by Eli Hullinger
The RCU Cross Country and Track and Field teams encountered major changes in the past two years, but that didn’t stop them from breaking school records to setting personal bests.
Assistant Coach Emma Fickel, a former Rochester College track athlete from 2016 until 2020, was promoted to head coach in October 2023. Then, a month later, former Cross Country Coach Andrew Bowman stepped down, creating some disarray for the team.
Fickel didn’t let this quick transition stop her, however.
“My transition to head coach was tough. Honestly I thought I would get a couple more seasons as an assistant before I got a head coaching job, but God had other plans for me and this program,” Fickel said. “As crazy as the first year was, I think it let me jump right into the deep end and learn completely hands on.”
Serving as head coach for more than one year now, Fickel has been working hard to improve the program. She said some of her goals are to "grow our women’s team, snag some more distance talent and level up our field events.”
Fickel has stabilized the team and during the 2025 indoor season, the athletes have broken eight school records.
The 400-meter record was claimed by Freshman Ethan Dinanath at the Saginaw Valley State University Holiday Open. He ran it in 51.52 seconds.
The 1000-meter record was beaten three times. Sophomore Eli Hullinger and Junior Brandon Zielke set new records at the Indiana Wesleyan University Midwest Open, going 2:41.99 and 2:42.47 respectively. Two weeks later, senior Wyatt Emmons broke Hullinger’s record at the WHAC Championships, running 2:38.71.
The Distance Medley Relay records were broken by both the men’s and the women’s teams at the Grand Valley State University Mike Lints Alumni Open. The men’s relay team, consisting of Zielke, Dinanath, Hullinger and Emmons, ran 11:01.02. The women’s team, made up of senior Erin Norton, junior Amanda Usrey, junior Mackenzie Montagano and senior Heather Eller, went 13:43.50.
The 4x800 meter relay was broken at WHAC Championships with a team consisting of
Zielke, senior Cameron Stermer, Hullinger and Emmons. They ran 8:28.59.
The 4x400 meter relay was also broken at WHAC Championships with a team consisting of sophomore Ethan Eisenhauer, Zielke, Hullinger and Dinanath, going 3:45.41.
“We went into the DMR with a goal; we came out achieving it,” Zielke said. “We ended up shattering the record by 49 seconds.”
The team has also set 42 individual personal bests this season.
“I’m a firm believer that the culture surrounding a person is the make or break in the success of an athlete,” Fickel said.
The teams have also been working hard on improving their culture and growing closer. During the summer at their annual camp, senior Lucas Danko made his goal clear.
“No groups,” Danko said, speaking to his teammates while they sat around the campfire.
“Everybody doubted me. Last year there was a lot of unnecessary drama that clouded the team,” Danko said. He wanted to improve the team’s morale through team bonding.
At camp, the cross country team was also introduced to their new coach, Katherine Ray, who came to RCU after she graduated from Wayne State where she ran cross country and track.
“Being a first-year head coach, I didn't know what to expect from my first bunch of cross country athletes. However, to no surprise, after months of hard work and training it paid off for our cross country team. Coming out of the season with 16 career personal records on the men's and women's side, as well as school records being broken, I am more than thrilled with what these strong men and women have accomplished. It fueled the fire to aim even high for next year,” Ray said.
The teams are now preparing for their outdoor season, which kicks off in March. For more information, go to rcuwarriors.com.