Military child Savannah Roark uses background to become All-American runner at SU

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Growing up, Savannah Roark would race colleagues of her father, Michael, when he had physical training tests to complete. She raced — and beat — his fellow officers and active members of the United States Air Force. It was also one of her first introductions to running. 

Roark, a redshirt sophomore, earned All-American cross country and track honors for Syracuse. She used her experience growing up in a military family to become one of the Orange’s top female runners. In 2022, Roark finished 23rd at the 2022 NCAA Championships, second at the NCAA Northeast Regional and 15th at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. She also earned the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Cross Country Performer of the Week award.

As a military child, Roark didn’t have a traditional hometown. She moved constantly, about every three years, living in New Mexico, Texas, Ohio, New York and Virginia. She moved to the latter two states multiple times before graduating high school in Beavertown, Ohio. 

Roark said she wasn’t entirely sure of how many times she moved, but said the moves never phased her too much since she never had the opportunity to develop many close relationships. But in high school, which she started in Virginia, that was more of a challenge. 

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When she switched to Beavertown High School halfway through her high school career, the adjustment was a “big culture shock,” Roark said. The school was two to three times what she was used to and the transition was difficult, she added. 

“So much about being an athlete is about being comfortable, having a routine and being able to follow that,” Michael said. “The constant upheavals because of me being in the military was really hard on her.”

Of all the new schools she attended before eighth grade, none of them had a track team. She knew she had the ability when she raced against Michael’s fellow Air Force officers. Roark also joined the team to connect with others, something she didn’t necessarily have due to moving around so frequently. Everything “clicked” for Roark. 

“It was the first sport I was ever good at,” Roark said.

Michael, an intelligence officer in the Air Force, said that at 15 years old, Roark instantly changed her diet, going from simply cutting down sweets at first to following a vegan diet later on, which she continued until three years ago. Roark also had a diary to monitor what foods she was eating, trying to understand how it correlated to her performance as a runner. She became very disciplined, Michael said. 

“When she discovered running and racing in her freshman year in high school, she went all in,” Michael said. “That’s who she is.”

Across two high schools, Roark achieved several accolades, most notably finishing runner-up at the 2019 Ohio State Championship and 59th at the 2019 Nike Cross Nationals. In indoor track, she finished second in the Emerging Elite 3200m at the New Balance Indoor Nationals and sixth in the 3200m at the Ohio State Championships. In 2017, she finished fourth at the Virginia State High School Championship. 

After moving around a lot in her childhood, Roark wanted one place to stay permanently when she competed collegiately — a place to call home. Roark visited three schools before her final stop in Syracuse, which she decided was that place for her. 

pullquote quote=”So much about being an athlete is about being comfortable, having a routine and being able to follow that. The constant kind of upheavals because of me being in the military was really hard on her,”cite=”Officer Michael Roark, Savannah’s father”]

“A lot of the other schools just wanted to know what my personal records were, and they didn’t really talk to me about who I was,” Roark said.

Roark developed a strong relationship with cross country and track and field head coach Brien Bell, saying that the pair communicates well to determine what training Roark needs.

Bell said after several “older, tough, competitive and experienced” women on the team graduated, Roark has filled in that role.

“Hopefully, (Roark) and I can keep working together (and) stay healthy,” Bell said. “And when the training compounds itself, we will be very happy with the results, and (the) sky’s the limit,” Bell said.

Since coming to Syracuse, Roark has competed in both cross country and track, and has improved each year. She made her SU debut at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown in September of 2020, finishing fifth in the 5K. Later that year, she finished 43rd in the 6K at the ACC Cross Country Championships. In 2021, she finished 23rd and improved to 15th this past year. It all culminated in the 2022 NCAA Championship appearance, where she finished 23rd. 

“I’m just really happy with the environment I’m in, and I love to call Syracuse home,” Roark said.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated that Roark continues to abide by her vegan diet to this day. She actually stopped a vegan diet three years ago.