D3 Grad Students
As athletes log miles through these initial weeks of the cross country season, we turn to the graduate students contributing to their respective teams across D3 this year. The pandemic years enabled a unique window for graduate student participation; athletes were universally given back their 2020-2021 NCAA eligibility for all three seasons, and several chose to use it towards a fifth year with their team or as a graduate student transferring to a new program.
Emerald Svienty, last year’s fourth-place finisher at Nationals who will compete a fifth year for North Central as a graduate student this season, sums it up well: “I kind got to college at the unlucky time, where you’ve got a full year [back] because of the pandemic, and in D3 especially, having a redshirt or fifth year possibility is really just not as common as it is in D2 and D1. So, this is really special to be able to do.”
I took advantage of this pandemic window myself, transferring from Williams College to NYU as a graduate student last year. I was suddenly running intersections across New York City, totally different from the Berkshire dirt roads, with a brand-new team. I found myself to be one of the eldest on a very young and talented roster. And yet, I was surprised to find myself surrounded by other graduate students in almost every race.
Last cross country season, graduate contributions could be especially seen on the women’s side, with two graduate students placing within the top ten last year in Carlisle: Sara Stephenson for John Hopkins (fifth place) and Grace Richardson for NYU (ninth place). Grace Hadley, placing fourth at NCAAs, and Brigid Hanley, who placed eighth, will also both be returning as graduate students for WPI and Emory respectively this season.
Graduate students on D3 squads used to be somewhat rare, but following the example of these post-pandemic athletes, we may see more redshirting undergraduates return to make the most of their collegiate careers as post-grads. Moreover, taking the examples of D3 All Americans: St. Benedict’s Fiona Smith (NC State), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’s Natalie Bitteti (New Mexico) and Williams College’s John Lucey (UMass), more D3 athletes are making the jump to D1 as graduate students going into this 2024 season.
We spoke to a few graduate students on their experience running D3 post-grad, and what they are looking forward to as athletes and teammates as they tackle a new season.
Amalia Dorion will be transferring this season to Suffolk University from the competitive program at Adams State. After a five-year career at Adams State, having redshirted as a first-year, this is Dorion’s first cross country season as a graduate student. Dorion believes she is a better athlete for the extra collegiate experience.
“As far as racing goes, I mean, after like, six years of collegiate running, you learn how to compete. You have some bad races, but it's much more consistent than when I was a younger runner,” Dorion said.
“Also just knowing what I need: I need to have nine hours of sleep, that's what makes me feel my best, how much water I need to drink, how often I need to fuel my body,” Dorion continued. “I've learned to manage my time better, and that I need to do certain things to feel my best, but I also need to not take things so seriously.”
Dorion has big goals for her last cross country season, and hopes to be a mentor for the relatively younger Suffolk squad.
“I'd love to go as a team to the national cross country meet, and then hopefully get All-American and same in track. I kind of just want to soak it all in and enjoy my last year. I want to be as inspiring and helpful to my team as possible. They're all really young, so I want to hopefully leave them with something to continue to inspire them with.”
Like Dorion, Svienty expressed personal growth as an athlete and teammate from their early career, and looks forward to bringing that to her team in her final year.
“I'm just so much more mature as an athlete and as a person,” Svienty continued. “We really emphasize as a program that we're preparing ourselves not just for running, but also for life, and to be great people, and to have success afterwards as well. And it's very exciting to be a part of that and continue to foster that culture.”
Svienty, going into their final season at North Central, is placing the team at the forefront of their racing goals for their post-graduate year.
“We got seventh [at Nationals], and then third, and we're trying to bring it all home. So that's really what we're after. We're really putting our best foot forward, and I'm excited to be a part of that here for another year,” Svienty said.
Kate Cochran is tackling her last cross country season at NYU as a second-year graduate student and consistent placer for the 2023 Runner-Up team. NYU had a breakout 2023 season with the highest-placing seventh runner at NCAAs last year, and the squad is back this season with six out of their top seven returning from last year.
Cochran transferred to NYU last year from the program at SUNY New Paltz. “Towards the end of [my career] at New Paltz, I felt like I could really go somewhere with my running, and I knew NYU could take me there,” Cochran said.
“It was really cool to be a part of the team that placed second at Nationals, and I feel that I did everything I could to contribute to that. My goal this year is to do the same, wherever I might be in the seven. I just want to score for the team and help us place,” Cochran continued. “Cross country is about seeing how high we can place and how we can achieve our goals as a team.”