BOLIVAR, Mo. -- A pair of Bearcat runners recently wrapped up their SBU careers, completing a highly successful collegiate run. Jeremy Glassmaker and Michael McCampbell, both of Marshall, Mo., have been friends and teammates for over a decade. During their time at Southwest Baptist, the duo helped the Bearcats to a number of program firsts including the 2008 MIAA Cross Country Championship and an appearance in the NCAA D-II Cross Country National Championships in 2009.

Glassmaker was All-MIAA all four seasons in cross country and holds the third best 8k time in SBU history (25:03, set in 2009 at the MIAA Championships at Emporia State). He was All-Region in 2009 and helped the Bearcats to their first ever team appearance at the NCAA cross country national meet.

The indoor track distance medley relay team that was national runner-up in March 2009 with a time of 9:50.35 included Glassmaker. He was also part of outdoor relay record holders in the 4x800m (7:50.15) and 4x1600m (17:40.87). He earned All-MIAA honors during the indoor seasons in 2009 and 2010 and took home outdoor All-MIAA honors his final three seasons (2008-10).

The pair have known each other since seventh grade and have shared a lot of time together on the track. Glassmaker lists going to nationals, both in cross country and indoor track, as his favorite memories while at SBU. He says that he and McCampbell were big rivals, especially in high school. "We would race and train together, pushing each other to get better."

McCampbell echoed Glassmaker, saying his biggest competition in high school was always Jeremy. "My freshman year in high school, it was me, Jeremy and another guy and we made it to state in cross country," said McCampbell. "It really opened our eyes."

Another eye-opening experience for McCampbell came his first day at SBU. "Our team ran in the evening after moving in during the day," he said. "It was dark and I had never ran in Bolivar. They were flying and I had to keep pace. I thought to myself that these guys are super fast, and we might be pretty good."

McCampbell earned All-MIAA in cross country in 2008 and holds the fifth-best 8K time in school history (25:52). At the 2009 NCAA Cross Country National Championships in Evansville, Ind., McCampbell picked up the new NCAA Elite 88 award for the highest GPA among competing athletes at a championship event. He holds the SBU outdoor record in the 10,000 meters at 31:38.69 in 2008, which also earned All-MIAA honors.

In addition to his NCAA Elite 88 academic award, McCampbell was also a four-time member of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic team, a two-time CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honoree, and 2008-09 CoSIDA ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American. He carried a 3.91 GPA in biology with an environmental and field concentration during his SBU career.

Glassmaker and McCampbell, along with fellow seniors Michael Pierce, Shawn Etzenhouser, Cameron Ayers, Josh Rollins and others, comprised the most successful group of running talent in school history which was evident in the numerous awards and achievements they garnered. Head coach Corey McElhaney, who guided the group as head coach for three of the four years, offered his thoughts.

"To lose two great leaders like Jeremy and Michael is devastating but I will never forget all the great times we had," said McElhaney. "There was never a dull moment with these two, that is for sure. The most important legacy these two left was that you can still be a very successful runner, have a firm faith and rock solid character. These two young men were role models for the rest of the team and the university. They will be missed on this team but their legacy will not be forgotten."

Glassmaker is getting married in August and moving to Osage Beach, Mo. His fiance is Kristen Colon, another former Bearcat runner. Both Glassmaker and Colon graduated from SBU in May, with education degrees -- Jeremy in elementary and Kristen in middle school. McCampbell is working for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, studying sage grass habitats. He will work there until September before potentially returning to Missouri to begin graduate school.