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| 2011 Saint Vincent cross country team with Coaches Snider and Herr |
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| Kevin proposes to Genie at 2014 Saint Vincent Alumni race |
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Kevin and Genie were married at the Saint Vincent Basilica in July 2015 |
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Kevin Wanichko
Saint Vincent College, Class of 2012
Men's cross country, track and field
Kevin earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Saint Vincent College in 2012 before earning a master's degree in sports management from California University of Pennsylvania in 2014. As a Bearcat runner he won three individual PAC championships (800 meters, 1500 meters twice, and 2011 cross country individual champion) and was a member of Saint Vincent's 2010 and 2011 cross country conference championship teams. He is in his second season as the head cross country and track and field coach at Chatham University.
Many people have asked me why I choose Division III after being a top runner in the state of North Carolina and declining many scholarship offers from Division I colleges and universities. It wasn't the easiest decision at the time, and many factors played a role that led me to Saint Vincent College. That difficult decision is something that I never reconsidered or regretted.
I was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the city where Saint Vincent is located. After spending most of my life in a place that I loved so much, my family relocated from Latrobe to North Carolina during my high school years. After graduating I knew that I wanted to run in college, but more importantly, I knew that I needed to find a college with a good academic reputation. I knew professional running was not in my future, so I needed to acquire a career at the time of graduation.
Saint Vincent could offer me everything that I wanted academically and athletically. I knew Saint Vincent had a great reputation academically and was a school that when graduation time came, I would land the business job I wanted. The cross country and track programs had promising futures and the teams were steadily getting better. I knew that I could be a runner that would put Saint Vincent's team over the hump and help take it to the next level. That was something that appealed to me: I wanted to be a part of something I would remember later in life and be able to share with teammates many years later.
Upon arriving to Saint Vincent in mid-August 2008 for cross country camp week, I knew I made the best decision of my life. Instantly I felt at home and began making friendships that would last a lifetime. I feel that it is harder to build strong relationships in a Division I setting due to competition between teammates for scholarships. Where as my experience in a Division III setting was friendly competition, not only with my own team, but through opposing conference runners as well.
I never could have dreamed how great my four years at Saint Vincent would have turned out from the day I stepped on campus, but so many special things happened in those four years. I can say I was privileged to run for two of the greatest coaches in my life, Dr. Andrew Herr and Steve Snider. These coaches were able to get the most out of me and make me the best runner and person I could have been. More importantly, they changed my life during those four years. They became father figures to me and are people I aspire to be most like in my daily life. During those four years we had many joyous moments, some laughs, and also some tears. I knew I could count on both of them to be right there for me when I needed something and they still are to this day.
During those four years there were countless memories and transformations. The biggest change for me was a true passion and love for running. I didn't always love running, actually I barely liked it at times, I just happened to be good at it. That all changed my junior year. I started to wonder more about the philosophies of training and paid more attention to the details my coaches were providing. That's when I started to consider getting into coaching myself. I wanted to change and inspire people the way my coaches changed and inspired me.
I told you about my biggest change while at Saint Vincent, but the greatest thing that happened to me during those years was meeting my best friend, Genie, whom I now have the honor of calling my wife. Cross country brought us close together and we bonded more and more each day during our time at Saint Vincent. Genie brought out the best of me and always pushed me to achieve my dreams. She is one of the biggest reasons I am coaching today: it was a dream she encouraged me to follow.
After graduating from Saint Vincent I followed my dream and took the next step to becoming a coach, volunteering while acquiring a master's degree in sports management. A month prior to receiving my masters I was fortunate to receive the call that my dream was about to become a reality. Chatham University offered me a position to be the head cross country and track and field coach. One of the best parts about being offered the job was it gave me the opportunity to stay in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, a conference I loved and believed in so much after participating in as a student-athlete for four years.
So what was the Division III experience to me? The greatest four years of my life. I learned so much, grew as a person and met lifelong friends. Many of the things I experienced at Saint Vincent wouldn't have happened elsewhere because I truly got a hands-on experience in the classroom and on the course from my coaches. I have my coaches, past teammates, and most importantly my wife to thank for helping me follow my dreams. Because of them, I have the privilege to do a job I love and pass on the great life lessons my coaches passed on to me.