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37 Years in the Making: Gannon Breaks Warren's Longtime Record
3/17/2023 6:52:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
HOUSTON – Sometimes certain records take longer to surpass than others, but records were meant to be broken. For 37 years, the Rice 3000-meter record belonged to now head coach Jon Warren. However, at the C-USA Championships, a newcomer to the Owls' squad snapped that over three-and-a-half-decade old record. By a mere three seconds (8:03.61), Gus Gannon was able to claim the top spot from Warren (8:06.66).
In his first season with the Owls, Gannon has already proven that his named will be heard for seasons to come at Rice.
"I'm very proud of what I've been able to achieve so far at Rice. My results are further proof to me that Rice is the right place for me and that it is an environment I can thrive in," Gannon said. "I think part of my success comes down to how quickly I have settled in here. I have the whole team as well as the support networks around us to thank for that."
Joining during the midterm, even Coach Warren couldn't have predicted the impact Gannon would already have on the team.
"Gus is very impressive so far. We rarely have students start at midterm, so I had very limited experience on what should be expected," Warren said. "As far as the indoor season went, I have to say Gus has been extremely impactful and impressive."
When he crossed the finish line at the C-USA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Gannon quickly realized how he's made a big impression on the Rice record books, even if it came at the cost of his head coach.
"Coach Jon is not normally a super emotional coach - the most we'll get out of him is normally a 'good job' and, if we're lucky, a fist bump," Gannon said. "That being said, Jon coming up to me arms outstretched for a hug after I broke that record told me that I'd done something special."
"The record being broken is definitely bittersweet," Warren said. "From the former athlete's perspective, holding a record is pretty cool, but from the coach's perspective (especially since it is my job to try and get the records broken), 37 years is a long time!"
With the outdoor season now in full swing, Gannon has high hopes to carry this momentum for the rest of the season.
"Moving into outdoors the plan is to just keep the ball rolling," Gannon said. "I'm getting fitter every week, so stacking more and more weeks of consistent training is going to pay dividends once we get to the postseason."
Just like Gannon, Warren also sees potential for a big outdoor season for Gus.
"Outdoors is finally here! Gus will be able to focus on more events and he will be able to get in races that I hope can be as impressive as his indoor exploits," Warren said. "We will be able to focus on some exciting events that the indoor season was too short to attempt, the 5000 [meter] and possibly the 3000 steeplechase."
At the end of the day, Gannon wants to continue to improve this outdoor season with the goal of having more impactful performances for the team.
"My main goal for outdoors is to score as many points as I can for the team, with a stretch goal of qualifying for regionals," Gannon said. "I'm going to need to improve on my fitness and speed to get there but the boys around me are pushing me to get better every day so I know it'll come with time."
In his first season with the Owls, Gannon has already proven that his named will be heard for seasons to come at Rice.
"I'm very proud of what I've been able to achieve so far at Rice. My results are further proof to me that Rice is the right place for me and that it is an environment I can thrive in," Gannon said. "I think part of my success comes down to how quickly I have settled in here. I have the whole team as well as the support networks around us to thank for that."
Joining during the midterm, even Coach Warren couldn't have predicted the impact Gannon would already have on the team.
"Gus is very impressive so far. We rarely have students start at midterm, so I had very limited experience on what should be expected," Warren said. "As far as the indoor season went, I have to say Gus has been extremely impactful and impressive."
When he crossed the finish line at the C-USA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Gannon quickly realized how he's made a big impression on the Rice record books, even if it came at the cost of his head coach.
"Coach Jon is not normally a super emotional coach - the most we'll get out of him is normally a 'good job' and, if we're lucky, a fist bump," Gannon said. "That being said, Jon coming up to me arms outstretched for a hug after I broke that record told me that I'd done something special."
"The record being broken is definitely bittersweet," Warren said. "From the former athlete's perspective, holding a record is pretty cool, but from the coach's perspective (especially since it is my job to try and get the records broken), 37 years is a long time!"
With the outdoor season now in full swing, Gannon has high hopes to carry this momentum for the rest of the season.
"Moving into outdoors the plan is to just keep the ball rolling," Gannon said. "I'm getting fitter every week, so stacking more and more weeks of consistent training is going to pay dividends once we get to the postseason."
Just like Gannon, Warren also sees potential for a big outdoor season for Gus.
"Outdoors is finally here! Gus will be able to focus on more events and he will be able to get in races that I hope can be as impressive as his indoor exploits," Warren said. "We will be able to focus on some exciting events that the indoor season was too short to attempt, the 5000 [meter] and possibly the 3000 steeplechase."
At the end of the day, Gannon wants to continue to improve this outdoor season with the goal of having more impactful performances for the team.
"My main goal for outdoors is to score as many points as I can for the team, with a stretch goal of qualifying for regionals," Gannon said. "I'm going to need to improve on my fitness and speed to get there but the boys around me are pushing me to get better every day so I know it'll come with time."
Players Mentioned
Distance
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