Joe Beery Saves His Best for Last

Hatter Senior Shatters School Record at ASUN Championship

When Stetson University senior runner Joe Beery stepped to starting line of his final ASUN Men's Cross Country Championship race this past Saturday in Spartanburg, S.C., he had a feeling something memorable was about to happen.

"Going into this race, I felt really good," Beery said. "I felt better than I've felt all season. It was all just kind of clicking. Even on the starting line, I was ready to go. I was just ready to do something special."

Beery got off to a strong start, even by his standards, running the first mile in 4:50. He then hit the 2-mile mark at 10:05 and the 3-mile mark at 15:15. It was there that head coach Bryan Harmon told Beery he was in 15th place. Beery responded with a slight head nod and decided it was time to start making his move.

"It's funny, because it reminded me of my last cross country race in high school," Beery said. "I felt really good, and at the 2-mile mark I gave my coach a nod, and they were surprised I was coherent enough to do that. This was the same way. It didn't feel like I was being thrown through a race like it normally does. I felt like I was in control. I really felt like I was in the driver's seat this whole race."

Beery started passing one runner after another, and over the final two miles, he climbed all the way to ninth place in the competition. That earned him a spot on the all-conference second team, making him the first Stetson men's cross country runner to earn all-conference honors. In addition, his time of 25:36.92 shattered his own school record for fastest 8K race by 49 seconds.

Which of those two accomplishments was Beery most proud of?

"They are both really cool, but probably making all-conference," Beery said. "The school record can rise and fall, but I will always have the all-conference honor. Obviously both are a product of great coaches and great teammates. It takes a village to raise a runner."

Beery was not the only Hatter to have a career race on Saturday. Three other Hatters recorded PRs, and all six runners on the team posted season-best times. As a result, the Hatters placed sixth in the team standings, marking their highest finish in 29 years.

"The whole week leading up to the race, I told the guys, 'Give us (seniors) a going away present,'" Beery said. "I told them to run their hearts out, and all of them did. It was awesome. It was a good way to wrap up the season and really set up this next phase of Stetson cross country."

The season is not quite over for Beery, as he and Brianne Boldrin, Clarissa Consol, and Laurie Scott from the women's team will compete at the NCAA South Region Championship on Nov. 11 in Tallahassee, Fla. Beery will run a 10K race, something the Hatter men have not done since 1991.

"I am so excited," Beery said. "It is something I have been hungry to do for a long time, and now I finally have that opportunity. It is just a really hard race, and it can destroy you if you are not ready for it. For the first time ever, I am physically capable, mentally capable, and I have the chance to go out there and do something special."

Beery's successes on the cross country course mirror his achievements in the classroom. Already a two-time ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American, Beery is working toward completing a double major in Philosophy and Russian Studies this Spring. He has maintained a 3.99 cumulative GPA and was named the Stetson Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2015.

Beery says after graduation he plans to go to law school but has not made his school selection yet. He hopes to work in international law for organizations like International Justice Mission or Amnesty International, working with victims of poverty based oppression or human trafficking.

In the meantime, Beery continues to practice every morning in preparation for the upcoming NCAA South Region Championship as he looks to take down yet another school record. However, when he does eventually reach the finish line of his undergraduate career, Beery says he will always cherish his time at Stetson.

"It has been great," Beery said. "I met a lot of really interesting and intelligent people, professors included. I have built relationships here that I think are going to last a long time. Stetson made it possible for me to go to Oxford for a semester, which was an unforgettable and meaningful experience. I met my wife McKenzie here. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Stetson."

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Players Mentioned

Joe Beery: Senior

Brianne Boldrin: Senior

Clarissa Consol: Senior

Laurie Scott: Senior

Players Mentioned

Joe Beery
: Senior

Brianne Boldrin
: Senior

Clarissa Consol
: Senior

Laurie Scott
: Senior

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Joe Beery Saves His Best for Last

Hatter Senior Shatters School Record at ASUN Championship

Players Mentioned

Joe Beery

Brianne Boldrin

Clarissa Consol

Laurie Scott

Players Mentioned

Joe Beery

Brianne Boldrin

Clarissa Consol

Laurie Scott