The Cal Poly cross country program repeated as conference champions Oct. 27 after hosting the Big West Championships in Nipomo. This year, the team looked a little different on the men’s side with graduate transfer Davis Bove headlining for the Mustangs and going on to win the Big West individual title.
I came here to win, you know, I came here to be as good as I can be," Bove said of his decision to transfer. " It's just really reassuring that I made a good decision. I'm doing the right thing. Coach Van Hoy knows what he's doing with me.”
With the Big West individual title, Bove adds to an already impressive list of accolades that includes two All-American honors in the Indoor Mile and a plethora of broken school records in distance events at LSU but in his time at Cal Poly, there’s still plenty more to accomplish.
“It's still kind of early in our time together, so I don't want to get too ahead of myself. But to have success early is really reassuring because sometimes it doesn't happen that way.”
With the win, Bove makes it 3-for-3 on the cross country season in the three meets he’s raced this fall. With wins at the Bill Dellinger Invitational and the Bronco Invititational, Bove is off to an excellent start in his running career on the central coast..
“I made a change and I didn't know what to expect, but it's been pretty much everything I could ask for so far. The teammates are great. These guys have a lot of fun and they push me every day.”
To do what Bove does on a track or on the course takes serious training but luckily for the newly minted Big West champion, no one is training like him. As two-time triathlon champion,once in 2019 and another in 2022, Bove’s regimen also includes biking and swimming, giving him the competitive edge over almost all of his opponents.
“I know that nobody is training like I am and has the background that I have, so it's just something I take with me. Every race, I'm like, okay, I'm doing something these guys aren't doing.”
As for what lies ahead, the NCAA West Regionals are next for Bove and the Mustangs who are looking to make a push for a trip to the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
“I’m with guys that I love and guys that I know love me. It makes a big difference.”
The NCAA West Regionals are Nov. 10 in Sacramento for both the Cal Poly men and women. Bove still has another year of eligibility for both cross country and track and field season.
