Men's Cross Country
Carl Sandburg College has had individuals run cross country on and off since 1971. In 2005, the program was rejuvenated. The following year, the Chargers' Shane Curry and Wesley Brandenburg qualified for the NJCAA Division I national championship meet. In 2007, Curry returned to the national meet along with Zach Yeager, who was the first and only Region IV individual champion in program history. In 2009, Wes Anderson and Joe Shepherd qualified for the national championship meet, which was held in Peoria. Home meets are held at Lake Storey Park, on the north border of the Main Campus in Galesburg.
Name |
Year |
Hometown |
High School |
| Andrew Cation | Fr. | Yates City, Ill. | Farmington |
| Nathan Cutts | So. | Oneida, Ill. | ROWVA |
| Gunner Goff | Fr. | Knoxville, Ill. | Knoxville |
| Andrew Hand | So. | Woodhull, Ill. | AlWood |
| Preston Hook | So. | Galesburg, Ill. | Galesburg |
| Dixon Kiptoo | So. | Eldoret, Kenya | Kipsangui Boys |
| Ryan Monson | Fr. | Aledo, Ill. | Mercer County |
| Jesus Oliver | Fr. | Monmouth, Ill. | Monmouth-Roseville |
| Andres Ramirez | Fr. | Monmouth, Ill. | United |
| Kevin White | So. | Carthage, Ill. | Illini West |
Head coach: Rodney Blue
Assistant coaches: Anastasia Beetler, Gene Beetler, Dylan Brooks, Cameron Woodbury
Date |
Time |
Event |
Course |
Location |
Result |
| Saturday, Aug. 24 | W: 10:30 a.m. M: 11:15 a.m. |
Sauk Valley (dual) | Sauk Valley CC | Dixon | Recap |
| Friday, Aug. 30 | W: 5 p.m. M: 5:45 p.m. |
WIU Early Bird | Spring Lake Park | Macomb | 4th |
| Friday, Sept. 13 | W: 5 p.m. M: 5:45 p.m. |
Aurora Spartan Classic | Oakhurst Forest Preserve | Aurora | 3rd |
| Friday, Sept. 20 | W: 5 p.m. M: 5:45 p.m. |
Bradley Intercollegiate | Detweiller Park | Peoria | 15th |
| Friday, Oct. 4 | W: 4:30 p.m. M: 5:15 p.m. |
Augustana Brissman-Lundeen Invitational | Saukie Golf Course | Rock Island | 23rd |
| Saturday, Oct. 12 | W: 10:30 a.m. M: 11:30 a.m. |
St. Ambrose Fighting Bee Invitational | Crow Creek Park | Bettendorf, Iowa | 5th |
| Saturday, Oct. 19 | W: 10:30 a.m. M: 11:15 a.m. |
Sauk Valley Invite | Sauk Valley CC | Dixon | |
| Saturday, Oct. 26 | W: 11 a.m. M: Noon |
Region IV Championship | Sandburg | HOME | |
| Saturday, Nov. 9 | TBA | NJCAA Division I Nationals | UNM North Golf Course | Albuquerque, N.M. |
Head Coach
Rodney Blue
rblue@sandburg.edu
309.341.5250
Rodney Blue was hired as the Carl Sandburg College cross country coach in February 2015.
Blue has 25 years of coaching experience, with time spent at the elementary, junior high, high school and college levels. He spent the 2011-2012 seasons with the Chargers as an assistant, and he was an assistant for Knox College’s track teams during the spring 2012 season.
Blue spent 2008-2010 as the head coach of the Galesburg junior high cross country program, and his 2010 girls team recorded the only undefeated season in its history. As sprint coach for the Galesburg High School boys track and field team during the 2008-2009 seasons, Blue helped the Silver Streaks finish fourth in Class 2A at the 2009 state meet. Their 4x400-meter relay also set a school record and was the state runner-up that year.
Prior to his time in the Galesburg area, Blue was an assistant at East Moline United Township High School from 1999-2002, aiding the Panthers’ boys track teams as well as the boys and girls cross country programs. He also spent time as a coach at the elementary level in the Rock Island/Milan School District.
An accomplished runner in his own right, Blue held the 400-meter record at GHS for 20 years and finished 10th in the event at the 1976 state meet. He also helped set school records in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 during his high school career and was inducted into the GHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.
Assistant Coaches
Anastasia Beetler, Gene Beetler, Dylan Brooks, Cameron Woodbury