Wheaton College Athletics

Ryan Rogers was a three-time All-American in three different events in track and field. He placed second in the 55-meter hurdles (7.53) at the 2001 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship to become Wheaton's first indoor track All-American. He was sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (14.63) at the 2002 Division III Outdoor Championships and finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles (51.46) at the 2003 Outdoor Championships. He was the 2001 and 2002 CCIW Outdoor Champion in the 110-meter hurdles, setting a conference record in 2002 that stands today. Rogers also won conference titles indoors in the 55-meter hurdles in 2001 and 2002.
 
Ryan reflects, "Something that I began learning while participating in Wheaton Track, and one which I'm still learning, is that our identity is not best placed in what we do, but in who we are in Christ. When one has success as an athlete, and is honored for it, it is easy for that to become our identity. But one does not always win every race, may struggle with injuries, and our athleticism does not always age well – and when those things happen it can be difficult beyond just the normal disappointments in sports if that is who we see ourselves as primarily being. But because I ran track at Wheaton College, I was mentored by coaches, and surrounded by teammates, that I knew cared for me for more than just my athletic ability, and with a love that ultimately comes from God, and that in turn helped me to shift my identity away from that of an athlete alone. While I still have a tendency to look for identity outside of Christ, as we all perhaps do at times, my positive experience in being a part of the Wheaton Track team serves as a reference and reminder of where, and in whom, I should be placing my identity.