Summer Gelman, a senior and co-captain of the California Lutheran University Regals cross-country team, has been the frontrunner in her squad for every meet she raced in this season. At the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1 in Claremont, California, Gelman earned the title of First Team All-SCIAC for the second consecutive season.
Gelman described the race as “very tactical and difficult,” saying her body wasn’t cooperating the way she had hoped. Despite the pain in the final stretch, she raced past an opponent in the last 150 meters to secure the 10th and final First Team spot.
This win made Gelman the fourth Regal in California Lutheran University history to be named a First Team All-SCIAC athlete multiple times, according to CLU Sports. Gelman is also the first athlete from either the Kingsmen or Regals cross country teams to achieve this title since 2017, according to Head Coach Brett Halvaks.
Gelman’s history with running at a high level brings another layer to the talent and grit that led her to this achievement. Previously a long-time soccer player, Gelman said she didn’t discover her “love” for running until after high school.
Gelman said she started off her college career at San Diego State University, but left to attend online community college after one semester. During this time, Gelman said she was going through a rough patch and discovered running as an outlet to clear her mind.
“Whenever I needed to go out and just forget about what I was dealing with there at school, like homesickness, I would just go run,” Gelman said. “I’d put my headphones in, and I had an old pair of running shoes from high school I put on and I just went, like, every day, sometimes twice a day.”
After finishing her first year of college, Gelman said she went to Cuesta College and found her way into their cross country program, with her and the coach agreeing that she would not compete in races, as Gelman just wanted to meet new people and practice with them for “fun.”
Despite the decision to not compete, Gelman still ran the first meet with this team and said it was the “hottest, most grueling, horrendous thing” she had ever done. However, Gelman said the satisfaction of crossing the finish line after all of the hard work that was put in before outweighed those conditions.
“I love having teammates and I love the hustle. I love competing,” Gelman said. “I really found a love for [running] and I made a lot of good friends there who really pushed me and tried to make me become the best version of myself.”
According to Gelman, the greatest aspect about running is that it is therapeutic for her.
“I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older, … we live in a really chaotic, fast-paced world, and running is one of the only things where I can center myself and kind of blur out everything around me,” Gelman said.
Gelman said she would not have chosen to transfer to Cal Lutheran if it wasn’t for the coaches reaching out to her. Halvaks said he watched Gelman compete a few times and invited her for a campus visit, with Gelman committing to run for the Regals shortly thereafter.
“She’s just super driven and has very high goals and expectations of herself, but I think she realizes that with having those goals and expectations, she has to work really hard to achieve those things, [which] she does, and is a great leader, not just for herself but for the team as well,” Halvaks said. “She’s definitely elevated our program a lot.”
As co-captain, Gelman’s accomplishments have motivated the team, Halvaks said. Athletes have taken notice of what Gelman has achieved, which Halvaks said has created an, “If she can do this, we can do it as well,” mindset.
Gelman said her mother Kim Gelman has been a major source of support. From friends, to school, to athletics, Gelman said her mother always carves out time for her regardless of what she has going on, which is “extremely special” to her.
“She’s a great leader and a great example as a teammate. She’s really a nurturing person,” Kim said. “She’s a tremendous athlete, … she’s very diligent, and she works extremely hard. I’m super excited for her, and I’m really proud of her.”
Gelman, who plans to graduate in spring 2026 with a degree in sports communication, said her future isn’t certain yet, as there are a few routes she can explore, such as attending Cal Lutheran for another year to run, as she has an extra year of eligibility with the NCAA.
According to Gelman, she feels most called to explore a career in athletics, and is considering coaching as a possibility for her future.
“The best comes out in her when she’s in the athletic world. So I think, I hope she pursues that, … I really do. I think she’d be happy,” Kim said.
Though the future remains uncertain, Gelman said she has confidence that she will find what is meant for her.
“I’ve learned that I really like helping people. That’s just something I like to do. I like working with others to achieve a goal,” Gelman said.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, the NCAA West Regionals will take place in Claremont, California, where Gelman will attempt to qualify for nationals.
Gelman said this race “matters a lot” to her, as she was one spot short from qualifying last season.
“I’m internalizing the pressure a bit more this year, but I think at the end of the day, knowing what I’ve done this year and what the team’s done this year, it’s going to be really exciting to, you know, get on that line and race that race and see what happens,” Gelman said.
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