by Brooke Hall
If you know Conner Beatty, you’re probably not surprised that he’s IUPUC’s first dual-sport athlete. In addition to being a Crimson Pride cross-country runner and baseball player, he’s s top student, an active community volunteer, he umpires kids’ baseball games—he’s even in the bowling club. When Conner says he likes to stay busy, he isn’t joking!
Take last year’s Mill Race Marathon. Beatty had just transferred from Ivy Tech – Fort Wayne where he played baseball and earned a diesel technology degree. The Mill Race run was a great chance to explore his new home of Columbus alongside his new teammates; IUPUC’s cross-country runners challenged themselves to complete the Mill Race half-marathon. At about mile 8, he wasn’t sure he’d make it, but he pushed and pushed and finally crossed the finish line. “My legs felt like Jell-O! But it was the coolest thing I’ve ever done, I’d never experienced anything like that.”
But it’s what Conner did after the race that’s even more impressive. Wobbly legs and all, he switched to his baseball cap and volunteered to hand out medals with his other set of IUPUC teammates. He even confused one of the race officials who couldn’t understand why Beatty was still there…until he realized the cross-country runner was also serving as race volunteer with the Crimson Pride baseball team.
Beatty is currently training for his second season as a collegiate runner—a new sport for him— one he finds mentally and physically challenging but has come to love. In fact, he says the “mental toughness” he’s developed from running has benefited him in baseball and other areas of his life, too.
But it hasn’t been easy. Beatty’s had his share of challenges as a Crimson Pride athlete. Last year, an eligibility hiccup cut his running season short and a back injury ended his baseball season early.
“A lot of people would have said ‘Forget this!’” said Tim Hoeflinger, IUPUC head cross-country coach. “Conner faced an unfortunate situation head-on, he continued to show up and support his teammates. He’s an incredible athlete, student and leader, and I’m so proud of his resilience.”
Beatty’s looking forward to running the full season this year. Plus, for the first time, IUPUC will have enough cross-country members to compete as a team, which now includes three more dual-sport athletes: baseball players Quincy Collins, Jonathan Moreno and Blake Nigg.
Beatty is originally from Augusta, Michigan, where he was on the robotics team and played baseball for Galesburg-Augusta High School, along with his twin brother Alec (who also plays baseball at IUPUC). Conner is majoring in Business with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. He anticipates graduating in December 2024.