The Blue Jays traveled to Lock Haven to compete in the 2026 Landmark Cross Country Championships. The team’s top finisher and the Conference Bronze Medalist Derek Kendig gave his thoughts on the leadup and outcome of the Conference meet and the upcoming Mid-Atlantic regional meet.
Merk: What was on your mind going into the race?
Kendig: I think I did as well as I could going into the race. I was sleeping and eating well. Well, I’m one of the favorites to win here. I was either going to be at the top or near the top. We’ve raced this course many times. I knew how the competition would race, so I had just had to prepare myself for what times I needed to hit.
Merk: The Moravian Greyhounds were your main competition. What did you think about them before the race?
Kendig: Their frontrunners have had mixed results throughout the season. We didn’t expect Logan Beyteman and Karl Andre to take us by surprise. If we get more guys in the 10-15 spot, we might have barely been able to eke them out, but they always have tough competition and come through when they need to.
We went into this race with 3 solid guys in front and four and five with a much narrower gap than we’ve had in the past few years. Despite how we stacked up, Moravian still managed to have several breakthrough performances that earned them the title.
Merk: What do you think about Coach Falk’s approach to science-based running this year?
Kendig: We’ve been on top of it this year. The Norwegian method has been proven to work. Professionals like [Jakob] Ingebrigtsen have made it mainstream, and it’s clear it is effective. I think that is one of the methods that is essential to moving forward as a team, because it will help develop younger athletes. It attacks the main problem most runners usually have, which is lactate tolerance.
Merk: What are your thoughts on the Rookie of the Year, Joshua Henshaw?
Kendig: Henshaw will be the champion next year. For now, I know he’s got his eyes set on my 5k title in Outdoor Track. He has a different take on the training needed to win, but his ability to race will make him a tough opponent.
Merk: How do you think the team will do at Regionals?
Kendig: Basically, one of our guys graduated and another came in to fill his shoes. We have a very strong region with Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, LVC, and Messiah. We should be ahead of Dickinson; we get one more shot at the Lock Haven course, and we’ll see if we can make something good happen.
The Blue Jays will travel to Lock Haven again on Saturday, Nov. 14 for the Mid-Atlantic Regional meet.
