GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman roots combined with 20 years of "being a runner" made me an enthusiastic cheerleader at the 2024 Olympic Trials. I come from a running family, with a marathoner mother (Deb Pate '81), a Furman sprinter father (David Pate '79) and a little brother who—to my surprise—followed in my footsteps as high school cross country captain. In 2009, I walked on to run Furman cross country and indoor/outdoor track with Coaches Gene Mullin and Mike and Laura Caldwell, gaining the thrill of competing at a higher level, experiencing two-a-day workouts, enjoying long runs and meets in new locations, and forming friendships with some truly inspiring people. On paper, my peak college running moment was becoming an all-conference freshman (along with teammates Haley Gray and Scott Des Marais), mostly because not many freshmen raced the 10,000m at the time.
Since then, I've qualified for the Boston Marathon three times, accidentally led a winning team for the 2019 Ragnar Appalachians Relay, placed in the top 100 women at the 2018 Army Ten Miler, and recently started high school assistant coaching in Monterey, California. While I continue my personal post-college running journey, it has been a treat to cheer on the last decade of Furman's continued running success. Though Furman team members change over the years, we certainly still share the same passion for Tandem crepes, wearing purple, and the beautiful campus.
When 3,000m steeplechase Olympian Robert Gary (1996 and 2004 teams) and Rita Gary came to serve as Furman coaches in 2012, Furman developed the "Girl Gang" and has become increasingly dominant in distance running. In fall 2023, Furman women's cross country hit the longest active conference win streak in the NCAA—11 years running, pun intended, while the men also tacked on their 11th-straight SoCon title. Coach Robert Gary has been named Southern Conference Coach of the year for each of those 11 years. Furman has placed numerous men and women on the all-region team over the years, with Dylan Schubert becoming the first Furman student to win the NCAA Southeast Region in November 2023. Coach Rita Gary was recently named the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships coach.
Student-athletes choose Furman for the caliber of the experience. Coach Rita Gary shares, "There is an authentic consistent ideology across academics and athletics…Furman professors are some of the most impactful teachers I've met in higher education, but they aren't easy teachers. They expect their students to be prepared so they can positively impact the classroom environment, and they encourage them to be creative, forward-thinking and curious about the world and people around them. The same is true for the experience we cultivate on the athletic side. A level of commitment is required to be a part of our program. It's not meant to be easy or for everybody; it's meant to be an experience that sets you apart from your peers and provides a pathway to discover and grow individual gifts and passions."
Coach Rita Gary also seeks to lead the team according to her values: "I choose to surround myself with amazing women who want to look at life and opportunity through an uncommon lens. We know it takes what it takes and that everything matters. But we love the work and it's fun to do hard things." Part of Furman's team culture includes recapping successes at Monday team meetings. Student-athletes seem to be thriving under the Garys' leadership.
As I've been exploring, there are plenty of interesting ways to engage with running beyond putting one foot in front of the other. In late June, my family and I traveled to the track Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, to cheer for some Paladins live from the famed Hayward Field where America's fastest have raced many times. Beyond Furman-connected racers at the Trials, two Furman students and a new graduate worked the event: junior Jenna Mulhern reported for Dyestat, senior Bethany Graham served as an assistant coach for the UnderArmor Mission Run Baltimore Distance professional team, and Emily Little '24 managed operations as a TrackTown USA intern. "My hope is that our athletes leave Furman still energized and passionate about running and continue to make it a part of their lives," remarked Coach Rita Gary. "It's so fun to see the Girl Gang exploring all kinds of different avenues of this sport," added Gabbi Jennings '21.
First, on June 21, red-shirt senior and Furman indoor 5,000m record holder Carson Williams competed in the men's 3,000m steeplechase preliminaries. Americans paid a little extra attention to this year's men's steeplechase, which later went viral due to commentary by cultural icon Snoop Dogg. Reflecting on the experience of competing in the same event as Coach Robert Gary, Williams stated, "It was a really special moment for me, as Coach Gary is someone who I have tried to model my career after. It was great to receive advice from someone who had success at the Olympic Trials and made two teams. I felt like he prepared me for the moment perfectly–I was able to draw upon his experience to prepare for the nuances of championship racing."
A two-time 3,000m steeplechase All-American and individual qualifier for the 2023 NCAA Cross Country Championships, Williams finished 16th in the 3,000m steeplechase preliminary in 8:29.29, missing the final by only two seconds. "While the race did not go exactly how we'd hoped, I am proud of the effort. After the race, Coach Gary and I were able to break down what went wrong in order to prepare for next year's NCAA season as well as the next Olympic Trials," he said. After his upcoming final year at Furman, Williams hopes to run professionally.
Three-time Olympian Emma Coburn (2012, 2016, and 2020 teams) welcomed the next Furman alumnus with a personal shout-out during the NBC commentary. While my family and I cheered from the sidelines on June 24—accidentally perched right next to the AP and USA Today photographers—Adidas/Team Boss professional and three-time steeplechase All-American Gabbi Jennings '21 pulled far ahead of all of the competitors to win her qualifying heat of the steeplechase by quite a lot in 9:23.88. In a high-stakes race, she looked so comfortable and strong right until the end, leading all qualifying times. At Furman, Jennings' top achievement was placing seventh at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Championships and she still holds several Furman indoor and outdoor records.
In the June 27 final, Jennings made up a spot in the home stretch and ran a new personal best time of 9:12.08 (a six second improvement) to finish fourth. "I'm proud of the mindset I carried into the meet, despite a lot of outside noise the last month...I believed with full conviction that I would make the team, and never stopped believing until I crossed the finish line. That confidence is something I've lacked in the past," she reflected. The Olympic Trials women's 3,000m steeplechase final field was so competitive that Jennings' time of 9:12:08 was the seventh fastest ever for U.S. women, with returning Olympian and race winner Val Constien breaking the Trials record and the first nine finishers all racing their personal best times.
"To run as fast as I've ever run by a long shot and still fall short–that was the most challenging thing for me. But another surprising thing was just how many people showed up to support me, whether it was my family, teammates (old and new), best friends, or even just people I had briefly met at some point in my life—that really made me feel like I was running with even more of a purpose. It was so touching to see members of my Furman family in the stands before and after my races," said Jennings. "I didn't make the team, but I am so proud of the work I put in to get to this point in my career and know it's only a matter of time…next, I would love to run under 9:10. It's a very big barrier in women's steeplechase, but I believe I will do it soon," she added. Over 13,000 Instagram followers continue to cheer her on.
Allie Buchalski '18, a Brooks Beasts professional runner and seven-time All-American who was inducted into Furman Athletics Hall of Fame last year, is the most decorated runner to ever come out of Furman. She still holds the 3,000m and 5,000m indoors Furman records. She had not two but four Eugene race days at the Trials, running several rounds of the 1,500m and 5,000m within one week. "Racing at this level that many times is obviously very hard on the body and mind," she said. The Brooks Beasts team is comprehensively supported when traveling by head coach Danny Mackey, athletic trainer Sarah Bair, and nutritionist Dr. Kyle Pfaffenbach. Throughout this year, Buchalski has also worked closely with sports psychologist Dr. Josh Coon, who warmed up and cooled down with her for each of her Olympic Trials races. Between races, she enjoyed relaxing with family and friends knowing that "at this point, all the work was done. Just time to have fun and execute."
Buchalski placed a hard-fought fifth (15:24.22 on June 21) and sixth (15:12.87 on June 24) in the 5,000m race preliminary and final, respectively. Seeing a Furman alumna right up there with freshly minted two-time Olympian Elle St. Pierre was quite thrilling for me. Buchalski finished seventh in her June 27 1,500m preliminary heat in 4:16.46, advancing to the next day's 1,500m semifinal, where she placed 23rd in 4:13.22.
After final declarations on July 8, when qualifiers decided which races they would compete in at the Olympics, Buchalski and Jennings remained one heartbreaking spot away from competing for the team in Paris. In the 2020 Olympic Trials, Buchalski was two spots away from competing at the Olympic Games. Have no doubt, all three Furman-connected racers have their eyes set on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
In the nearer term, Buchalski is wasting no time pursuing racing another under-15-minute 5,000m and competing at events like the Sunset Tour in Los Angeles on July 20 and the Sir Walter Mile in Raleigh, NC, on August 2. "I've never made a world team on the track so that's probably the biggest goal on my calendar next year: World Outdoor Track in Tokyo," she says. Buchalski also hopes to take part in the U.S.-hosted 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships and the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships, saying, "It would be awesome to rep the red, white, and blue on home soil."
(Side note: apparently Allie, which we nicknamed our daughter, is quite a fast name: beyond cheering lots for Allie Buchalski, we loved wandering past "Team Allie" shirts and seeing Allie Wilson place second in the 800m and Allie Ostrander place seventh in the 3,000m steeplechase final on their Olympic qualifying quests.)
"There is something special about seeing former athletes pursue our sport at the highest level, and certainly, Allie and Gabbi did just that this past Olympic trials. Both women were one spot away from making the Paris team. I know being that close stings, but it's amazing to think that only about 0.0000017% of the world's population, or 1 in 500,000 people, make it to the Olympics and two Furman women are one spot away from that accomplishment. They are trailblazers for our program and a reference point for what it looks like to be absolute bosses and represent the Girl Gang with class," said a proud Coach Rita Gary.
It will certainly be exciting to continue to follow the journeys of this trio of Furman alumni.
Call out: Join the November 2, 2024 Cross Country/Track Alumni Day to cheer at the Southern Conference Championships to reminisce about the Olympic Trials and more.
