Emily McCullough continues historic season with husband and training partner by her side

By MAYAN PAZ

Tiger Media Network

Athletic events can be a great place to meet your significant other, and for Emily McCullough (previously Diercks), that is exactly how she met her husband. McCullough, one of the best cross-country runners to represent FHSU, met her now husband, Chayse, while they were competing at a high school cross-country meet. The two rose through the ranks together as notable runners in the state.

Colby Community College was their first stop after graduating from high school, and Emily began to separate herself from the competition, establishing herself as a top collegiate athlete. After two years of community college, it was time for the couple to find a university to continue their academic and athletic journey. Emily had offers from several DI schools, but as the two wanted to be together, she chose Fort Hays, and Chayse followed.

Chayse said that the couple made the decision to go to Fort Hays mainly to stay together, and it also worked out well for them professionally.

“So Emily had a lot of big division ones looking at her out of junior college. We both just wanted to go somewhere together,” Chayse said. “So Emily, I don’t want to downplay it, but she decided we’ll go here. And coming here has actually been great for her because everyone knows it; the top of Division II is just as competitive as the top Division I. So if you’re going to be good, if you’re a dog, you’re going to be a dog. So it doesn’t really matter, and it worked out.”

Emily added that the decision to become a Tiger was also influenced by the environment she recognised at the team and the quality of the program.

“I really liked coach (Jason) McCullough, and I like his training now. I really like my team here,” she said. “They’re really supportive, and they’re awesome people to be around, and they just support me in everything I do.”

Jason said what sets Emily apart is her mental preparation. 

“She’s obviously very talented, but she’s also very motivated mentally, you know, she’s focused, she has a great head on her shoulders, and she’s very confident,” he said. “There are never any excuses with her; she always goes to practice no matter what.”

And so, one of the top recruits of her class arrived at Fort Hays and, in the fall of 2024, started making her presence known around the MIAA. In her first cross-country season as a Tiger, she won the MIAA title and qualified for the NCAA DII national championships. She proceeded to have a successful track season, and this year, she has seen even more success during the cross-country season.

Emily won the MIAA championship for the second consecutive year and then went on to win the Central Region title – the first time a male or female FHSU runner has achieved this feat – and remains undefeated against Division 2 competition.

To achieve this level of success, hard and consistent training is required, and Chayse is helping Emily to achieve that. The two smile and laugh when discussing their joint training habits and how they help each other improve.

“Obviously, she is better than I am,” Chayse said. “But it’s still funny that I can say that I am faster than her. Sometimes she gets upset with me if I pace too fast, and then coach gives us some marriage counseling. But yes, I definitely like to help her train.”

The fact that Chayse is a competitive runner has some other positive impacts besides just being a pacer for workouts. The two help each other maintain the professional lifestyle that is necessary to be an athlete at that level.

“It doesn’t matter that we are on a different level relatively to our competition,” Emily said. “Because we both know what it takes to be a competitive athlete, and we can help each other in a lot of ways.”

Both Emily and Chayse will graduate this upcoming spring, and they are already thinking ahead. Emily wants to keep running and competing at a high level, and says she is looking for options to do so after graduation. Chayse is considering becoming a coach, and the two have already taken their first steps in that direction.

Over the summer, the couple started a running club for kids in Chayse’s hometown, Plainville. He said there aren’t many other options for children to run in that area.

“I figured if I could get some kids interested in the sport, now maybe they’ll grow into the sport,” he said. “And that’s exactly what we’ve done. I just love this sport and wanted to expose more children to it.”

Running, coaching, and achieving historical feats, Emily McCullough is leaving her mark on the FHSU history books, as her journey is supported by Chayse. Together, they continue to find more ways to contribute to the sport of running.

Meanwhile, the kids from the running club will anxiously wait to see how Emily does in the NCAA DII Cross-Country National Championships on Saturday, as well as the rest of her track season later this year.