The Clemson men’s cross country squad is marked with talent and experience, but there is typically one Tiger crossing the finish line first for the team.
Junior Sawyer Dagan has had several impressive showings this season, earning himself multiple personal bests. His first came in the men’s 6,000-meter at the Furman Invitational in September, where he clocked in at 18:30.20 to earn 12th overall. He earned another personal best in the 8,000-meter earlier this October at the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic, where he crossed the finish line at 23:58.20 to secure 10th overall.
THE POWER DUO 💥
🔸 Gladys Chepngetich earns ANOTHER first place finish at the Live in Lou Classic! 👏
🟣 Sawyer Dagan finished 10th in the Men’s 8k with a big PB! 💪 pic.twitter.com/GKPqQ7hE34— Clemson Track & Field 🐾 (@ClemsonTrackXC) September 30, 2023
Although the Steilacoom, Washington, native has now found his stride at this point in the season, it has not all been smooth sailing. In the first race of the season, the Eye Opener XC Festival, he placed 30th with a time of 25:53.9 in the 8,000-meter.
Still, Dagan remained determined to persevere. In just one month between the opener and Live in Lou, he shaved two minutes off his time. To put his speed in perspective, Dagan held a mile pace of 4:49 for nearly five miles in Louisville.
The Furman Invitational proved to be a breakthrough for his confidence.
“(It was great) to have my last race be a confidence booster, being able to go out there knowing that I’m fit and believe that,” Dagan said.
When it comes to race day, he likes to keep it simple.
“I try to zone out, stay relaxed, and focus on holding my pace for as long as I can,” he said.
As an avid Kendrick Lamar and Future listener, his favorite pre-race tradition is listening to “Money Trees” by Lamar.
“That’s my good luck song,” he said after practice last week.
Now, with two years of experience under his belt, Dagan has embraced his new upperclassman role on the team. Pushing his teammates to be better, both on the track and in the classroom, has solidified his importance to the squad.
“Just being more of a leader to the young guys… As an upperclassman, you have a role to try to push everyone to be the best they can be.”
It is crucial to keep oneself healthy and ready to perform on the big stage, as the load of miles can take a physical toll.
“(It’s important) to make sure I take care of my body, eating well and sleeping well,” Dagan said.
He further noted that recent workouts have been going great, and he does not plan on changing much.
The Tigers will have a weekend off before heading to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the Crimson Classic on Oct. 13. The women will be racing the 6,000-meter, while Dagan and the men will compete in another 8,000.
