A master’s degree was not in the cards for graduate student Adam Rzentkowski when he earned a scholarship to run for Central Michigan University.
“When I first started college, I just wanted to be four years and done,” Rzentkowski said.
Rzentkowski transferred to Wichita State last year from Central Michigan, where the men’s track and field program shut down in 2020. He continued to run cross country for Central Michigan.
“When the program got cut, I thought cross country was cut too,” Rzentkowski said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to run again — period.”
As the program sank around him, he worried not only about himself but his teammates and new friends he made during his freshman year, some he already knew were transferring.
“I didn’t know if I was going to transfer out, but nonetheless, it was a very weird and difficult time during COVID,” Rzentkowski said. “At this time, I didn’t know if I was able to ever run or compete in college sports anymore in the NCAA.”
Rzentkowski transferred to Wichita State with one year of cross-country eligibility left, and a second chance at track and field. He was impressed by the team’s first-place finish in the 2022 AAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
“I didn’t know anybody,” Rzentkowski said. “It was a weird time for me to be (a) transfer, being 22 years old and not knowing a single kid on the team, but yet I’m one of the oldest.”
Despite not knowing anyone on the team, he found himself in a leadership role for the other Shocker runners.
“Give him a freshman or someone coming in, he is going to give them advice,” said WSU head cross country coach Kirk Hunter. “And when other people have adversity, he’s been through it; he can give them advice on how to handle that.”
When Rzentkowski isn’t laced up for running, he can be found in his dorm room with junior runner Jacob Meyers watching “South Park” or “River Monsters.” When he isn’t at school, he prefers to be outside.
“I’m a huge hunter and a fisherman,” Rzentkowski said. “One of my favorite hobbies is getting on a boat with my brothers and dad, and just to go fishing late at night or early in the mornings, even.”
Growing up in rural Wisconsin, Rzentkowski had free range to roam around.
“I like the feeling of running out on (a) dirt road and not seeing big skyscrapers or cities,” Rzentkowski said. “That’s another reason why I wanted to pick a place like Wichita.”
Although he has found himself at home with new friends, he still frequently calls his family back in Wisconsin to catch up.
“I miss the restaurants most of all, like Culver’s,” Rzentkowski said. “Going to Kwik Trip every Sunday after a long run in high school, I’d get Glazers donuts. My mom would always bring back those donuts.”
Rzentkowski saw his experiences at Central Michigan as an opportunity to think about his passion for running, an activity he has done for 13 years.
“Running has been one of the most important things to me that happened in my life,” Rzentkowski said. “It brought me to college, it brought me a lot of friendships (and) brought me lots of work opportunities.”
