Crowder College Head Coach Jake Holt joins Airey Bros Radio to break down how a brand-new NJCAA program rocketed into the national conversation—#7 men, #5 women (preseason)—and why JUCO is a powerful springboard for recruits.
We cover Holt’s 20+ years at East Newton HS (17 conference titles, 17 district titles, 6 state trophies), the origins of SWMO Running Camp (400+ campers), Crowder’s international recruiting pipeline (Kenya), training philosophy (tempos, threshold hills, 1K benchmarks), life in the Ozarks (real trails, real hills), and a 2025 schedule that points straight at Fort Dodge—plus whether the team will double back for the NJCAA Half Marathon Championship.
If you’re a high school XC/TF athlete, parent, or coach exploring JUCO → NCAA D1/D2/D3/NAIA pathways, this episode is packed with real talk on scholarships, fit, culture, development, and competing right away.
📝 Show Notes / Chapters
00:00 Intro + mission of Airey Bros Radio
01:30 Guest intro — Coach Jake Holt, Crowder College head coach
06:00 Launching a brand-new program (2021–present)
09:45 Roster growth & preseason rankings (#7 men / #5 women)
13:00 Building a Kenyan pipeline (time trials, visas, trust)
15:30 Early meet check-ins: Memphis & SBU results
18:35 Supporting international athletes (housing, food, F-1 rules)
20:00 Training in the Ozarks (gravel roads, hills, “Kentucky Thunder”)
21:35 Housing, dorm life, team culture
23:30 Missouri A+ Program (tuition path HS→JUCO) explained
25:55 One team culture: buddy runs, retreats, integration
29:40 Weekly training: doubles, tempo-hill sessions, 1K benchmarks
33:20 Academics & majors (nursing/international considerations)
36:00 The “grading papers” of college coaching: budgets & scholarships
37:00 Recruiting in the social era (IG DMs, walk-on mindset)
41:20 Holt’s 800m coaching roots & relay culture
43:40 Multi-sport vs specialize for distance
44:40 The JUCO pitch: compete now, develop, move up
47:30 Goals: trophy hunt at Fort Dodge (top-3 both teams)
48:20 NJCAA Half Marathon plans
49:50 Why Crowder? Class sizes, support, programs, campus life
51:55 The Final Four (coffee, daily practices, what he’s listening to, guilty pleasure)
55:50 Sign-off + upcoming guests (Taylor University, Iowa State)
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