know what lies ahead for their counterparts across the country. Some will continue to run and others will not. Some will stay and some will go.
The club spirit
Gallagher continues to train despite the adversity, but according to him the
track has been a lonely place.
"I've been training by myself mostly," he said. "Of course there are days where it's frustrating because of the lack of a team dynamic, but I know everyone else in the country is training and racing right now, so I have to keep working hard if I want any chance to compete."
And Gallagher has had that chance. Donning a Tulane track jersey from years ago, he raced as a member of the "Tulane Track Club." He pays for his race fees and provides his own transportation, but he continues to run.
"There's been talk of developing a club with the help from sponsors, but I think it's just that – talk," he said.
Gallagher has been training with coach Jim Patchell, formerly of the University of Arkansas. Patchell has written workouts for Gallagher based on the Razorbacks' philosophy.
So far, those methods are working. Gallagher set a personal record of over one minute in the 5,000-meters this season. But according to him there is no one to share it with.
"It isn't fair," Gallagher said. "Fortunately, running is something that I can do with or without a team. I think Title IX is a valid law that should be applied, but it isn't being handled responsibly."
Running abroad
In 2002, three Swedish freshmen - Philip Aagaard, Joakim Daun and Erik Emilsson
- graced the Tulane men's track team. Aagaard and Daun were both running
1:50 for the 800-meters, while Emilsson was developing his worth as an 8:47
steeplechaser.
But now these Swedes are scattered across the country. Aagaard transferred to Arkansas, Duan to Tennessee, and Emilsson to UCLA.
Of the three, Emilsson has enjoyed the most consistent success since leaving the Green Wave. At the Mt. SAC Relays this year, he clocked 3:50.74 for the 1500-meters, also running 8:50.32 for the 3000-meter steeplechase earlier in 2003 at the Stanford Invitational.
Emilsson said he has handled the change in training well.
"Coach [Eric] Peterson's training style is more like the one I was used to back home in Sweden," he said.
"I am very happy here… I feel that coach Peterson's training philosophy is the best possible for me," Emilsson said. "I do miss having Joakim and Philip as training-partners, but the team I have here is a great substitute. On a personal basis we are all still very good friends and we stay in touch on a weekly basis."
Los Angeles may be a long trip from Louisiana, but one former Tulane standout did not move far. Meeshack Mulupi, a distance runner from Kenya, transferred to the University of New Orleans.
"I'm just trying to run fast now," said Mulupi. "I'm running fast for me."
Because Mulupi was so far from home, he had to choose between transferring and going back to Kenya when the program was cut. Despite the difficulties involved in switching schools he said he is happy to stay stateside.
"I like it here," he said. "I like the people – the girls."
The leftovers
Back at Tulane, Mulupi and the Swedes are missed.
"It's too bad not to have the awesome foreigners to look up to anymore," said Adam Leskis, a graduating senior at Tulane. "We American 'leftovers' still run together, and it's actually engendered a much closer team atmosphere... so I'm glad at the way things worked out actually."
Leskis, who finished as one of Tulane's top runners in cross country this past season, continues to train. But despite extra eligibility, he will not continue to compete at the collegiate level.
"I'd like to continue running road races and the like in Arizona, where I'm moving next year, and eventually run a marathon, hopefully Boston at least once," Leskis said. "I love track and field and I will continue to support it financially or otherwise for the rest of my days."
Leskis said his training is based on long-slow mileage. So the loss of track and field at Tulane has not been as terrible for him.
"[I'll] just keep on keepin' on," he said. "That's what we runners do, we run. Duh."