Grove High School’s Gunner Cox brings a rare mix of quiet humility and relentless drive to the Ridgerunners’ varsity cross country program, setting the tone for a young team that prides itself on chemistry and consistency. Cox said the bond he shares with his teammates is one of the best parts of running for Grove. “What I love the most about the team at Grove is we have really good chemistry. We are all somewhat young and we bond a lot inside and outside the sport. We all bring each other up and we are always there to cheer on each other.”
That support system fits neatly with the way Cox approaches the sport on and off the course. For him, running is both an outlet and a source of confidence. “The thing I really enjoy about running is how peaceful it is and how rewarding it is. It helps me clear my mind when I am going through something, and after a good and strong race it makes you feel good about yourself. The longest distance I achieved was running about 37 miles for a 4th of July celebration.” Long days and long miles are not unusual for Cox, who said his summer training has taken his preparation to another level.
“My summer workouts are going absolutely phenomenal. I feel way more confident on what I do and running feels much more comfortable. I have also seen some big improvements in the weight room and how long I can keep a good pace. I have tried my best to not miss a day or rep of anything I do, and it feels like it’s paying off.” That commitment extends across multiple sports, as Cox also plays wide receiver and cornerback on the football team, competes in basketball, powerlifting and runs track in the spring. “But this summer has been a handful with summer football, cross-country, and summer basketball but I am pushing through and getting it done.”
Cox credits his older brother, Scott, as the person most responsible for shaping his mindset as a runner and athlete. “The person that has inspired me the most is my brother Scott. He has always been there to give me advice and to build my confidence. He takes time out of his day to work on stuff with me to be a better runner and athlete. He has helped me so much and has been majority the reason why I run like I do.” He also points to former teammates Allie Hasselmen and Colby Watson as examples of how to lead and handle adversity. “Allie Hasselmen and Colby Watson, both showed me a lot about leading a team and pushing through hard times. Allie showed me how to keep on going and not giving up when times get hard. Colby Watson graduated last year but he took me under his wing and showed me how to be a good and positive leader. And he always helped me when I asked to work on something to get better at a thing I was working on.”
As he looks ahead, Cox said he hopes to compete in college and possibly beyond. “I would love to go to college for any type of sports and hopefully go play some time of professional sport especially football or running, that’s my main goal. But I have been thinking recently that if all of that doesn’t work out, I want to go get a degree and go study meteorology at the University of Oklahoma.” For now, he is focused on staying grounded and continuing to improve. “The biggest thing is to be humble and to not expect PR’s every meet or immediately when the season begins. And to understand that I still have two more seasons left and I shouldn’t get into my head if I perform bad and stress myself out. I also learned on how to keep my form steady especially when finishing a race.”
Cox said his speed and endurance are the backbone of his performance, but he knows there is still room to grow. “The strength of my game is probably my speed and endurance. That helps me out in all of my sports, and it’s a good thing to have since all of my sports involves running for a long period of time almost. The most thing I am working on is my form. That is the biggest problem I have and one thing I need to really focus on this upcoming season.”
