Breheny sets sights on reaching nationals with Simpson

INDIANOLA — Because of the pandemic, many college athletes were afforded an extra year of eligibility, so 2017 Nodaway Valley graduate Shane Breheny is excited to make the most of that fifth year he’ll have this year in college cross country and track and field.

Breheny ran at Southwestern Community College for his first two seasons, then transferred to Simpson College.

The son of John and Leisa Breheny, he was a four-timer in qualifying for state cross country in high school, was a three-time all-state selection and was a member of the first two of three consecutive Wolverine teams to win the state championship.

At the junior college ranks, Breheny was honorable mention all-region one year and was an All-American Scholar. He was first team academic all-region with the Spartans, too.

In his junior season with Simpson in 2019, after graduating from SWCC, Breheny was 49th in the conference meet and his season best time was 26:11.90. Breheny said an adjustment all college runners have to make is that they run an 8K race instead of the high school distance of 5K.

“It was a pretty cool transition, going from team to team,” Breheny said. “There have been a lot of different trainings we’ve done. Some of it is new trainign for me I hadn’t done at Nodaway Valley or SWCC. It’s unique to come from Nodaway Valley where we were very, very successful and a top of the line team, but it’s also unique seeing all the different training you can do. It’s the same result in the end, just a different methodology or approach to it.”

Having reached the upper echelons of college cross country, making it to nationals while at SWCC, Breheny hopes to get there this season with the Storm.

“I definitely want to make varsity and make it to nationals in NCAA Division III. If I could make it to nationals with the team, that would be a really cool experience,” he said. “Right now I’m at about 50 miles a week. I want to get up to 65 or 70 here during the season, and I’m working up to that slowly. Time goals, I want to break 26 minutes in the 8K.”

Other members of Simpson’s team from this region include Cale Billheimer, Clay Billheimer and Noah Nelsen of Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center and Loudon Foster of West Central Valley.

Simpson College starts its mens cross country season Sept. 3 in a meet at home in Indianola.

Other cross country runners from Nodaway Valley now competing college are Joshua Baudler at Southwestern Community College and Sophia Broers at Wartburg College. They will be featured later in the season.