Photo: St. Bonaventure Athletics
BY WILL POLADIAN, MANAGING EDITOR
The St. Bonaventure cross country team’s regular season is coming to a close with Saturday’s Atlantic 10 Championships.
Standout junior runner Clay Peets said he has one goal in mind: To improve on his record-breaking times from earlier this season while taking down as many opposing teams as possible.
“The goals for the season have been to stay healthy and just get a little better every single day… one day at a time, brick by brick, ” said Peets. “Our team has been putting in hard efforts in the weight room and on the trails since late May, and at the A-10 Conference Championship meet, we’ll be looking to take down as many schools as possible. Individually, all-conference honors would be great, top 10 at A-10s would be even better.”
Peets said his and his team’s goals have stayed the same throughout the season.
“[Our] goals have remained the same, and the closer we get to A-10s, a race that we have been peaking for, the more confidence we have as a team, the more that we will achieve beyond our initial goals,” said Peets.
Throughout his time at Bonaventure, Peets has broken several records for both the cross-country and track teams. He earned A-10 Rookie of the Week honors three times as a freshman and A-10 Performer of the Week honors once as a sophomore and once this season.
“Sometimes a record means a lot … Sometimes it is just pushing the needle a little bit further,” said Peets. “Either way, every time I set a personal record or school record, I feel like I am setting a great example to my teammates that being a great runner at Bonaventure is a tremendous amount of work and sacrifice, but in the end, it is rewarding and fulfilling. I hope by the time I leave, the record book will be unrecognizable compared to what the records looked like when I arrived.”
This season alone, Peets has broken his previous 5K and 8K school records.
“This sport is a struggle, and I have recognized and embraced that struggle,” said Peets. “I’d be lying if I didn’t have doubt, fear, loss, uncertainty and pain along the journey. But every time I lose myself, I have always had great teammates, coaches, trainers, friends and family to pick me up and put faith back into me. I have put thousands of miles on my body and countless hours in the weight room. Plus, I try my best to eat a runner’s diet. So, all in all, these records are built upon the countless hours of consistent hard work, along with terrific minds and generous people that have helped me along the way.”
Peets’ work ethic has earned respect from teammates.
“I will never put a ceiling on anything Clay does,” said junior James Fitzmaurice. “With his work ethic and mindset, I believe anything he puts his mind to, he will succeed 10 times as much as people expect. My expectation for Clay is and always will be simple — he is going to give his all into everything he does. His 100% one day might not be the same as his 100% another day, but there has never been a time I have seen Clay throw in the towel or quit since I have known him. It is one of the things I respect most about him.”
Seeing this work ethic has been a motivating factor for the team.
“Anybody on our team who thinks they are giving 100% simply takes one look at Clay and realizes they have more to give,” said Fitzmaurice. “That is why we have gotten exponentially faster in these three years, and why we will continue to get faster for years to come.”
Senior Henry Trost attributes much of the program’s newfound success to Peets.
“Our program is on the rise,” said Trost. “If you just look at the race times this team has compared to our team even six years ago … it’s unrecognizable. As a team, we are rewriting the school record book, which is very exciting. Clay is at the top of any record he wants to crush. His race performances are at the head of our growth as a program.”
Peets’ style of leading has helped in the attribution of team success.
“Having Clay as one of our captains this season, I have noticed an increase in articulation without a decrease in clarity,” said Fitzmaurice. “He is still saying what needs to be said, but in a way that comes off more constructive and less cold.”
Fitzmaurice attributes team accountability to Peets.
“The conversations I have had with Clay over the years have literally altered my perspective on life,” said Fitzmaurice. “He is one of the few real friends I have in my life. He’s a guy that is absolutely impossible to lie to. Clay has a unique ability to see right through you. Which is why he is such a good leader for this team, because honesty is a guarantee when talking to him. He exemplifies self-accountability, and if everyone is accountable with themselves first, it is much easier to have accountability as a team.”
Peets’ teammates said he elevates the program not only on the course but off it as well.
“Having someone like Clay on the team really elevates the program,” said sophomore Ethan Luce. “He’s very talented, but he contributes so much more to the team. He’s an exceptional leader and a role model. He’s optimistic, driven, and he’s an athlete who studies the sport. Clay is someone who looks after his team. He is a friend you want in your corner. There isn’t enough to say to cover what an awesome guy he is, and we’re incredibly blessed to have him.”
Senior Kieran Ryan said he sees the team as a brotherhood — not like a traditional team.
“I always refer to the team as a family because we truly are that close,” said Ryan. “We spend up to four hours a day with each other in training, and even more eating, studying or hanging out. Clay is much more than just a teammate to me and everyone else on the team. He’s a brother.”
Peets is well respected and loved by teammates.
“Words can’t really describe what having a person like Clay means for not only the current team, but the program as a whole,” said Ryan. “Clay’s dedication, resiliency and class are just a few traits he proves to show every day, both in practice and in the classroom. Clay is an excellent leader and a perfect role model for the rest of the team. His leadership abilities paired alongside his exemplary athletic capability makes him a one-of-a-kind type of athlete you don’t see very often.”
Academically, Peets has been named to the A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll each of the past two seasons.
“Clay succeeds through hard work, honesty and mental fortitude — not merely talent,” said Fitzmaurice. “This creates a level of accountability that I have never experienced anywhere else. We have someone on our team really giving 100%, 100% of the time. He gives 100% in practices, lifts, diet, sleep and obviously races.”
Fitzmaurice is one of three captains this season for the cross-country team, with Ryan and Peets being named captains this season as well.
“We have talked about leading this team since our freshman year,” said Fitzmaurice. “We set the bar high — to be the best team in school history every year. We had a chance to lead behind the scenes our freshman and sophomore years, but to be a captain with Clay and Kieran is one of the proudest accomplishments of my athletic career.”
Compared to his successes and achievements, Peets separates his character from the course and everyday life.
“I know he looks at the records he has today and only envisions himself putting up faster ones tomorrow,” said Fitzmaurice. “But Clay’s athletic achievements have absolutely zero weight on how I view him as a person. Clay could be our slowest guy or retire today, and it would not change a thing.”
Peets and the Bonnies close out the cross-country regular season on Saturday with the A-10 Championships in Cedarville, Ohio.
“I have a long way to go as a runner, teammate, person, etc.,” said Peets. “But as a runner, I have been slowly building up mileage and intensity over the years, and now it is really starting to show. Moving forward I’ll be targeting my weaknesses in the hope to become a more complete runner on all levels. The fewer weaknesses you have… the harder you’ll be to beat.”
poladiwj20@bonaventure.edu
