Men's Cross Country and Track Couldn't Run From Cuts, Despite Academic Accolades

With both his parents University of Maryland alumni, O’Leary was raised as a Terps fan, watching basketball games on TV and on campus with his family. He initially wanted to play basketball until he realized he was a runner.

So, when O’Leary was recruited as a walk-on to the cross country and track and field teams at UMd. in 2010, it looked as though he was getting all he’d hoped for.  However, after only one season on the teams, O’Leary, a sophomore marketing major, learned on Monday that the men’s cross country and track and field programs are in an effort to bring the university’s athletic program out of the red.

The team worked hard to rally support for their program, starting a Facebook page that has more than 13,000 members and a petition with more than 3,000 signatures. Unfortunately, this was not enough to save them, and it became clear to the team sometime late last week that their program was unlikely to be saved. The final word from university President Wallace Loh was still hard for O’Leary to hear on Monday.

“To have had my life goals just taken from me,” he said.

The men’s running program at UMd. has a long history, dating back to 1923. The track and field team boasts eight NCAA championships and more than 50 ACC titles.

Perhaps even more impressive than the team’s athletics are their academic accomplishments. UMd.’s track and field and cross country programs have a combined graduation rate of 90 percent — one of the highest for the university’s entire athletic program.

The men’s cross country team has also been the recipient of the President’s Cup, an award given to the team with the highest cumulative GPA over two consecutive semesters, in five of the last 15 years.

However, as was noted by the University Senate Executive Committee in their report to University President Wallace Loh, team academics were not a consideration when deciding which teams to eliminate from the athletic program.

There is some hope for the men’s running program.  They, along with the other eliminated programs will be given if they are able to raise eight years of operating funds by this coming summer.

The men’s cross country and track teams, which have been partnered with acrobatics and tumbling, will have to raise about $9.5 million to continue their programs.

O’Leary doesn’t feel this goal is insurmountable, and is hopeful that the alumni that have been so supportive over the past few weeks will be able to support the team financially as well.

If they are unable to raise the funds to save the men’s running program, O’Leary said his future at UMd. is uncertain, though he’s still going to work to have a great track season.

“My main goal for the rest of the year is to not let the current situation affect me and keep working on getting faster, regardless of where or if I compete next year,” he said.