Running long distances in the stifling Louisiana heat and humidity is not a simple task for anyone, much less someone from a small town in cold and snowy New Hampshire. Chris “C.J.” Kelliher, psychology freshman, quickly realized this when he came to Loyola this year.

Kelliher is one of the four freshmen who make up the men’s cross country team this year. “Running in New Hampshire is completely different from running down here. I’m still trying to get used to the humidity,” he said.

Kelliher first came to New Orleans two years ago while his mother was on a business trip in the city. He wanted to attend college in the south but wasn’t sure exactly where until he visited New Orleans. Kelliher said he chose Loyola because he liked its size and balance between academics and athletics.

Kelliher did not come to Loyola with the intention of being on the cross country team. He competed in track and soccer in high school in Goffstown, N.H., and enjoyed skiing, but he had never competed in cross country.

He did have some experience in distance running, however, having run in five kilometer and eight kilometer races. Kelliher had planned to continue running daily in college to stay in shape, but he decided to turn his exercise routine into competitive running and contacted head cross country and track coach Andy Canegitta.

“He’s a wicked cool guy. I really like his method in training. I think he’s going to pretty much get the best out of us,” Kelliher said of Canegitta. Under Canegitta’s direction, Kelliher’s running routine now consists of 6:30 a.m. practices every weekday.

Canegitta is counting on Kelliher to emerge as a leader on a young team. “C.J. seems to have the potential to lead. He has a positive attitude and is working hard to improve,” Canegitta said. “He has the potential of becoming a great runner if he continues to put in the miles.”

Kelliher said although the Wolfpack has such a young team, it only means they have a lot of room to get better. “If we stay together as a team and keep building, we have a really good opportunity to be a strong team at the end of the year,” he said. In addition to his goals for the team, he said his personal goals are to run the five kilometer distance in less than 18 minutes and the eight kilometer distance in less than 30 minutes.

In the team’s belated season opener at the 36th Annual Azalea City Classic on Sept. 13 in Mobile, Ala., Kelliher led the Wolfpack with a time of 18:55 on the 5,000 meter course.

Andy Pham can be reached at [email protected]