Jeremy Criscione never thought he'd be a distance runner.
Throughout high school, he was a multi-sport athlete, and cross country was only one of the six sports he played during his freshman and sophomore years.
"I started running in eighth grade just to get in shape," Criscione said. "I've always been fast, but I had no intention of running distance."
He never would have guessed he'd be the unquestioned leader of the Gators cross country team.
And he never considered the idea that he would leave UF as one of the school's most accomplished runners.
Now, having been named an All-American after finishing 20th in the NCAA Championship - his final cross country race as a Gator - he can say he's gone out on a high note, competed with the nation's best and established his legacy at UF. It's a legacy of top finishes, overcoming adversity and quietly leading his team.
SETTING THE STANDARD
Criscione will be the first one to admit he's not the most vocal person on the men's cross country team.
The senior said his experience has made him a leader. He's been an integral part of the team since 2005, his freshman year, when he was the first Gator to finish in the NCAA Championship.
"He's definitely a quieter leader, but his example is really strong," junior Sean Blaney said. "I don't think any of the guys would really question him."
There aren't many reasons to doubt Criscione, as his performance speaks louder than any words he could say.
Although he's hardly outspoken, Blaney said Criscione's personality and sense of humor help bring the team together while training.
"He's a funny guy," Blaney said. "Jeremy's the one who, if it gets really quiet on a run, will always say something funny that'll catch everybody off guard."
Criscione isn't the only one cracking jokes on those long runs, though. He said he's also the recipient of some good-natured jabs, often about his hometown of Interlachen, a small town about 30 miles east of Gainesville.
"Everybody just refers to it as country hickville with rednecks, farming, things like that," Criscione said. "Something always comes up in reference to that."
UF coach Todd Morgan, who has watched his star runner become more confident, vocal and encouraging around his teammates over the last few years, said Criscione's positive attitude has had a noticeable impact on the team.
"If it's a tough day or things have been hard, no one wants to complain around him or say anything negative around him, because he never does that," Morgan said. "It keeps everyone in a good frame of mind."
In his two years of running and training with Criscione, Blaney said he has never heard his teammate complain that a workout is too difficult.
"He's always optimistic, always bringing something positive," Blaney said.
In high school, Criscione's coach told him that when one person starts complaining about something, it starts a chain reaction of negativity.
"If you can get through things without bringing other people into it, it'll hopefully save them from the mental aspect of thinking that something's wrong," he said.
And Criscione knows a thing or two about persevering through hard times. He's had to overcome far worse than the occasional early-morning run on the UF golf course.
DEALING WITH DIFFICULTIES
As a junior at Interlachen High, Criscione placed sixth at the state cross country meet and earned All-State honors. Dwayne Cox, Criscione's high school coach, was an important part of his transformation from a multi-sport athlete into primarily a standout distance runner. Cox was the one who made him forget about everything from playing on the baseball diamond and the soccer field to even swinging the club for the Interlachen golf team.
Then, a few weeks before the start of Criscione's senior season, Cox unexpectedly passed away. Criscione and the rest of the team pushed forward, and under new coach Eddie Mingle, he went on to win the state championship, setting a new state 5K record in the process.
It wasn't the first time Criscione had overcome adversity, and it wouldn't be the last.
In August 2007, about a month before the first meet of his junior season, he had hernia surgery. As a result, he had to sit out the season opener and miss over a week of training.
Criscione quickly returned from his injury and, on Oct. 13, 2007, broke a 14-year-old school 8K record with a time of 23:39. At the end of the year, he finished 99th overall in the NCAA Championship as an individual runner.
Morgan said his star runner has been able to succeed after such trials because of his mental toughness.
"He never lets the highs get too high or the lows get too low," Morgan said. "He understands there are certain things in life you can't change. He could not change having to have that surgery. He could not change his coach dying in high school.
"He can't change a lot of things that happen, but he doesn't let that bring him down. He takes it for what it is and figures out how to make it work."
Criscione's attitude has meshed well with Morgan's coaching style. Morgan, who is in his first year as the primary cross country coach after two years as an assistant, can't stand negativity and has a very low tolerance for complaining.
"It all comes down to having goals for yourself, and no matter what happens, you've got to work toward those," Criscione said. "If something doesn't go right, you've got to remember what you've been working toward and stay focused."
With that intensity and work ethic, Criscione has been able to achieve many of his goals at UF. But his college career isn't over, as he'll run track for the Gators in the spring.
Even after that, he's not done running.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK
It's hard to miss Criscione's name when looking over a list of UF's cross country record times.
With his 20th-place finish in the 2008 NCAA Championship, Criscione became only the seventh All-American in UF cross country history.
The top 5-mile time? He set it as a sophomore - 23:48 - then broke it this year at the Notre Dame Invitational with a time of 23:34.
The fastest 8K by a Gator? That's his as well. If it wasn't enough to break the long-standing record last year, he topped that at the Pre-NCAA Invitational this year, clocking in .3 seconds faster than his old record.
He wasn't done there, though. In his last college 8K, the Southeastern Conference Championship in Starkville, Miss., he finished with a time of 23:35.05, lowering the record time by more than 3 seconds.
Criscione remains humble about his career, citing consistency as the key to his success.
"I just go out there and try to do the same thing every meet," he said. "Obviously I try to improve, but I try to stay as consistent as possible."
His performance at the SEC meet earned him a spot on the All-SEC Team for the third straight year. He's also been named to the All-South Region Team three times.
For most college runners, the records and accomplishments would be enough. But Criscione isn't ready to make running simply a part of his past.
"I want to keep running," he said. "There are a lot of post-collegiate groups that are available. It all depends on what location you want to go to and if you meet the right people and if you're lucky to get a contract with a shoe company or something to help out.
"We'll see, but the plan is to keep running."
Morgan, who competed for Nike Athletics America for a year after graduating from North Carolina, said he was encouraged by Criscione's desire to continue running.
"He's in a situation where, if he wants to continue, he could get some support to try to make a run at it while he's still improving," Morgan said. "I think he could definitely continue to develop here and beyond."
He added that Criscione has improved every year since he left high school.
"His attention to detail and doing all the little things right has carried him over his four years, and he's been better and better every year," Morgan said.
And no matter where Jeremy Criscione lands after he leaves UF, those little things will always be a part of him. His consistency as an athlete, his positive outlook and his ability to overcome hardship will lead to success similar to what he's achieved in college as the distance runner he never thought he would be.
