Running Toward More At Rockhurst

A single early loss lit the fuse. From that moment, Jack McGovern—a Rockhurst sophomore balancing student government, chamber choir, and a love for photography—built a season that leapt from local promise to national proof: a Missouri soil record, a 12-second state championship, fourth at Nike Cross Regionals, and 10th at Nike Cross Nationals. We dig into the hinge points, from the confidence breakthrough at Gans Creek to the race-day strategy that turned pressure into poise and joy.

We also widen the lens beyond the course. Jack breaks down how student government really works and what it means to serve as sophomore class president when “leadership” looks like planning events, making posters, and being the voice of your grade. He shares why auditioning into chamber choir put him back at the start of a new learning curve, and how being the least experienced in the room sharpened humility, listening, and growth. Add a budding photography business and you see the full picture: a student-athlete who treats excellence as a habit, not a headline.

Culture ties it together. With deep gratitude for Coach Dierks and a six-coach program that treats training like a team symphony, Jack explains how Rockhurst’s expectations—use your gifts, pursue greatness, support each other—turn effort into results. You’ll hear about the gym full of classmates cheering a livestream, the parents and alumni who keep the brotherhood strong, and the finals-week mindset that mirrors racing: trust the prep, take it step by step, and stay calm under stress. It’s a story of faith, discipline, and community that invites every listener to raise their own bar.

If this conversation gave you a spark, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a push, and leave a quick review to help others find Rock Talk. What goal are you running toward next?

Transcript

Welcome To Rock Talk

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Welcome to Rock Talk, the official podcast of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, where we explore the voices, values, and vibrant life of our Jesuit college prep community. Hosted by the admissions and marketing team, each episode features conversations with students, faculty, alumni, and special guests as we share stories of academic excellence, faith formation, brotherhood, and service. Whether you're a prospective family, a proud alumnus, or simply curious about what makes Rockhurst unique, this is your inside look at life at the Rock. And this is one of your hosts, Steve Redman, director of Admissions and Marketing. We got a couple of different things going on at Rockhurst during this time of year, and we have Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass happening. And so Beth is going to be coming in here in a little bit, but we're getting started, and we got a special guest today. One of my favorites. Don't tell anybody I told you that. But now, cool kid, Jack McGovern is with us. Jack, why don't you introduce yourself to the audience and tell us a little bit about what you're involved in?

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yeah, hi, I'm Jack McGovern. I'm a sophomore here at Rockhurst. I'm involved in a lot of different things from student government to cross country and track. I'm in a lot of different different events there at the school, but excited to be here and ready for it.

How Student Government Works

SPEAKER_02 2:19

Good deal, man. We appreciate you being here. And you brought up something that I actually, you know, we just shot the episode before this with with was with Brendan Ortballs and Jack McShane. And they're both in student government. And I guess what explained that? Because when I was here, I was not in student government, but you know, we were talking with them, and then they were just, you know, I think Brendan is the school president and Jack is the senior body president or something to that effect. Explain uh to the best of your ability how like the student government thing works.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Yeah, so you usually every at the start of every year we have elections for student government for each different grade. There's a president, there's president and a vice president, and then usually four representatives for each grade. And then senior year, you have a class, you'll have your class vice president and president, and then also have a school body president. So this year it's Brendan Orbals and Jack McShane's the senior class president.

SPEAKER_03 3:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

But I've I've been lucky enough to be able to kind of represent the sophomore class as the sophomore class president. So that's been really cool to be able to kind of represent my class in that way. And it's it's pretty exciting.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

So, you know, and I what so what do you when you say you represent the sophomore class, like what do you do as the sophomore president?

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Yeah, I mean, so a lot of the events that we host are we host the sophomore dodgeball event or the we host you know a lot of different events. I think we're the sophomores are kind of the backbone of the group. I feel like we end up doing a lot of the work. We, you know, we've we've we've gotten our fair share of making the posters. We're usually on post posters duty, although we've been kind of delegating that to the freshmen now. Gotcha. So um, you know, I think being being kind of the voice for a very vibrant class is is something that I've been very blessed to be able to do. So I mean finding the best way that I can do that at the student government meetings and thinking about what would you know be best for the for the sophomore class at at meetings. And so I think I think it's a lot of different things we get to do at SGA, but it's also just being a voice of what the school represents as a leader of the class. So I think that's something that I've been I've just been really blessed to be able to do that.

Beyond Running: Choir And Media

SPEAKER_02 4:37

That's cool, man. That's cool. Because I know you know we've we've talked you know plenty off book, and you know, I know that uh you do a lot running around and and getting into those things. And I was just curious about that. I meant to ask those guys, and we just got sidetracked in the conversation. But okay, so you you're in the student government, you mentioned cross-country, you mentioned track, anything else, because you know I want to talk to you about some of your accomplishments that that you know we've been blessed to watch and support you in. But anything else you're involved in that somebody might not know?

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Yeah, so I auditioned for the chamber choir actually last year. Um I'm in the chamber choir. It's it's a really fun group. We we do a lot of really unique stuff at rockers. It's really cool. We had a concert the other night.

SPEAKER_03 5:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:25

And so it's a lot of really cool experiences that have come out of being in the chamber choir. So it's a group that you audition for of about twenty-five of the best singers at Rocker. So I I really wouldn't if you would have asked me what I would have been doing as a freshman going in, I'd I would not have guessed that you would say chamber choir. Um because it's it's a really cool group of guys because it's it's a group that put me at the very bottom of the totem pole as far as what I you know what my level is. And on on the cross-country course, like as much as you know, they're excellent senior leaders, I've been kind of forced to become somewhat of a leader on that course. So it's it's different to be in a in a group of guys where I am the lowest guy in that group. I'm the worst, you know, I'm I'm one of the worst singers in that group, but I also it forces me to learn and forces me to grow and yeah, to become to become something that I really didn't think I would be. But another thing is photography. I've been doing a lot of photography and movie making. I do a lot of family photography, been doing it for all my life. And uh a little bit of movie making for the school, but definitely a good amount of photography with Mr. Hayden and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

Okay. So and when you say family photography, like you take pictures outside of school for families like that.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Yeah, okay. Yeah, I've been doing that for about two years now, and it's it's it makes it makes a good amount of money, but it's also it's it's a great, it's a great kind of side hobby because it it one can help me make a little bit more money, and also it's it's a really cool thing that I'm able to do. As far as like, you know, I do a lot of sports photography and a lot of the other different kinds of photography, but it's it's much more you know, it's it's much more like real and it feels more real world and more of like a real job, so that's pretty exciting to be able to do.

Season Turning Point And Confidence

SPEAKER_02 7:12

So now I know why it's so hard to find you, because you got you got all kind of plates spinning, which is which is good though, man. And I and I'll encourage you to you know, obviously you want to be mindful of you know, taking care of yourself and and and rest, but also maximize that time too, you know, when you're doing great stuff and when you're involved and when you're active, you know, very rarely are you gonna look back on this and be like, I wish I wouldn't have wish I wouldn't have been in chamber choir or whatever it is, man. So that's cool. So let's talk some let's talk some highlights so far, right? So we got a lot maybe there to talk about, man. You've you know, and I know it for you for those of you who don't know Jack, Jack is extremely humble. I'm blessed to even have gotten him pinned down to get on this podcast. And you know, he's a he's a he's a guy that's hard to find, not because he's hiding, just because he is he's very active. So you know, you had a phenomenal cross-country season and you went to and remind me, cross-country nationals or what was that thing that customers.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Nike cross nationals, yeah, in Portland, Oregon.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

So talk me through some of that, right? You know, from going to state to then getting prepared for Nike Cross Nationals, like kind of walk me through those highlights, man. Like how how was that? How do you how do you feel? How you feeling now?

SPEAKER_01 8:37

Yeah, I mean the whole season really started out like with it started out with a loss, actually. I got second place at at the at the opening meet, the KC Classic meet, and it it was I think it it kind of sparked something in me because I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna use that and I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna learn from that because I'd never gotten second last year. Last year I was mostly hanging around eighth place with you know all the talented seniors that we had last year. I didn't really feel like I belonged up there, but getting second place my first meet, I was like, I felt really good to kind of be up there. And so throughout the season, we really worked towards a lot of big meets, and the big breakout meet for me was the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri on the Mizzou, on the Mizzou course down there, and just such a cool experience because it really brought me into this feeling of like of a lot of confidence in myself. Yeah, something that I was I was kind of lacking going into that season of just believing that I could be a national talent level guy. And I think that was something that had never really crossed my mind until I ran the Gans Creek Classic about halfway through the season, and it just kind of sparked something in me. So then the next races, you know, just building up for state. We we ran diction districts and sectionals or districts, you know, want districts, and gave me a lot of confidence going into state. And so going into state, I I just used a lot of really good people that supported me. Um and and I think it was such a fun race because I felt like it was a testament to a whole year of hard work, and I think that's something that's really cool is to see that you can reap the rewards of something that you put so much time into. And I I thought it was it it's satisfying how like gratifying cross country is because I put in so much work from June all the way until you know late December. And so I think it I think it's so cool to be able to see the things that you do being put into action. So I I was blessed to be able to win a state title as a sophomore. I think that's that's something that I was really blessed to be able to do, and it was it was really incredible, just the amount of people that were supporting me.

SPEAKER_03 10:37

Yeah.

State Title And Missouri Record

SPEAKER_01 10:37

And then beyond that, I went to the Nike Cross Regionals meet. So Nike like sponsors a regional meet so that athletes from all around the country can qualify for nationals. The goal was to get top five going in and to be able to qualify for nationals, and I got fourth with a really good group of Midwest guys, but you know, kind of knowing that I had a lot of guys from Rockers supporting me, I went into the nationals and I I just wanted to have so much fun in it. It's such a cool experience because Nike flies you out and does all the does all the cool stuff that Nike can do. But I I also want I had some goals going into it. I wanted to become an all-American and I think I think I just wanted to use the confidence that I built up all season to be able to do some pretty cool things. And just I just decided like I'm gonna I'm gonna go out there and run with some heart. And so that was that was cool because I was running for a lot of people that had represented me. I said that in an interview last after after the race that I was I was just running for a lot of people who had been supporting me all season and you know came out, placed 10th at nationals, was just picking off guys all race, and yeah. I I really couldn't have asked for a better cap off of a pretty cool and incredible season. I think it it was it was a testament to a lot of hard work throughout the season.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

So for sure, man. And uh and you know, I know you and I have talked, you know, several times in that span, and you know, the one thing that I'll I'll I you know, you know, I've t I've told you this, but you know, I I guess for the audience to understand is like, you know, I appreciate the love that you do this with, you know, and we've talked about how in order to be able to actually navigate those big stages, despite what a lot of people think, like you gotta you gotta love it in a different kind of way to be able to navigate the ups and downs that come with pursuing success like that. And it and it's really cool, you know, when you were running and and you and the guys were down in state, you know, we had it pulled up on the screen in the gym, and you know, everybody screaming and and and sending love in the best way we can, and then to have you all be able to go represent on that stage is really cool and and it's really awesome. And that's the thing that I guess because you know, when we when we do these episodes too, you realize like there's a lot of people that listen to this. So there's a maybe a young man that's listening to Jack McGovern that is learning how to be able to how do you handle success in a at a high level, how do you navigate that journey? And you're absolutely right. The work, the the the the little notches of confidence you get along the way to keep working, right? Success breeds motivation. So uh it's cool to see see see that pay off. And I know you left some details out, and and I want you to clarify this for me. So when you went to Columbia the first time, was that that was the fastest time on Missouri soil ever? Or what was that detail? So we're we're missing it was the first forever, like in the history of ever of Missouri being a state?

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Yeah, it was yeah, Missouri, Missouri, Missouri soil state record.

Nike Regionals To Nationals

SPEAKER_02 13:46

So those so so guys, so as as as calmly as he's talking about these accomplishments, the fastest time on Missouri soil ever was a mark you set, and then you won state by 12 seconds. Uh yeah, I guess uh I think we I think we had the count. And I I always, you know, you could get excited and miss the number, but 12 second victory at state. And then rumor was that the guy that was with you was the dude that beat you earlier in the year. Was that true or was somebody making that up?

SPEAKER_01 14:19

It was, yeah. So Gabe Volker is a very talented runner from Raypeck. He was the guy that beat me at the first meet of the year, yeah, and kind of just set something off of me because I was I was just so excited to know that I could compete against him. I had looked up to him last year and and was like, whoa, I'm I'm competing against him, but also I lost to him and it felt good to it felt good to be up there with him. And so I think it's really cool the talent that we have in Missouri for on a on a national level. I mean Missouri's Missouri's becoming a very highly competitive national state. And so, yeah, the the guy that I lost to first meet of the season was the guy that I was hanging out with all states.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Yeah, and I saw when you started to pull away, I was like, all right. And here's what's really funny, I'll share this and we can move on. Uh, because we were we were all watching on the screen and we were we miscounted the because they they do it in kilometers. And so miles is is 3.1, right? Yeah, it's 3.1 miles. But they were counting in kilometers, so like y'all were running and we were all screaming, hurry up, Jack, hurry. You guys weren't halfway through because we were thinking miles, but they were counting like five kilometers. So somebody ended up coaching us up. But we were excited, and that that was really cool, man. And then tell me a little bit before we move on. Talk me through like that Nike experience. You know, you said that you know, and I know in events like that they kind of whine and dine you a little bit, but kind of walk me through, you know, you go through the regional, and now it's time to go to nationals. What was that whole experience like, that whole, you know, thing?

Coaching, Culture, And Community

SPEAKER_01 15:55

It was really cool. So we got to do it last year too, and it was it was an experience that I was so grateful to share with a group of seniors last year, and you know, with with my other one of my best friends, sophomore Jack McG or Jack Morrison. And so the two of us and and a group of five seniors went out last year, and the experience is is the same every year. I think I figured out it's it's really just a cool experience because they fly you out to Oregon, you know, they give you all this cool Nike gear, but at the same time, it's it's also like you have to focus on a goal. And so I I think last year our goal was just to have fun and enjoy it. But this year I think I went into it with a little bit more of like a an official goal, like of something that I I knew that I could achieve. And so that was that was something that was a little different this year. But yeah, Nike does the whole experience, they'd fly you out and they'd have you guys in these nice hotels, and uh, you know, it's it's pretty sweet. But I mean I I think if if I could do anything differently though, I would just bring the whole team back this or you know, next year. And I that's what I texted out to the group chat of the guys that were all sending me congratulations. I was like, let's just go back next year, guys. Let's let's go do this as a team next year. That would be cool, man. So I the Rockers running like group is just such a strong group, and I think for any student that's kind of looking towards Rockers for you know any sport, I think absolutely you should consider distance running, whether it's track or cross country, because the community that is built up in distance running at Rockers is just something really special, and we've got a lot of talent at this school, and so I think and the other cool thing is our coaching. We have we have six different coaches that all just are all like that all have their own parts and add things that they add to the team. But Coach Dirks is definitely one of the most skilled and influential coaches I've ever had in my life, yeah, if not the most, because he is just so incredibly well-rounded as a coach, has done everything. And I think I think it's just really cool the program that Rockers has built up around a sport that not a lot of other schools really have such a strong program in.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

Yeah, and and Maestro, we used to call him Maestro because he when I was here, as I told you, he was my track coach and I gave him a lot of grief. I apologize, Maestro. I've grown up now, so but now he's a good dude, man. And it's it is a blessing to see that level of commitment. You know, another very humble, behind the scenes kind of guy, but the level of commitment and and dedication that he has poured into the school and his craft is I'm I'm glad that he is still here to give that to you all.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

So I'm I'm leaving right after school to go to his uh Missouri Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Is he actually showing up?

SPEAKER_02 18:38

Okay, does somebody get him to show up?

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Um yeah, we're gonna we're gonna force him to be in front of people and be acknowledged for his successes. I love it, yeah, man.

Finals Week Mindset

SPEAKER_02 18:47

Make sure he is uh you gotta celebrate a guy that's worked really hard. Get him a security detail to make sure he gets there because uh we we were joking, like, dude, I don't know if he's gonna actually go, man. You know that's not his style, but that's um that's awesome, and that's an awesome accomplishment, man. So, all right, man. We're gonna transition because as I told you, this is about just a review of the semester. This is about looking forward to the holidays, and as much as I dislike this time of year, because finals, I gotta ask, man, how you feeling about the finals, dude? You feeling good? By the time we air this, hopefully you will have survived finals. But what are you looking forward to in terms of the finals and and how many do you have and all that stuff?

SPEAKER_01 19:32

Yeah, I mean, so I have I have uh five, I six finals this year, not including choir, but we actually did have to write an essay the other day in choir. So I know he's Coker's making us do a little bit more work, but but I think I think for me, finals is just uh it's kind of an interesting time of year because the cross-country season just ended, so I get to I get to have a little bit more time to realize that I need to put a little bit more effort into school, which you know it is kind of a a yearly recurrence now of me being like, all right, now I gotta focus on the other things. So but I I I think I'm I think I'm pretty excited for it. The teachers do a really good job of getting us ready for these, you know, a time that a lot of people are a little stressed out about. But I I think the biggest thing is just to stay focused, take it one step at a time. And I'm I'm really not too nervous about it, but I think I think a lot of guys can kind of get in their own head about it. But I think the thing that a lot of people need to realize is that Rockers does a really good job of preparing you for really anything in life.

SPEAKER_03 20:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

And so I I I'd say to a lot of the guys that are nervous and you know, kind of confused about you know what to do for finals, I think it's I think it's just the time to realize like you're ready for this. It's it's a lot of what I've been told in running of just you know, having confidence that you're ready in it. You're ready for it. Like I I think I'll I'll get a good amount of studying in the next week, but without running, I I think I'll be able to you know finally find out. I'm excited for just to be able to check another thing off the list and get ready for a little break, so that'll be nice.

Family, Brotherhood, And Legacy

SPEAKER_02 21:05

For sure, man. And you know, getting through finals, it kind of leads to this next question of like, Christmas is around the corner, man. This time of year, what are you looking forward to in terms of the holiday season? Is there anything that jumps out in your mind of like being particularly thankful for at this time of year?

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Yeah, I mean, I think it's I think it's thankful for a lot of people. I I've been I've been so blessed in my life just to have so many great people that have supported me from my St. Elizabeth community on grade school and so many people in there to my new Rockers community. But so many great family members that I could not even name in the spirit in the span of an hour that we have. Yeah. But you know, I I I think I'm just so blessed to have so many great people in my life, whether it's running or whether it's academics and athletics at Rockers, but also just so many people that support me. And I think I think it's it's just a lot of people that that I couldn't even name. But you know, my parents, my parents is definitely probably number one in that my family. Yeah. That's cool, man. Gotta make sure you gotta make sure you say the family so that mom doesn't get mad when she hears this. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:11

And then well, let me because you got a little brother coming, right? Yeah. Owen, Owen, I I saw his name pop in there. Is he excited?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think I think he's seen what I've been able to do at Rockhurst and just the impact that Rockhurst has has given me, and I think he's just so excited to make his own little legacy at Rockhurst. And I think there's I think there's something really cool about the community that Rockhurst has because it's a lot of families and it's a lot of brothers. And I I'm I'm just excited for him to be able to kind of create his own legacy at Rockhurst. And I also have a younger brother, Luke, too, who's four years younger. Or yeah, four years younger.

SPEAKER_03 22:47

So okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

But I I think it's it's a really cool community because it's a lot of family, whether you're directly related to them or not. Like I think it's it becomes a family of a sort. And so I think he's just excited to be welcomed into another community.

Gratitude And Expectation Of Excellence

SPEAKER_02 23:01

I'm always excited about, even though you know, when you're young, you don't know the brotherhood, right? You're calling it a family, but like that brotherhood. I always, especially sitting in this seat this year, of being able to engage and talk with the families and meet the young men that are coming in next year, it's really cool because for them to have this sense of what you just talked about, this family, this community, this brotherhood, you know, and and I always I was telling a parent the other day, the brotherhood is it is very much the guys that are here and that come through here as alumni, but it's also our extended community. The the the moms that and dads that help at the you know the hospitality desk, the volunteers. I mean, this this brotherhood is massive and it is welcoming and it is really cool to be a part of. And so that's I'm I'm I love hearing that he's excited about stepping in the door and just getting in the mix, which leads to this, man. And you know, this is the last question, you know, because we want these to just be short little highlight type type combos, but a lot going on here, a lot that you're involved in. What if you can, what's one thing that you're thankful for from Rockhurst? You know, like what is a if if you could point it in any direction you want to, what it what's something that you're thankful for from this place?

SPEAKER_01 24:29

I think for me it's I'm thankful that Rockhurst has given me so many opportunities. My and I feel like that's a very cliche thing to say because a lot of people say that, and it's what does that really mean? But for me, I mean it's obviously you can go in a running and seeing how I've been able to kind of represent myself on a national scale, but at the same time, it's also so many other things. Um, it's given me the opportunity to be a part of new friend groups and be a part of new groups of guys that that are really just great guys at Rockers and finding finding the groups that that I really enjoy because there's so many great people at Rockers, but it's also given me the opportunity to learn at a you know incredibly well-storied school and it's and its academic accolades. And so I think it's it's a really cool community because it there's so many opportunities for every single student. And I that's that's the one thing I tell any rockers, you know, student or incoming rockers student. That's what I tell my shadows whenever I have shadows. Yeah, it's just you know, there's there's something cool to do at rockers for you. And you know, I'll I'll give a shout-out to a senior last year. Andrew Davis told me this. He said, Jack, at Rockers, it's it's cool to be good at something, like to be really good at something. And and a lot of people at other schools might think like, you know, they use the phrase like try hard or something like that. And I I think that's such a horrible phrase because it having passion and confidence in what you do is is something that I think rockers is just built around. It's built around a lot of really studded people who are really good at at the things that they do because they work so hard at it and because Rockers gives them the opportunities that they do.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Yeah, and dude, that's that's well said because it's um this is a conversation I have with my kids, and it's a combo I have with other athletes and folks I work with, and just people I find now is like you know, we're living in a time where there's so much that can tear you down. What we've always done here is becoming more and more prominent, and and almost like people are surprised. Like, yeah, dude, like the success that you see our young men have in any area, you can go tit for tat, you could pick any program you want to. Me and Winkler were talking about this. Pick a pick a department, pick a program. It's it's because of the culture and the expectation is the thing that I would add to that. The expectation for you to come here and be great. We'll we will support you, we will love you, we will show up for you, but the expectation is whatever those gifts are, use them to go be great. Yeah, and yeah, and that is that is something that I'm surprised, but I also went here. So I I got an inside look, if you will, that people are surprised when they hear that.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

Sure.

Closing And Holiday Wishes

SPEAKER_02 27:13

Like, yeah, that's why robotics has banners, that's why cross country and these plays have banners, that's why our choir does the overseas trips, that's why like it's just what we do, and we see it differently in-house, and just helping people understand that is is something I'm passionate about. So that's it, man. Well, dude, I appreciate your time. I wish you the best on finals. I wish you a blessed holiday season. Thank you for being here. Yeah, and guys, this is another episode of Rock Talk. This is Steve, and we'll talk soon.