Last Saturday, Sept. 14, sophomore Luke McKenna set the Point Park record for the 8k at the Robert Morris Invitational.

Behind the broken records, McKenna discussed his upbringing, drive for success and much more.

McKenna was born in Allegheny County but grew up in Lexington, South Carolina. Growing up, he became an avid runner, with his parents playing a significant role in his success in the sport.

“My mom was really helpful, she always pushed me to do stuff even when I didn’t want to,” McKenna said. “My parents are great.”

McKenna grew up playing baseball until he turned 11 years old and then centered on being the best runner possible. 

McKenna’s journey to Point Park University was influenced by his Pittsburgh-based family. 

“I have a lot of family here,” McKenna said. “Both of my parents are from this area and grew up within ten minutes of the city.”

When McKenna was a junior in high school, cross country coach Tim Creamer reached out to him. From there, Point Park felt like the right choice for McKenna. He began his freshman year in 2023 as a Sports, Arts and Entertainment Management (SAEM) major. 

This summer, McKenna locked into preparing for his second season with the Pioneers cross country team. 

“I followed the mileage sheet and did speed workouts,” McKenna said. “It was a lot harder to train due to the heat down south so I got up early every morning.” 

Heading into this cross country season, McKenna was determined to improve his mid-race running. He mentioned that he tends to wait until he can see the finish line before attempting to pass nearby runners. He shared that he wanted to focus on this aspect of his running. 

McKenna’s hard work this summer appears to be paying off for him and his team. The men’s team finished in fourth place at the West Liberty Invitational, with Luke finishing fourth overall at 18 minutes and 58 seconds. 

“Right from the gun I got out and was in the lead,” McKenna said. “And I didn’t want to give it up, so I stayed in the front as long as possible and nobody really ever tried to pass me”.

McKenna aims to improve each race and avoid any bad races. 

“I always go out there and work as hard as I can,” McKenna said.

McKenna shared that he looks forward to the CMU Invitational at Schenley Park meet; it was his favorite race last year.

As it is still early in the cross country season, McKenna has some big goals.

“[My] biggest goal is to run under 25 minutes in the 8k,” McKenna said. “Then at the conference meet, place in the ten.”

The Pioneers take on the 23rd Annual Lock Haven Cross Country Open/Invitational in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania on Sept. 28.