Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Athletic programs that are consistently successful are said to have strong tradition.  

The Regina cross country program has had more than enough success to earn that reputation.

Since legendary coach Bob Brown started the cross country program at Regina in 1987 the Regals have reached the state meet 21 times, winning eight titles.

At Regina, tradition is about more than just winning. It’s about carrying on the things that Brown founded the program on.

First-year head coach Chris Murdock knows that as well as anyone.

“The tradition here, within this program is exceptional,” Murdock said. “It’s what Regina cross country is built upon.”

Murdock became just the third coach in program history when he took the reins of the program from long-time coach Chad Swope before this season.

New coaches often talk about changing cultures or making their own mark, Murdock is focused on carrying on a tradition.

“I think the big thing is that Chad and I are very close friends and I look up to him in a lot of ways,” Murdock said. “We’ve only had now three coaches in the history of the program and I don’t think I’d be where I am if I wasn’t fully bought in to where I started.

Swope ran for and coached with Brown, before taking over head coaching duties for the man who led the Regals to their first five state titles.

In 11 seasons leading the program Swope added three more titles to the Regina trophy cases.

With a new coach in place the traditions at Regina are still intact.

“He has kept all of the traditions alive,” Regina senior state qualifier Nathan Meyer said. “The huddle, the things we say it’s all still there. We may not have Chad coaching but the tradition is really strong here and Murdock knows that he’s part of the family and it’s been seamless.”

The signature mantra from Brown was ‘Nothing but your best’.

That line was one of the first things that Murdock asked of his new team as the season started.

Just as his predecessors did, Murdock will offer that phrase to Regina runners on Saturday before the state cross country meet at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

“I told them at the beginning of the year if you give nothing but your best, I will do anything for you,” Murdock said. “I think they’ve bought into that.”

Just like Swope, Murdock leads both the boys and girls teams at Regina.

In his first season Murdock directed the Regina girls back to the state meet after a one-year absence.

For veteran runners like junior Molly Vittetoe and sophomore Kennedy Scott the coaching swap has gone smoothly.

“It hasn’t really changed that much,” Vittetoe said. “He has kept up a lot of the traditions that coach Swope had. It makes it nice and it’s been easy to flow with the change.”

Scott, who was an individual state qualifier last year in Swope’s final season as head coach said working with Murdock and current assistant coach Abbie Gould in past seasons as assistant coaches took away possible adjustment period.

“He was an assistant coach last year so he was very involved,” Scott said of Murdock. “I think coach Murdock and Chad and Abbie all have a lot of similar qualities and coach the same and that helps.”

Regina has hit its stride at the right time.  

The Regals were unranked five weeks into the season but enter the Class 2A meet on Saturday ranked sixth.

Regina was runner-up to second-ranked Monticello at the state qualifying meet last week.

Meyer joins freshman Anthony Knepper as individual qualifiers for the Regina boys.

A three-time state qualifier, Meyer enters ranked No. 15 in Class 2A and seeking the first medal of his career.

Meyer admitted the thought of a new coach was odd but has flourished in his senior season under Murdock.

“Obviously Chad stepping down was a huge thing because he is the link to Bob Brown and he has been here through the whole thing so him leaving is a big thing but we are in good hands with Coach Murdock,” Meyer said. “At the beginning it was a little strange but once the season got rolling it’s a cross country season and we have a dang good coach on our side.”