SWCC phasing out running programs

After seasons of declining numbers and five years without any female cross country runners, Southwestern Community College announced they are beginning to phase out the college’s running programs.

In 2006, Bill Huntington, the current Lenox High School principal, began the cross country program at SWCC. Six years later, he would launch the track and field program.

In 2019, Creston native and decorated runner Scott Vicker began as an assistant cross country coach. He is now the director of the cross country and track and field programs.

Though the numbers have been small, the mens cross country program has been strong over the past few years. This season, two local runners, East Union alum Jacob Driskill and Creston alum Brandon Briley, qualified for the national championships.

In the 2025 season, the team finished 22nd at the national championships, three local runners on the roster — Driskill, Briley and Creston alum Dillon Starlin.

Chase Oates of Columbia Heights, Minnesota, made a splash in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, finishing his career with a 21st-place finish at nationals in 2023.

And yet, numbers for the program have hovered around five to six runners for several years.

“After several years of attempts to increase the rosters of both the men’s and women’s cross country and the men’s and women’s track and field teams, a decision has been made to begin phasing out these programs,” SWCC said in a statement Thursday. “The college continuously evaluates its academic and athletic programs to ensure operational efficiency and program viability.”

Though the 2026 mens track and field roster sits at eight athletes, the team has averaged 12-20 runners through the last five or more years. Last year, they had two national championship performances in the top 16 as Jedd Weinkoetz of Panora finished 11th in javelin and the 4x800m relay team of Starlin, Briley, Zach Roome and Cam Swapsy finishing 15th.

In 2023, the women sent two to the national championships, Brianna Osterson in the javelin and Molly Venteicher in the shot put, hammer throw and the javelin. It was a successful year as the program in total sent seven qualifying events. The women’s team is smaller, averaging three to five athletes through the previous years.

“The college has not fielded full rosters for its cross country or track and field teams in recent years, and during the past five years, no female student-athletes have participated in cross country,” the statement reads. “The running programs will be gradually phased out between now and the conclusion of the 2026-27 academic year. This will allow the opportunity for current student-athletes to complete their academic and athletic goals at Southwestern.”

The decision has been complicated by the recent addition of sports shooting and wrestling as sports for the college, as well as low numbers in other sports.

In the 2022-23 season, the women’s basketball program fielded a roster of just five athletes, allowing them no substitutions. The team played with just four girls for a portion of a game due to an injury. The team has had 10 athletes the past two seasons.

“These decisions are never easy, but as with academic programs, community colleges are ever-changing and are designed to ebb and flow based on regional needs,” SWCC stated.