Some collegiate cross-country programs bring in excellent kids, state champion high school runners and simply have to manage their talent. Other programs try to recruit those runners, but ultimately get who they get and figure it out from there.

“We’re not a flashy team, but we’re very good and we’re very blue-collar,” DePaul cross-country head coach Geoff Wayton said, referring to DePaul’s recruiting challenges.

Now after two and a half years as DePaul’s coach, Wayton has sought out young, good characters willing to work hard, embracing the chase of reaching their potential. On Friday, Oct. 4, it was put to the test. 

DePaul cross-country competed in the 45th annual Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Chicago’s lakefront. The men and women competed in the Open Division with the women running the 6K race and the men racing in the 8K.

DePaul graduate students and unofficial leaders Meghan Dieball and Damian Rodriguez ran the best races of their career inside Sydney R. Marovitz Golf Course – with times of 21:19.7 and 24:25.5, respectively. Freshman Tessa Roe also ran a personal best time of 21:17.8.

“Meghan Dieball had a giant personal best, and Tessa Rowe is going to be so good,” Wayton said. “She just had a great day.”

Rowe and Dieball finished third and fourth respectively while unaffiliated runner and former DePaul cross-country athlete Nina Amicon finished first, running through the tape at 21:09.58. 

Freshman Vivian Wyller was impressive in her first 6K, finishing in 28th place at 22:06.8.

Roe led the Blue Demons to a 4th place finish with 80 points. Toledo, Texas – which is ranked No. 29 – and Northwestern finished one through three, respectively.

Loop by loop, Dieball found her stride and rhythm while working with Roe to get prepared for the final kilometer and switch gears to finish strong. 

“Nina was doing especially good. She got to a point where she was running by herself for a bit … Tessa and I were really working together,” Dieball said after the race. “And she just had more in the last (kilometer), that was her first 6K ever so she had a really great day.” 

The final race of the day was the Men’s 8K Open, which started at 11:20 a.m. By then, the skies had cleared for constant sunshine as the men began to take their mark at the starting line. 

While seven schools had athletes run in the 8K Open, only three official teams ran: the DePaul Blue Demons, Duke Blue Devils and rival Loyola Ramblers. DePaul finished first with a team score of 25 points, winning handily.

Pacing the men were Rodriguez and Indiana’s Nolan Satterfield. Both athletes went stride-for-stride after the five-kilometer mark. Satterfield pulled away ever so slightly with just under 1000 meters to go. Nonetheless, Rodriguez made Blue Demon nation proud with his performance and they let him feel it.

“It’s great for all of them to be able to come back and watch us race and do better than the years prior,” Rodriguez said. “It’s great to have family and friends around to witness something that we’re proud of.”

As fans and spectators left the grounds, Wayton took his time to congratulate his athletes and give them their flowers.

“Damian obviously had a great day. He’s becoming such a well-rounded runner,” Wayton said. “He just knows how to race. (I’m) really proud of him. He’s just a tough kid, and he’s gaining so much confidence with his strength.”

Along with Rodriguez, sophomore Mason Krieg earned a seventh-place finish, crossing the line at 24:55.54.

“(Mason) just had a great freshman track season, so for him to run under 25 minutes for the first time is fantastic,” Wayton said.

A large contingent of DePaul faithful, led by their student-athletes – primarily the Track & Field team – showed up and gave the runners that extra boost. The student Schmitt Academic Center committee wanted to make events like this one, where staff members, coaches, and alumni can support one another.

“They’re really big fans of one another … I love the fact that we got several staff members, coaches and student-athletes out here supporting each other,” Athletic Director DeWayne Peevy said. “It means a lot to them, they put in a lot of training in so it’s cool to see a bunch of familiar faces and alums come out.”

DePaul faculty treated this invitational as a home meet, so to speak, even though Loyola was the host. Seeing Blue Demons at large athletic events has set the tone for the rest of fall. No matter what the event is, you’ll see some Demons in the crowd.

“This has been really good for us, year in and year out, to see our kids compete,” Peevy said. “It’s been a testament to the work that Geoff has put in with this group since he took over as head cross-country coach.”

With the proverbial leaders of the cross-country team earning PR’s and newcomers getting their feet wet in 6Ks and 8Ks, the program is headed in the right direction for their next meet Oct. 18 at the Bradley Pink Invitational in Peoria, Illinois.

“I’d say everyone’s just kind of taking the right step forward, progressing throughout the season,” Rodriguez said. “The main goal is at the end (conference) and regionals, so continuing to take steps forward and not back is the goal.”

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