One dedicated New Mexico runner is going out a champion, both literally and figuratively, putting the finishing touches on a storybook ending to a decorated collegiate career.
Not many athletes could claim the success that distance runner Courtney Frerichs has enjoyed this past year.
She was an integral part of the New Mexico 2015 Cross Country National Championship team, where her fiancé dropped to a knee and proposed after the win. She said yes.
She added an individual national championship, setting a new collegiate record on her way to winning the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Last year, Frerichs made the decision to leave the University of Missouri-Kansas City and transfer to New Mexico. She was already a 2-time All-American and runner-up at the Outdoor National Championships, but had just begun scratching the surface of her success.
One factor that might have contributed to Frerichs heading to UNM was the hiring of James Butler, her UM-KC cross country coach. Butler said although Frerichs followed him to Albuquerque, he thinks what convinced her was the chance to be around athletes that had similar goals and aspirations.
He said Frerichs doesn’t get rattled by being on a big stage, and was a calming presence for the other women on the team.
Butler said “racing for something bigger than yourself” is a mantra head coach Joe Franklin really drove home, and the team seemed to buy in.
“Coach Franklin had being preaching all year that the sum is greater than the parts,” Butler said. “I think one of the reasons the cross country team was so successful was that it did take the pressure off the individual.”
Butler said Frerichs told him that she was much less stressed competing in cross country last year compared to the previous fall because she knew she was part of something special.
And as if winning a national title wasn’t special enough, her fiancé, Griffin Humphreys, made it even more memorable.
“Everyone kind of knew he was going to propose at some point,” he said. “It made a special moment…unforgettable for her.”
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Butler said Humphreys, also a track and field athlete, might have had as much influence on Frerichs as anyone. He said the two got the chance to build their relationship while training together during steeplechase practice at UMKC.
He said Humphreys told Frerichs she had a gift, and she needed to make the most of it.
Although Frerichs helped the team win the first national championship in program history, and the second for New Mexico overall, track and field was not her first love.
Butler said Frerichs is a big gymnastics enthusiast, and is a huge fan that follows the sport closely. It may have taken a while, but he said she no longer thinks of herself as a gymnast that runs; she thinks of herself as a runner that loves gymnastics.
Butler said another thing Frerichs is passionate for is coffee. He said she is basically a fanatic and has probably been to every coffee shop in Albuquerque by now.
He said one thing that might make her a little unique is what she isn't interested in.
“She doesn’t really watch movies,” Butler said. “I think the only ones I’ve ever even heard her talk about are 'Stick it,' which is a gymnastics movie, and 'Bridesmaids.'”
Another unique quality of Frerichs' is that she was introduced to the sport fairly late. Butler said she has only been training a short period of time compared to most athletes, and still has a lot of potential for growth.
She has made significant improvements from year to year. She qualified for regionals as a freshman and earned a second place finish in the women’s steeplechase last year — something Frerichs said has motivated her since.
Frerichs capped her college career by running a nearly flawless race at the 2016 National Outdoor Championships in the women’s steeplechase. She quickly jumped into the lead and never looked back.
She said she knew she was running a good pace, but didn’t really realize how close she was until Franklin yelled out to her that the record was in reach with about 500 meters to go.
“When he said that, it gave me a lot of confidence and I pushed really hard that last lap,” Frerichs said. “The crowd at Hayward is absolutely amazing and kind of gives you an extra boost.”
Franklin said she is a very determined and focused athlete. She had a goal and did everything in her power to reach it, he said.
“It’s very rare when the stars align like they have, and they truly have for Courtney,” Franklin said. “Her last year has been amazing.”
Frerichs said she has really appreciated her time at New Mexico. Her performances and achievements during her time as a Lobo have helped bolster an already successful program and put her in a good position for post-collegiate success.
“Even though I’ve only been here for a year, UNM has given me a lot. It’s been so much fun and I couldn’t think of a better way to go out,” Frerichs said. “It’s the perfect ending…for this chapter.”
Frerichs’ individual national championship was the first in the women’s program history and helped New Mexico to its best ever finish in the overall standings as well.
Now she will be vying for a spot on the women’s steeplechase national team for the 2016 Summer Olympics. She set the NCAA record for the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at 9:24.41, which was the third best mark in the United States at the time.
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
