Here we go again. The start of another school year, the first track practices, and our Go Johnnies Challenge fundraiser on Tuesday, September 15th. The beginning of the school year is always a little bittersweet for me. I’m sure I enjoy summer as much as the students. I spent a ton of time with my own children and now struggle to adjust to a new routine.
However, I do look forward to reconnecting with the team. I enjoy their stories of the summer: traveling, internships, or the random jobs to quickly make some money. I also enjoy adding in all the new team members. And this year, we added a lot of new faces. Cross country and track and field added 55 freshmen/transfer students. Besides quantity, this is a strong group of athletes who will contribute to the team’s success immediately. I will highlight some of the new athletes over the next couple of weeks.
Of course, a big influx of athletes puts a strain on the budget. As coaches, we have been asked to increase the team size to help with enrollment. As a result, we also need to fundraise more to cover those expenses. Each year, we rely more on your donations to continue to provide a positive team experience for our athletes. We ensure that all athletes benefit from your generosity. With our large roster, we have maintained the policy that all athletes travel and compete. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with cross country and track and field: Every athlete can see their progress and develop. They all contribute.
My biggest goal is to continue to develop all athletes who want a supportive team environment to develop and improve. Some of these athletes will win conference championships and qualify for the National Championships. Some are looking to simply qualify for the MIAC Championships. All are looking to improve. All are looking to benefit from being on a team and continuing with a sport they enjoy. Some will be surprised about how much they can improve during their four years in college and about how valuable this time is.
My ask for you is to “buy a seat on the bus.” Make sure we continue to provide a great experience for everyone willing to put in the hard training to improve and reach their goals. Even better, help us spread the word. Reach out to your teammates and encourage their participation. I would love to see some new faces supporting the Johnnies this year! All of the details are below.
Thank you,
Jeremy
It’s easy for you to make this campaign successful once again.
Simply donate to the challenge at www.gojohnnies.com/gjc26.
Become an Advocate for Johnnie track. You can help to encourage others to donate by pushing the campaign out on your social media accounts or contacting classmates and teammates to encourage them to donate. Learn more about becoming an advocate.
Consider making a matching gift to the campaign. These are used to encourage others to donate by matching their gift with an additional amount. You can set this up here.
Spread the word on social media by sharing the
gojohnnies.com/gjc26 link on your personal social media pages and invite others to support Johnnie track.
Thanks again for your support in the past. I hope you will join us again for the 2026 Go Johnnies Challenge!