After becoming the 13th Bulldog to win the Missouri Valley Cross Country Championship and placing seventh at the NCAA Midwest Regionals, Drake University senior Reed Fischer is now on his way to compete in the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 19 in Terre Haute, Ind. Fischer's 10k championship race starts at 11 a.m.
 
"It's a gratifying feeling winning the MVC title and qualifying for the NCAAs, but it is also something that gives me a sense of relief," Fischer said. "It's good to see all my hard work pay off and know there is more to come."
 
Fischer completed the 10k course at NCAA Midwest Regionals, his first of the season, with an impressive time of 30:29.8. But if you ask him, he would say he did not picture himself in this position his first year at Drake.
 
"To be completely honest, I never thought I would a two-time NCAA qualifier when I was a freshman," Fischer said. "In the last two years, it has become more of an expectation for me and coach Dan Hostager than a goal. But this past season has been the first time I was confident I could make it to the NCAAs."
 
In high school, Fischer qualified twice for the state championship and said he was good, but not as good as his present success would indicate. He points to coach Hostager as being "the man when it comes to training guys like me." As much as coach Hostager has taken over his training and helped him develop, there are also a number of upperclassmen who are now graduated that set a path for Fischer, which he is trying to continue setting for the underclassmen.
 
Fischer also attributes a lot of his success and determination to the overarching support the Drake Athletic Department offers.
 
"I think the biggest thing is that this is a place that fosters success and makes you want to be as good as you can be," Fischer said. "When I won conference, Sandy Hatfield Clubb sent me an email congratulating me. It's the little acts of support like that, along with the Bulldog way, that all pile onto each other and help lead you to success."
 
Traveling to Terre Haute, Ind., Fischer will run against, as he describes, "the cream of the crop." Fischer sees himself finishing in the top 40 and bringing home All-America honors, which would be the first for Drake since 1981.
 
"It's basically the peak of college running," Fischer said of the NCAA Cross Country Championships. "It's a little nerve-racking knowing you are going to race guys who have multiple NCAA titles to their names. But at the same time, it is very exciting because I think I can be one of those guys who makes a name for himself in a race like this."
 
Unlike other sports, most of the preparation for a race like this has been at the beginning of the season and built upon previous seasons. The best way to prepare now is to stay relaxed and let your body recover. Fischer says his junior year was when he focused on grinding workouts and working hard on his performance. This year, he has taken a different approach to the season.
 
"This year, I tried coming at the season with a more 'don't take things for granted' attitude," Fischer said. "I have been focused on making running fun again because I keep telling myself that this could potentially be my last race, so if it is, I might as well enjoy it."
 
But, his goals won't keep him from competing. With indoor and outdoor track seasons ahead, Fischer and Hostager both agree they will be big seasons. Fischer has his sights set on the Drake record book with the goal of recording new records in the indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters and the outdoor 5,000 and 10,000 meters.
 
"I want to get a bid to the national championships for the indoor 5k and I want to get back to the NCAAs for the outdoor 10k," Fischer said. "The ultimate goal, which is pretty lofty but I think is in the realm of possibility, is competing in the USA Track and Field Championships next summer. That would be after I graduate, but I'm hoping I will be able to run it in a Drake uniform."