Spring Break
Last Lap Around The Track
Sullivan, Rogers Leave Long Legacies With Their UConn Careers
Marc Gauthier
Issue date: 5/6/07 Section: Sports
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All-American Jillian Sullivan approached the start-line and awaited the gun shot that would set her free in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Co-captain Jen Rogers stared down the runway into the sand-filled pit and took a minute to gain complete composure before she would defy gravity in the long jump.
They were two completely different events, with one unified result - victory - and for these two seniors, victory is something quite familiar.
After their four-year tenure at UConn, Sullivan leaves as the first cross country All-American in program history, while Rogers takes with her countless first-place finishes in multiple jumping and running events. But when it comes down to it, after all the success, there is something much greater that these two athletes will leave behind.
"They're more significant to this team than I could possibly explain," said cross-country and track assistant coach Kim McGreevy. "Their leadership, not only by performance, but also their ability to be consistent above and beyond, and to be honored as two of the best student-athletes; it has just been special to coach them."
"Together, they're probably two of the best leaders we've ever had in regards to the team," said head coach Bill Morgan. "You put that together with outstanding academics, and top that off with tremendous performers on the athletic field and you have a total package of the student athlete at UConn. The fact that we have two of them as seniors leading our team speaks volumes of their work development, and they've been two of the finest young ladies I've had the fortune of mentoring."
Much like the variation in both athletes' events, the pair has traveled two different paths to get to where they are now. But they share memories of the times they had once they got there.
Sullivan's story mimics that of a Hollywood movie. As a freshman she earned a spot on the cross country and track teams as a walk-on athlete, only to go on and become the most successful cross country athlete UConn has ever seen. Rogers, on the other hand, was recruited by UConn to travel over 3,000 miles from her home in British Columbia.
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