Success starts with the mind and St. Edward’s new cross country head coach Chase Rathke understands this well. When a team has championship hopes, the mindset of its athletes matters just as much as the physical training.

“That’s the beauty of cross country, you don’t need a whole lot of resources,” Rathke said “You just need the right culture, the right coach, and then, you got to get the right kids in here who believe in those things, and we can get to work.” 

The consensus among the team felt unanimous: Rathke is the right coach, and he’s bringing a championship mentality to St. Edward’s.

Rathke already has experience winning championships at this level, both as an athlete himself at Tarleton State University and as an assistant coach at both University of Texas at Tyler and his alma mater. During his second stint at Tarleton State University, he was thrust into the interim head coaching role midway through the 2023 season. 

“It was a lot to take in, but it was amazing,” Rathke said. “It helped me learn how to take the reins.”. He spoke avidly about how excited he is to take the skills he learned and apply them here. 

Assistant coach Antwain Morgan, known by the team as coach Mo, has been with the team for three years now. He’s seen a lot carry over in the coaching philosophies from the previous head coach Steven Cary, to the new coach, but he also noted a slight shift in the energy around the team. 

“The expectation, the standards have gone up,” Morgan said, “When we go places and compete we expect to win. No matter what the odds are, whatever it says on paper, we expect to do well.” 

He tells me that this expectation starts in training, and in recruiting.“I don’t know any student athlete that comes in saying they want to get last place” he jokes. “We look for passion first and foremost. Are they someone running for our program just because they want a scholarship? Or are they someone that wants to push the envelope?” The cross country athletes all highlighted how motivational he is. 

“He’s very straightforward with wanting his team to perform at a high level,” said Eric Carmona, who highlighted how organized the new coach was. 

The cross country team wakes up at the crack of dawn to practice, and they spend every day of the week running. But just as important as getting their reps in is their approach to racing: putting one foot in front of the other and pushing themselves to the limit. Whether it’s after a win or a loss, there is an emphasis on self improvement; players are being taught how to compete with themselves, as well as their competitors.

The Hilltoppers had a successful season last year: finishing second place in the conference. That said, they want to take the next step this year and win the championship. Sophomore Parker Stevens shared insight on Rathke’s methods for getting his athletes to aim for the top. When the preseason rankings for the Lone Star conference came out, St. Edward’s was ranked fourth. “He sent the picture to the team group chat and basically told us ‘Hey, these guys don’t think y’all are where y’all were last year. Let’s go prove them wrong,’’ Stevens said. “I liked that.” Stevens described how, even though a practice may be scheduled for 6:30 a.m., the team is expected to show up by 6:20: “If you’re not early, you’re late.”

But there’s more to Rathke than training programs and championship mindsets. Stevens said that he’s able to go to his coach’s office to talk about anything, not just cross country. 

“He’s been very competitive and also very kind,” Stevens said. “I mean, I’ve gone to his office many times to talk about whatever, it’s nice to have that open dialogue.” 

For Rathke, seeing growth in his athletes as human beings is just as important as winning races. Emphasizing that the thing he wants all the athletes on his team to take away from their time on his team is that they will have a home here at St. Edward’s, long after they graduate.

Outside of coaching, Rathke is a father to a toddler of two. It’s changed my perspective a lot. It’s changed my coaching philosophy,” Rathke said. “It’s helped me become more aware. It’s helped me become more understanding.” 

The championship mindset is in full swing and the Hilltopper cross country team is already fully bought in, and ready to compete this season.