Stretch Goals Land Kirby in NU Athletics Hall of Fame

University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame

Randy York’s N-Sider

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“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” – Norman Vincent Peale

In an expanding world of positive thinking, a timeless thought is as relevant today as it ever was, especially if you ask Joe Kirby about the best advice he’s ever received. “The best advice I’ve ever been given was from David Harris when he was my high school cross country coach,” said Kirby, who will be inducted into the inaugural class of the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame during the Huskers’ season-opening football weekend against Brigham Young.

Now Nebraska’s head cross country coach and distance coach for the Husker men’s and women’s track and field teams, Harris coached Kirby during his freshman, sophomore and junior years in high school at Jefferson City, Mo.

That was before Harris accepted the opportunity to join Jay Dirksen on Gary Pepin’s coaching staff. Kirby, a nationally prominent cross country and distance runner, narrowed his choices and visited five schools, including two in the Southeast Conference (Auburn and Mississippi), two in the then Big 12 Conference (Kansas and Nebraska) and one in the Big Ten (Ohio State).

So what did Nebraska have that other possible choices did not have?

...David Harris, of course.

Kirby will never forget the advice that Harris provided when he was a small, spirited distance runner in high school. The single piece of advice Harris delivered was a stretch goal that was shared like it was an inherent part of a joint strategy. “Go out in 4:35 and see what you can do,” Harris told Kirby, who didn’t gulp or even think about questioning what his head cross country coach had just recommended.

He did, however, do the math. Running a 4:35 first mile “would have given me a 17-second personal record (PR) in the two-mile run,” Kirby recalled. “I followed his instructions and ran a 21-second PR, and that vaulted my running career in the direction that has landed me with the tremendous honor of being in the inaugural class of the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame.”

An equally compelling part of Harris’ stretch goal strategy went beyond cross country and distance running, including the steeple chase, in track. “I learned two big lessons from that simple piece of advice that has followed me throughout life,” said Kirby (No. 515 below). “First, I learned never to be afraid to push your limits because you don’t know what you might accomplish. Second, I learned that when you find good mentors, you take their advice to heart.”Harris: Even as a Prep Freshman, Kirby Had a Kick at the Finish Line

Harris appreciates the promotion, but insists that the product Kirby produced came from his own heart. “Joe Kirby was a very, very talented athlete when he came into our program in Jefferson City, even when he was a little, skinny freshman,” Harris said. “We knew immediately that he had the talent and could really be good. Joe could kick down people at the end of the race like crazy. He would just go after ‘em, even as a freshman. Sometimes, he couldn’t catch ‘em, but I could see he was a tremendously hard worker. The talent was there. So was the will.”

Harris believes strongly that Kirby’s positivity is a fundamental part of his character and competitive nature. “He’s always been a pleasant guy to be around,” Harris said. “He always had a smile on his face and was very, very positive. So were his parents, who were part of our booster club in high school. They went to every meet to support Joe, who became one of those guys who just creates a lot of positivity around him.”

When Harris left Jefferson City to become part of Nebraska’s staff the first time around, he knew Kirby would be a nationally prominent prep recruit because “he was one of the top distance guys in the United States,” he said. “A lot of other schools that he didn’t visit wanted to recruit Joe, who was our first-ever Kinney All-American in high school.”

For top student-athletes who excel academically as well athletically, Nebraska has a competitive advantage in recruiting, and that was part of the draw to choose Lincoln. “Being a Husker, you’re expected to be the best of the best, both as an athlete and a student…that’s a difficult task,” Kirby said. “Nebraska gave me the opportunity to be successful in both and stressed the importance of giving your best in competition and in the classroom. My team and coaches were like family, and we still are. That bond is something very special.”From left: Husker cross country letterwinners Frank Graham (1986-87-88-89), David Adams (2008-09-10) and Kirby (1987-88-89-90).

Hall of Fame Honor Leaves Electrical Engineering Major Kirby “in Awe”

Even though he’s “still in awe” representing Husker cross country in the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame, Kirby deserves the honor. One of only three Huskers to earn multiple All-America awards in cross country, Kirby led Nebraska to an eighth-place NCAA finish in 1989, becoming the eighth American and 13th overall to cross the finish line – the highest finish ever by a Husker.

“My experience at Nebraska defined me as a person and helped direct my career,” Kirby said. Now 47, he used his Nebraska degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Systems to become an important part of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Working in the IT Department, he supervises application development for public and conservation-related projects.

Because Harris introduced stretch goals and Dirksen reinforced the same premise, Kirby has reached the pinnacle of his sport. “I loved wearing the Nebraska uniform and this honor brings back all the joy and pride of competing as a Husker,” he said. “My children are all big Husker fans, and my oldest daughter is following in my footsteps running cross country and track for Nebraska. Words cannot express what I feel being bestowed this honor. I’m grateful for all that Nebraska has done for me and my family.”

Kirby, left, led four Nebraska teams that qualified for the NCAA Championships and was a back-to-back All-American in 1988 and 1989.

Joe’s Daughter “Lizzy” Kirby Transfers to Nebraska to Be a Husker

Elizabeth "Lizzy" Kirbyis a college juniorwho transferred to Nebraska. “It’s exciting for me to see Lizzy as a Husker who gets the chance to see her dad going into the first Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame and the connection it will have for her,” Harris said. “There’s a lot of similarities between her and her dad. She’s very positive, very outgoing and very much a team-oriented person like her dad was. We’re glad she’s here.”

Lizzy will follow the template that worked for her dad. “Every day, I wanted what’s necessary to be the best athlete I could be, and that carried over in my career outside of athletics,” Kirby said. “I also offer as much assistance as I can with cross country teams in the area. Stories of my experiences competing and training hard offer young runners some insight as to what it takes to reach their potential.”

Fantastic Successes to Disappointing Failures = Great Experiences

Looking back, Kirby said recruiting is a “tough decision” for anyone going through the process. “After my first year in Husker country, I knew I’d made the best decision of my life at that time…a great education, fantastic coaches, and the best of teammates that helped make me the best runner I could possibly be.,” he said. “The team made my college experience something I will treasure for the rest of my life.”

For Kirby, it’s not easy to select a single highlight from a productive career. “The entire experience is what’s most special to me.” Thinking back, he calls his 13th-place finish at the NCAA Championships “pretty thrilling” because he started toward the back of the pack and worked his way up. “I fought to the very end, passing someone in the very last instant,” he recalled. “Just knowing that I put it all on the line that day was rewarding.”

Kirby’s post-graduation highlight was an 18th-place finish at the U.S. National Cross Country Championships. Unfortunately, a race that came a few days after his last race as a Husker ended up a major disappointment. “That’s why coming back and placing among the elite in the United States was such a thrill,” he said.

Kirby Family Embraces Nebraska's First Cross Country Hall of Famer

Gwen Kirby (above with Joe) will be in Lincoln to support her husband, when he’s inducted into the first-ever Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame and introduced later to a Memorial Stadium sellout football crowd. So will daughter Elizabeth, 16-year-old son Sam, 10-year-old daughter Sarah, plus Chandra Kirby, his mother, and Elizabeth Washburn, his mother-in-law.

The Kirby family embraces Nebraska’s first cross country Hall of Fame inductee who moved north and became one of the Huskers' own.

“Lincoln is a nice city that has a small-town feel, and touring the campus with my daughter last spring left me in awe,” Kirby said. “The campus and surrounding community was fantastic when I was in school. But now, it’s even nicer, a true world-class institution.”

Lincoln's Parks and Paths a Paradise for Bike Riders, Runners

For a distance runner, Lincoln’s bike paths and parks “offer amazing opportunities to train all over the city and train safely,” said Kirby, who describes Nebraska as having “top quality training facilities and a tradition of excellence that is second to none. That’s why all the student-athletes are so excited to don the Husker uniform.”

Reminiscing on his own Husker career, Kirby said he had “fantastic successes” as well as “disappointing failures”. “I’ve learned, it’s not about the outcome of the event. It’s about how you handle that outcome and what you learn from it,” he said. “You will have success and failure in any endeavor you’re part of. The intensity and passion you put in athletics transitions to all aspects of your life.”

For Kirby, one thing is certain, and he shares it with past, present and future Huskers.  “As long as you set stretch goals and do the daily work toward achieving those goals, you’ll have success,” he said.

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