OLEAN — When Emma Redlecki finished up her final cross country race at Clymer Central School, she figured she was done with the sport for good.

Then, she heard nearby SUNY Jamestown Community College was starting a cross country program in 2020, and everything changed.

“I was really excited,” Redlecki said. “I love the sport, even though it hurts sometimes, and was happy that I would get to continue running in college.”

Redlecki not only ran — she ran well for coach Sydney Beeman. As a freshman, she was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 3 team and placed fifth at the regional championship.

“I'm not the fastest runner, so being able to run to the best of my ability and be the first to ever race those times felt good because there was nothing to compare myself to,” Redlecki said. “It made the season more fun.”

Redlecki attributed much of her success to Beeman, a 2019 St. Bonaventure University graduate who competed in cross country and track for the Bonnies.

When Beeman was hired as JCC’s first cross country coach last June, she was met with the tall task of recruiting student-athletes to a new program amid COVID-19 restrictions. On top of that, there was much uncertainty about what the fall schedule would look like.

“This was a tough year to start a new program with the pandemic and many sporting events getting cancelled,” she said. “Fortunately, we were lucky enough to be able to compete in a couple of cross country meets in the fall.”

Now in year two, Beeman is looking to grow a team that consisted of two runners during the 2020 season. Seven meets are scheduled this fall, with the possibility of more being added.

“We are hoping that we can get back to normal come the 2021 season,” Beeman said. “We have some incoming freshmen that will contribute right away, but I would like to add a few more for our men’s and women’s team. If anyone has run cross country or track, we have a home for you for the next two years right here at JCC.”

Redlecki has lofty aspirations for herself and the team.

“I would like for us to become more of a competitor and make a bit of a name for ourselves,” she said. “Every team was a bit slower than they usually are last season because of the circumstances, so it'll be really fun to see what changes this season.”

JCC launched its cross country program in June 2020 at its Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean. Beeman believes the new opportunity to be a stepping stone for student-athletes who wish to go onto a four-year institution, more specifically St. Bonaventure, through the JCC + SBU Plus Program.

“Being a St. Bonaventure alumna, this is a fantastic opportunity to attend two incredible institutions,” Beeman said. “This program allows students to attend JCC while living on the SBU campus while being involved with the on-campus activities and finish out their academics as a Bonnie.”

Beeman had a decorated collegiate career in cross country and track and field. With her knowledge of what it takes to compete at the highest college level, Beeman has the right mindset to help student-athletes achieve their goals.

“This could be a great opportunity for our student-athletes,” Beeman said. “As a coach, you want to see your athletes reach their potential, which can open up doors for them, and athletics can help in that regard.”

JCC’s pair of 2020 runners, Redlecki and Jackson Vanstrom, produced solid first seasons and are set to return to the JCC roster. Vanstrom, a graduate of Southwestern Central School, picked up two top-10 invitational finishes.

The results were promising, especially with COVID protocols that limited one team to the running course at a time.

“It was a huge challenge helping to keep athletes motivated during competition because they were running alone,” Beeman said. “Not only were they not able to run against other teams, but we didn’t have the numbers for them to compete against teammates.”

As a way to get the most out of Redlecki and Vanstrom, Beeman trained alongside them. 

“I did my best keeping Jackson and Emma motivated with the lack of teammates,” Beeman said. “Going out there to train with my team, I believe, gave them that extra gear that they can race and compete at a high level.”

Redlecki appreciates her coach’s support.

“I really enjoyed running for Coach Beeman,” she said. “She is very good at taking the runner's personal goals into account. I told her what I wanted from the sport and she let me work based on those goals without judgment. It was nice to have a coach that respects their runners' opinions.”

For more information about the JCC cross country program, contact Beeman at beemanse01@sunyjcc.edu.