By Katie Yancey
As men’s cross-country wrapped up its season last week at the Mid-Atlantic Regional championships, senior Michael Bohlke’s record-breaking collegiate career also came to a close. Bohlke, a distance runner, sealed his legacy as a Revolutionary earlier this month by becoming the first men’s cross-country athlete to win an individual Atlantic 10 title.
“If I hadn’t won, I would have felt like I had left something on the course that day,” said Bohlke of his mentality going into the A-10 Championships in early November. “The plan was to do whatever it took.”
Originally from Connecticut, Bohlke was raised in a family of runners. His mother ran at the University of Vermont, and his older brother competed in cross-country at their high school in Newington, joining the team two years before Bohlke began running his freshman year. A well-rounded athlete, Bohlke swam all four years of high school and played soccer, lacrosse and baseball.
When it came time for the next step in his career, Bohlke was contacted by North Carolina assistant distance coach Samantha Nadel. When Nadel joined the coaching staff at GW in 2021 as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, she reached out again and offered Bohlke a visit. After a strong visit on a beautiful day in DC, Bohlke officially became a GW Rev.
“Mike has been a team captain since last year and he is obviously our number one guy, but we all train and run together,” junior distance runner and teammate Joe Fahrney said. “He said to me earlier this season that he doesn’t want what he’s accomplished to seem out of reach for the rest of us. Our program is growing fast and he has been a huge part of that.”
Reflecting on his experience over the past four years, Bohlke said the cross-country and track program has grown significantly. He estimates there were about 35 runners his freshman year compared with 55 across the men’s and women’s teams this season.
“They are what make the workouts and the training enjoyable and worth it to do,” said Bohlke of the team culture. “You’re running 75 miles a week, it’s hard to do that without a really good group of guys around you.”
Back in August, the beginning of the end of Bohlke’s career, he and his coaches discussed the possibility of winning an A-10 title, something no GW runner had ever accomplished.
“I was terrified before that race. Talking about wanting to win back in August and actually feeling like I’m in a position to do that are two very different things. It got down to race day and I put myself in a good position to do it and brought it home.”
Bohlke’s championship time of 23:46 sealed his victory in the competition by over 10 seconds. He also holds GW’s program record time of 23:21 in the 8k.
“Mike has definitely taught me what it means to work hard,” said junior distance teammate Cole McCue. “Seeing how far he pushes himself during practice sets such a high bar for everyone else, which pushes everyone past what they thought was possible.”
As Bohlke turns his focus towards his final track season in the spring, he claims that the end of cross-country has not fully hit him yet. While he may soon close the door on competitive running, the sport has always and will continue to play a major role in his personal life. He recalled a time in high school when his swim relay was denied the chance to compete at the state championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Devastated, Bohlke said he went home that night and went for a run.
“At the end of the day, for me, it’s something that I can use as a way to destress. That’s kind of what stuck with me… if I’m ever in a position like that where I just need time, I can just go for a run.”
