This story first appeared on .
It was not quite a year ago when Cree Ross had no idea where he would be attending college.
The Panama City, Fla., native was on the football and track teams at Birmingham-Southern when the school announced it was closing after the 2023-24 school year.
"Honestly, it was a tough process. It was heartbreaking. It was hard to lose all those connections I had made. It was scary to even think about being one of thousands in the transfer portal," said Ross.
"My first concern was football and wondering where I might be able to play. My general concern was academics. I had a lot of conversations with my family and prayed a lot. Fortunately, I found a home here in Centre along with my roommate Mario (Brewer, who is also on the football and track teams). I am blessed to be here."
He credits Brewer with helping him make the move. Centre recruited Brewer while Ross was debating what to do. Brewer put Ross in contact with Centre coaches, and after a few months, he decided to move to Danville.
The move certainly has worked well so far because Ross played a significant role in helping Centre win its second straight Southern Athletic Association indoor championship last weekend. He won the long jump with a leap of 23 feet, 1 1/4 inches, and the triple jump with a mark of 46-10 1/2. He finished the 60-meter dash in 7.01 seconds to place second.
Earlier in the season, he was named SAA Field Athlete of the Week after a personal best mark in the triple jump, which placed him at the top of the conference and 12th in the nation.
"I am blessed and just happy to showcase my God-given ability and show that nothing is impossible when you are my size. I know I am considered small, and I want to inspire people struggling with the idea that they are too small to succeed," the 5-10 Ross said. "I have put on weight since I got here. I came in around 154 pounds, but I have gained about five to 10 pounds of muscle, and I am strong and faster."
Track was not the major reason he came to Centre but on his visit he got a look at the new indoor facility. He already knew about Centre's "great track program" and associate coach Edwin Hagans convinced him that Centre could develop his talent.
"I have become a better athlete than I ever imagined. I was jumping big numbers last year, but now I am reaching numbers I didn't know I could reach," he said.
He's felt so inspired that he believes that he can challenge the record Chrys Jones set at Centre College with more rigorous training. Jones was a national champion in the outdoor triple jump in 2009 as a sophomore and won multiple indoor and outdoor triple jump national championships. He still owns Centre records in the outdoor long jump (23-2.5), outdoor triple jump (50-8.25), indoor high jump (6-4.75), indoor long jump (23-8.75) and indoor triple jump (50-6).
"He has some big marks, but I feel like they are very attainable through better technique and training going forward," Ross said.
He played only sparingly on the Centre football team in his first year, but injuries early in the season hindered his opportunities.
"Toward the middle and end of the season, I was getting more acclimated, and seeing how the coaches wanted to use me made me excited for next season and how much better we can be on offense," he said.
Head football coach Andy Frye encourages his players to play other sports. He still wants them to make football a priority, but he understands the value of playing more than one sport.
"I think me and Mario have inspired some other guys to reach out and try to better themselves through track. It's cool to see guys branch out and do more stuff and show what they are capable of doing," Ross said.
Ross said he makes sure to "touch base" with both his football and track coaches to ensure there are no conflicts.
"Doing both sports has not caused me any problems. We stay on top of everything," Ross said.
However, there is one thing Frye and head track coach Lisa Owens did not prepare him for when he transferred.
"This was my first time seeing snow," Ross said. "Now I am finally able to say I have seen snow outdoors. I will say I have had my fair share of it now. When it first started falling, it definitely checked it off my bucket list. Even Panama City got some snow this year but I think enough is enough for me on the snow."
