Central Michigan University Athletics
Jeff Powers Feature
11/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
By John Denny
CMU Sports Information Student Assistant
As a young man, Jeff Powers looked up to his older brother Brian. Now, the Central Michigan University cross country and track star is finding the opposite true.
“My brother is my biggest fan and he always thinks I can race well,” said Powers. “I still look up to him, though.
“My brother’s the one that made me competitive. I always wanted to play with him and his friends. I had to be better than my age to play with the older kids.”
Powers’ family and fellow runners have always been big influences in his life.
“My family has always influenced me, just in the way that they lived and always supported me,” said Powers.
“My family goes to a lot of my races. They’re always checking to see how I’m doing with my running. My mom’s my hero. She’s had a pretty rough life and always maintains a positive attitude.”
He has also been influenced by his fellow runners, especially former Olympian Terry Brahm, director of Brahm’s Running Camps in Indiana where Powers has worked.
Now those influences have paid off as the senior from Franklin, Ind., is captain of both the cross country and track teams at CMU.
“As captain I have to keep people motivated and make sure that they’re doing what they’re supposed to,” Powers said.
“My coach in high school, Doug Drenth, forced me and a few other guys on the team into a leadership role and it stuck with us. We won a state championship because of that leadership. Drenth was a big part of Powers decision to come to CMU as two of the coach’s brothers have ties to the school. Ward Drenth was an assistant and then head coach at CMU from 1985-1990 and his brother Jeff Drenth was an All-American runner at CMU prior to his tragic death while training for the Olympics in 1986.
“Jeff is a great role model,” said CMU cross country coach Craig Fuller. “He has really learned to lead. He was molded from some of our former runners.”
Currently, the psychology major is preparing for the NCAA Regionals this weekend. According to coach Fuller, Powers has a good chance of qualifying for the national meet as an individual if the team fails to qualify as a whole. Fuller also feels has a shot at being an All-American.
“What he needs now is to run fast at the right times to get the recognition he deserves,” said Fuller. “He’s come a long way from his freshman year. Right now, he has about the third fastest 5,000m in school history. Jeff has gotten better every year and I think he might go after the 5,000m record.”
Among Powers’ current accomplishments are winning the 10,000m at the 2005 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Track Championships, winning the 5,000m and the 3,000m at the 2006 MAC Indoor Track Championships and winning the 2006 Great American Cross Country Race in Hoover, Ala., an event in which the CMU cross country team also won.
After his graduation next spring, Powers would like to take his running career to the professional level.
However, if that doesn’t work out, he is keeping his options open.
“I’d like to go into collegiate coaching,” said Powers, “but I’m open to anything.”
