Seventh in a series of stories highlighting the academic, community and personal achievements of University of Toledo student-athletes.
 
By Eric Raumen, University of Toledo Athletic Communications Intern

TOLEDO, Ohio –  Jacob Harris did not set out to be a leader when he started his track career, but in the end it was something he could not outrun.

Harris, a sophomore on the University of Toledo men's cross country team, has grown as a leader so much that he now plans on becoming a coach one day. That doesn't surprise his coaches or his teammates in the least.

"Jacob does not have a bold personality, but he inspires me to be a better runner," said teammate and roommate Jake Rethman. "Although he is one of the best runners on the team, he doesn't have an ego. Instead, he is very supportive and encouraging of all his teammates. He would make an excellent coach."

Added Toledo Assistant Coach Nick Stenuf, "Jacob holds himself to a higher level. He takes responsibility and ownership over all his results, and he runs more than any other person on the team. He not only runs with the men's team at practice, but also with the women's team. He is a very respected individual on both teams."

Even Harris' academic focus is related to his goals, both as a runner now and as a coach in the future. He is majoring in exercise science, something he feels will give him a better understand behind the training methods for cross country, as well as improve his performance. "I like majoring in exercise science because I get to learn the science behind the sport," he said.

Harris' dedication to his sport and to academics is paying off.

As a freshman, he qualified to compete for Team USA at the 2020 Pan Am Cross Country Cup in Victoria, Canada. Last fall, he earned first-team All-MAC honors after finishing in seventh place at the 2020 Mid-American Conference Men's Cross Country Championships on Nov. 21. He also holds a 3.743 GPA and was named to the 2020 Academic All-MAC team.

Interestingly, Harris' success at UToledo almost didn't happen. He had no plans to become a Rocket, but that changed after he was convinced to come to campus and get to know the Toledo coaches and student-athletes.

"Before my visit to campus, I was completely closed off to the idea of attending here," said Harris, who attended nearby Whitmer High School. "It was on my first visit that I fell in love with Toledo. No other school compared to the experience I had while visiting here."

Harris has built a particularly strong relationship with Stenuf, who recruits, coaches and mentors the men's cross country team. As an example, before qualifying for the Pan Am Cup, Harris was battling an injury and had not trained in over a month. Stenuf worked with him, resulting in a sixth-place finish at the USATF Cross Country Championship in San Diego in January of 2020, which qualified him for Team USA.
 
"After my injury in the fall, Nick helped me understand the recovery process which has allowed me to trust him as a coach," said Harris. "I completely trust everything that he tells me and his training processes. I feel as though the coaches focus on each one of us individually, and really try to help all of us meet our goals."

Though Harris did not finish among the leaders at the Pan Am Cup, he was energized by the experience of competing against some of the best runners in the hemisphere.

"Being able to have that experience motivates me to do better," said Harris.  "I prefer to have more pressure and higher expectations because it makes me perform better. Not winning motivates me more than winning, because I now know what will take for me to win."

"Jacob is a competitor," said Stenuf.  "No matter what, he is going to bring everything that he has to the race. He does not just focus on being the best guy on the team, he looks to see what it will take to be the top guy in the conference, in the region, and within the NCAA."

Though Harris is on track for a career in coaching, he hasn't lost sight of his current goals. He has two years left to improve on his finish at the MAC Championship Meet, and maybe help push his teammates along with him. No matter what happens before he graduates, he has a simple gauge for success during his time at UToledo.

 "I don't want to have any untapped potential."

Previous Stories

Feb. 24 - Tycen Anderson Draws Inspiration From His Grandmother
March 3 - Thailand Native Thawin Suksathaporn has found a home in Toledo
March 10 -  Freshmen Women's Tennis Players Take Aim at Medical School
March 17 - Lexa Bauer's Passion for Justice Leads Her Toward a Law Career
March 24 - Alexia Moehling on Track to Career as a Dentist
March 31 - Lauren Wegener Takes the Fast Lane