Sporrer's early buy-in turns into remarkable run

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — It didn't take long for Courtney Sporrer to buy into Morningside University when she was deciding where to continue her running career. Along the way, she also learned to buy into her own potential.

Sporrer earlier this month earned a fourth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She posted a finals time of 10 minutes, 44 seconds after shaving 11 seconds off her season best during the preliminary round the previous day.

That finish closed out a Mustang career that included appearances in 12 national competitions spanning cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. One of the biggest highlights, Sporrer said, was earning All-American status in the steeplechase during her junior season.

"That helped me and pushed me hard through my senior year to be able to get more honors," Sporrer said. "Finally being able to get that All-American was a really big success for me."

Sporrer hadn't even tried the steeplechase before her junior season. She competed in distance events during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, along with the 3,200-meter relay, but distance coach Garret Ehlers believed she would be a strong fit for the event.

The two first discussed the steeplechase during her freshman year, then spent her sophomore season working through the technical side of the race. By her junior season, both Ehlers and Sporrer believed she was ready to compete at the elite level they envisioned.

That technical work paid off in Asheville, North Carolina.

During the finals race, Sporrer sat in fifth place entering the water jump before using the technique she had developed to move into fourth place and secure another All-American finish.

"I took it a little more seriously, and that first race was ugly, but I continued to get better," Sporrer said. "Having those technical things down in a race is really important."

Sporrer's confidence also grew throughout her time at Morningside.

When she first spoke with Ehlers, the Logan-Magnolia High School graduate wasn't even sure she wanted to continue running collegiately. During that conversation, she shared a goal of qualifying for nationals in either track and field or cross country by her senior season.

Sporrer still remembers Ehlers' response.

"He laughed at me and told me that while it was a big goal, I could qualify for nationals as a freshman," Sporrer said. "I was hesitant at first, but the more I got to know him, the easier it was for me to trust him and buy into the program."

Ehlers, by the way, was right.

Sporrer made her first national appearance during the 2022 cross country season. She later qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships in both the 4x800-meter relay and the 1,000-meter run.

As a sophomore, Sporrer's best national finish came indoors when the Mustangs' 3,200-meter relay team placed ninth.

During her junior season, Sporrer cracked the Top 100 at the national cross country meet before closing the year with a fifth-place finish in the steeplechase at outdoor nationals.

"I think she's a special athlete simply because she can adjust to almost any environment that you put her in," head coach Frank Wallace said. "Any national meet that we've been at, we've asked her to run on a (3,200 relay) first leg as a freshman. We've asked her to anchor it as a junior. We asked her to do certain things and she's always stepped up to the plate. So I think it's something to be said about that."

Her senior cross country season also brought another milestone.

The Mustangs qualified for nationals as a team and placed 25th in Tallahassee, Florida. Sporrer earned a 37th-place finish individually in a sub-22-minute race after previously dreaming about starting from the team box at nationals.

"That had always been a dream, and I never really thought it was possible," Sporrer said. "Having a group full of girls go to Tallahassee was super, super special."

Sporrer consistently lowered her times throughout her Morningside career.

One of her biggest improvements came in cross country, where she shaved 84 seconds off her 5,000-meter time from the 2022 Briar Cliff Invite to this season's Augustana Twilight meet.

On the track side, she also dropped 54 seconds in the outdoor 5,000-meter run from 2024 to 2026.

Sporrer said much of her success came from the relationships she built with Ehlers, Wallace, and her teammates.

"It shows how much the coaches buy into you," Sporrer said. "I wouldn't be where I am today without coach Wallace and the coaching staff. They care about me as a person, not just as an athlete. They care about how I'm doing physically, mentally, academically and in life in general. Having that support has helped me become the athlete I am today."

As for what's next, Sporrer plans to continue running after graduation. She is scheduled to run a marathon June 20 and hopes to continue competing in road races.

"It's a great outlet for different stresses, and I enjoy the feeling," Sporrer said.