Just days after finishing fourth in a 25-team meet that featured two squads ranked in the top 10 nationally, the men's cross country team received a shock yesterday with the announcement that Men's Distance Coach John Gregorek had decided to leave the track and field program.
"Obviously (Gregorek) has invested a lot in Brown University over the years," said Director of Track and Field Craig Lake. "Many people will be sad to see him go. We wish him nothing but the best. He has done a lot for the program."
Lake said that Gregorek - who had spent the past 12 years coaching at Brown, the last five as the head men's distance coach - informed her of his decision to resign on Monday. Lake addressed both the men's and women's cross country teams before practice on Tuesday. Gregorek then spoke to the men.
"He was pretty straightforward about it," said co-captain Owen Washburn '06. "I'm sure it was a tough decision for him, but he reminded us to stay focused on what our goals were and that we were really running for each other, and he didn't have to be there for us to make the commitment to each other that he always stressed to us."
According to Lake, Gregorek decided to leave for personal reasons, but she would not elaborate. Gregorek could not be reached for comment.
Until a replacement is found to fill the void left by Gregorek, Lake said she will coach both the men's and women's cross country teams. The move represents an increase in the involvement that Lake previously had with the men's squad, although it is a position she is accustomed to after serving as head coach of men's and women's cross country at Columbia before coming to Brown this year.
"Obviously, we'll look to find coaches that will help out and fill in as quickly as possible so recruiting transitions smoothly," Lake said.
For many athletes, Gregorek's decision to leave in the middle of the season came as a huge shock.
"We were surprised - it was pretty emotional," Washburn said. "A lot of us felt pretty devoted to him."
At the same time, Lake stressed that the Bears need to continue on with the season.
"I know this is hard news for the (team) to hear," she said. "But I hope we can move forward and achieve our goals. They were emotional of course - they have a lot of respect for John Gregorek - but the men were able to regroup and have a good workout afterwards, which is a good sign."
The men's cross country team has been off to an impressive start this season, finishing second behind Dartmouth in its opening race, then taking fourth at the Iona Meet of Champions last week, a competition that featured No. 3 University of Arkansas and No. 8 Iona College.
Gregorek has left an indelible mark on the University, having led the men's cross country squad to its first Heptagonal Championships title in 2003. He also coached numerous former Brown athletes to individual Heps titles in cross country, the 1,500-meter run, outdoor steeplechase and the 10,000-meter run.
Gregorek is himself an established runner. A 1982 graduate of Georgetown University, he made the U.S. Olympic Team in 1980 and 1984 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He was also the champion of the same event at the 1981 World University Games and the 1982 Indoor NCAA Championships.
Years later, Gregorek maintained his athletic prowess, capturing the Ocean State Marathon in 1995 with a time fast enough to qualify for his fifth Olympic Trials.
"He was the reason that I came to Brown," Washburn said of Gregorek. "I hope that he finds somewhere where he feels that he can do the job that he wants to do."
