11.10.04

Jeff Schrage (center)

Cross country coach doubles as residence hall director

When Jeff Schrage replaced longtime cross country coach Dr. John Showalter this fall, he also took on the job of residence hall director in Pressly. So far, Schrage is happy in his dual role, and feels he has "adapted well" to his situation at Erskine.

As both residence hall director and coach, Schrage has learned to cope with paperwork. "I have to admit that there is a lot of administrative work that has to be done with both positions and that is something I have struggled with," he said. "The NCAA requirements have taken some time to get used to."

He is already thinking about ways to strengthen his coaching performance, but is pleased overall with the way his first season developed.

"I was very happy with the way things went this year as far as transitions," he said. "It brought a fresh feel to the team to have a new coach who was where they were not too long ago.

"There is some excitement about where we can go as a team over the next couple of years and I think that has helped the most," he said. He would like to see Erskine win a Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference championship.

"Now that the cross country season is over I can learn from my mistakes and be better prepared for next year," he said. "I can also focus more on recruiting and bring in some good runners for next season."

Schrage is one of four siblings, including a twin brother. He graduated from Anderson College in August 2000 with a degree in Christian ministry. He has a record of experience that applies to coaching as well as residence life, and had at least one Erskine connection before joining the college staff.

 "I ran cross country at Anderson College, where I was the team captain and received the coach's award," he said. Schrage had transferred from Spartanburg Methodist College, where he ran with friend Adam Hare, who wound up transferring to Erskine.

"Adam and I were team co-captains and 'most valuable runners' while we were at Spartanburg Methodist," he said. "I was also an RA — Erskine calls them SLA's — at both SMC and Anderson College, which gave me a lot of experience in residence life."

Before coming to Erskine, Schrage worked at Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson, Miss., where he lived in a dorm with junior and senior high school students.

"I woke them up and spent all day after school making sure they were doing what they needed to," he said. "It was a very time intensive position and it helped me gain a better understanding of dorm life and dorm dynamics."

Schrage said he has been running since sixth grade and has "enjoyed every season." He values his experience with a variety of coaching styles.

"I learned a lot while at SMC and was introduced to college running and coaching," he said. "Both years I ran for a different coach and saw two very different coaching styles, which I am sure has helped me here at Erskine."

He said he decided to transfer to Anderson College after looking at a few other possibilities. "I could have walked on to a Division I program but thought I would be better off running for a Division II program and getting some scholarship money," he said.

One of his coaches at Anderson College stood out for Schrage. "Coach Doug Martin took over my senior year and he showed me what it was like to be a good coach and be serious about coaching," he said. "I model my coaching style after him and hope I can be as helpful to my runners as he was to me."

Coaching cross country was part of Schrage's job at Chamberlain-Hunt Academy. "We finished second in the state and all my runners improved their times greatly," he said. "That experience has helped because it showed me that I could coach and I had some experience as a coach before starting here at Erskine."

Coaching and dorm leadership occupy most of Schrage's time, but he also devotes energy to campus activities. "I have been involved with the intramurals program, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and (Student Fellowship at) the Barn," he said. "These things are very important and can make an impact on students' lives."

Schrage said he formed a favorable impression of Erskine when he was still a student at Anderson College and visited Hare. "The school always seemed to have something going on and the students here were always friendly," he said.

He also admires Erskine's Bible department. "I think you have (good teaching) here at Erskine and I would have liked to study under some of the professors here," he said.

Schrage is thinking about going on to seminary. As for his bachelor's degree in Christian ministry, he considers his work at Erskine a good use of that education.

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