Photo: St. Bonaventure Athletics
BY ANDREW HALE, SPORTS EDITOR
Clay Peets has made his mark on St. Bonaventure University’s cross-country and track programs.
As a freshman, Peets set program records in outdoor track in the 3000-meter and 5000-meter dashes. He established the 5000-meter record at that year’s Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships.
During the 2021-22 season, Peets also became the first Bonnies cross-country student-athlete, men’s or women’s, to earn A-10 weekly awards three times in a single season.
In his sophomore campaign, Peets set a new school cross-country record in four straight meets, running a personal record 5K in the Little Three Championship and a best 8K at the Canisius Classic.
Entering his third season, Peets has his sights set on another big year.
“I definitely want All-Conference this year for cross country,” said Peets. “I’m from Ohio, and conference meet’s in Ohio, so I think that’d be awesome to do. The only record that I really want now is probably that indoor mile record. It’s been around forever.”
In the first meet of the 2023 cross-country season, Peets set a men’s school and course record by winning the individual 5K title at the Little Three Championship.
While Peets has displayed his talent on the track, it wasn’t necessarily athletics that led him to Bonaventure.
“Academics is what mainly brought me here,” said Peets. “I’m a Jandoli student in sports media, and [St. Bonaventure] had a really good program. [St. Bonaventure] was just a very attractive school academically.”
In 2022, 13 St. Bonaventure sports teams surpassed an average GPA of 3.0 during the spring semester, according to the St. Bonaventure Athletics website.
“I try to get over a 3.5 GPA every semester,” said Peets. “Even in middle and high school, I prioritized academics just as much as my sport, and I prioritize my sport very highly. Those two kind of work together.”
When Peets was a freshman, he leaned on some of the veteran runners for advice as he transitioned from high school to college athletics.
“John Pullano, who was a senior captain when I was a freshman, told me some really good things about life in general. He was a really good leader for our team,” said Peets.
“Darion Gregory was a top runner on our team my freshman and sophomore year, and he was just ‘Mr. Consistent,’” said Peets. “You knew what you were getting from him. He told me the value of being someone who ‘When you step on the line, you’re racing. Know what you’re going to get. When your teammates realize that this kid is going to bring it, that kind of radiates to the rest of the team.’”
As a junior, Peets looks to follow in the footsteps of Pullano and Gregory, serving as a role model for younger runners.
“I want to be remembered as a good teammate, and someone who filled a lot of roles not only as a good runner, but you know, made people laugh and made people enjoy being around me,” said Peets.
Before Peets finishes his career at St. Bonaventure next year, he looks to leave his mark and pave the path with his teammate, sophomore Aiden Scattergood.
During the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships last season, Scattergood set a new school record in both the 800-meter and 1500-meter dashes and was part of a school-record time in the 4×800 meter relay.
“When I joined the program, the records weren’t very good,” said Peets. “But by the time I leave, I want them to be very good. The 3k, 5k and 8k are the paths that I need to pave while my teammate Aiden Scattergood will probably pave the path for some of the shorter distances, like the 800 and the mile.”
halea22@bonaventure.edu
