UPEI cross country recruit Patrick Tarrant viewed as potential program cornerstone

By Thomas Becker 

UPEI's cross country team made headlines in 2017 when they shocked the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) community with a third-place finish at the AUS Championships. It was a thrilling moment, to say the least, but chasing a second podium result has been a struggle ever since, as the team responded with sixth-place finishes in the following seasons. 

Of course, it'd be unfair to expect a rookie to come in and be the saviour of a program, but Patrick Tarrant is the type of student-athlete who can change the landscape of a team for years to come. 

Simply put, the 23-year-old runner is the real deal.

"Patrick's ceiling is very, very high," said Panthers head coach Mike Peterson. "As fast as he is now, he's truly just getting started, and his fastest days are still ahead of him. He's going to give our program a solid boost."

It wasn't until 2012 when running became a priority for Tarrant, thanks to a soccer coach who placed a high value on fitness and stamina.

"I started running to keep in shape for soccer as our coach would make the team do beep tests to evaluate our fitness levels," Tarrant explained. 

It turns out the dreaded beep test was the catalyst to a world of new opportunities. That fall, Tarrant decided to participate in a local 5K cross country race — not knowing what to expect — and placed third as a high school freshman. 

"This was the first indicator that I might have success in the sport," he said.

When it came to running, Tarrant has always been a self-starter who didn't have the luxury of a team or a running club to train with. But that never stopped him from racing.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Athletics Association (NLAA) — responsible for athletic disciplines such as track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking — allowed him to show what he was capable of and how he stacked up against his peers. 

Over the years, Tarrant steadily climbed the NLAA rankings, and in 2019, he placed eighth in the 5K race — up from 17th in 2018 — while shaving 24 seconds off his previous time. And during a time trial in February, Tarrant trimmed that personal best of 16:57 to 16:23. 

"I don't let myself or others set limitations, and I refuse to quit," said Tarrant, who credits his "stubbornness" for his improved times and successes on the trails. "I'm pretty good at dealing with setbacks and not getting discouraged when faced with adversity, whether that be an injury or a bad race."

It's no wonder several AUS schools, including Memorial and Saint Mary's, pursued him.

"It's definitely been nice to have different universities express interest in having me compete for them." 

But when it came time to make a decision, Peterson's vision for the team made UPEI an enticing destination for the North River, Newfoundland native. 

"For myself, being able to play a huge role in the growth of the program is very exciting," Tarrant said. "Having a lot of young guys who will be around for the next few years will help us grow into a solid group." 

Recruiting Tarrant was a perfect scenario for Peterson, who's getting a fast runner, a mature student (with all five years of eligibility remaining) and a team leader. 

"Having another older guy to complement Dan Maguire at workouts, on the road, on easy runs and at strength training will be instrumental in helping us get over the hump," Peterson said.

And as far as individual accolades are concerned, Peterson believes Tarrant has the tools to become an elite runner, especially with some formal training. 

"I truly think Patrick has the stuff to challenge in the AUS, and I think he'll turn some heads," he said. "He is so new to running competitively, yet he is already running extremely well. With a little more focus on speed and turnover, and when he gets into workouts in a team setting, I think we're going to see something special."

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