CALGARY – In his own words, fourth-year kinesiology student
Russell Pennock joined his junior high track and field team "just for fun."
At that point in his life, he probably would have laughed if you told him he would become one of Canada's top endurance runners. Flash-forward to today, and that is exactly what Pennock has become.
One could say the endurance genes run in the Pennock family: his older sister Ellen, who was the one to encourage Russell to join track and field in the first place, is a member of the Canadian national triathlon team.
After an injury forced Pennock to miss the entirety of the 2016-17 season, he came back to have his best season yet in 2017-18, being named Canada West cross country athlete of the year, thanks in large part to his 4th place individual finish at the National Championships.
Pennock would build off of the momentum from 2017-18 to have his most successful U SPORTS season yet. With individual wins at both the Sled Dog Open and the Inland Empire meet in Idaho, Pennock was firing on all cylinders heading to the U SPORTS nationals in Kingston, Ont.
There, he won win the individual bronze medal, was once again named Canada West cross country athlete of the year, and led the Dinos men's cross-country team to their first ever U SPORTS national championship.
However, while individually the year was incredibly successful, Pennock said it was his team's success that really made it a successful year.
"After coming second as a team last year, I definitely think all of us had only one goal in mind, and that was to win," Pennock explained. "We checked that off the list, and then everything else individually was kind of just the cherry on top."
Asked to expand on the emotions of winning Calgary's first ever national title, Pennock was at a loss for words.
"It was a surreal experience…it's really hard to describe," said Pennock.
Pennock explained that even after coming second the year before, most people were still not respecting the Dinos, which he and his teammates used as extra motivation.
"All year, people were saying that we were not even going to be in the medals, that as a team we were going to come fourth or fifth," he elaborated. "All year we thought we were the team to beat, and we just said that on the day, we would show them how good we really were."
Pennock was not done with the cross country season over, as he continued his strong year as a star on the Dinos track and field team. Winner of a gold medal in the 3,000 metres and a silver medal in the 1,500 at the Canada West Championships, Pennock also won the men's team only medal at the U SPORTS national championships, taking bronze in the 3,000
While Pennock is graduating with a degree in kinesiology this semester, he plans on coming back next year to use his final year of eligibility, as well as continue his education at the University of Calgary – and maybe just defend that national championship.
Pennock is one of five male Dinos athletes who have received Awards of Merit and are up for the Dr. Dennis Kadatz Athlete of the Year. The hardware will be handed out at the 52nd Annual Night of the Dino awards gala Tuesday, April 9, at the Red and White Club at McMahon Stadium.
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