Better Together: Agnew Brothers Continue Family's Buckeye Legacy
9/25/2025 4:03:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
Kevin and Jack Agnew followed their father's footsteps at Ohio State
The Ohio State men’s cross country team is a close-knit and experienced group, with nine of its 14 runners returning from last year’s team, but no two runners are closer than brothers Kevin and Jack Agnew.
The pair grew up in southwest Ohio and raced together at Archbishop Caroll High School in Dayton. Running and training together for so long has helped them create a bond full of trust and belief that is perfect for cross country, but their relationship doesn’t stop there.
“We live in the same house and cook dinner together every day," younger brother Jack, who is competing in his redshirt sophomore season with the Buckeyes, said. “Having Kevin around more makes my day better. We work really well together and have a good sense for how each other is feeling. Workouts and races tend to go better when we're working together.”
“I would say Jack is my best friend,” fifth-year runner Kevin said. “When it comes to the team, there is no one I have spent more time with or trained more with. As a result, we have a huge amount of trust in each other when racing. In racing you are constantly facing decisions like when to push and how hard to push and with Jack I always know he will make the right decision.”
Kevin and Jack are not the only Buckeye runners in the family. Their father, John Agnew, was a letterwinner for Ohio State’s cross country and track and field teams while a student at the university from 1980-85. He is also a long-time high school cross country coach and a source of inspiration for the brothers.
“It was always inspiring growing up to know he ran here, and it is even cooler now that we have all raced as Buckeyes,” Jack said. “He was and is such a positive influence on me and my love for the sport. Some of my best memories from when I was little were being around the high school team while he was coaching.”
“I have a lot of fond memories of being around his team when I was younger,” Kevin said. “I think it is what led me to want to be a part of a cross country team. I always thought it was cool he ran for Ohio State. Being from Ohio, Ohio State is a huge deal and something I wanted to be a part of too.”
There have been just two races so far this season, but Kevin is off to what is perhaps the best start of his career. He crossed the line second overall and recorded a personal best in the 5k at the Mike Baumer XC Classic near the brothers’ hometown, which resulted in him being named Big Ten Athlete of the Week. He was also the top finisher for Ohio State in the team’s second race at Michigan State, and his favorable start has him looking forward to the rest of the season.
“There is no workout that will tell you what you can do in a race, so I didn't really know what I would be capable of until we raced,” Kevin said. “My early season success has been exciting, and it has given me a lot of confidence looking towards the rest of the season.”
As for Jack, he has not been able to suit up for the Buckeyes yet this year but is hoping to get back on the course and build off his experience running at the NCAA Great Lakes Regionals last season.
“NCAA Regionals was a great experience, and I definitely learned a lot from it,” Jack said. “I was a bit hurt for a few weeks leading up to it and didn't run as well as I had wanted to, but still look back at the race positively. Some of the other guys on the team worked together through the race really well and executed what we had been working on through the season. I'm looking forward to racing that one again and helping my team as much as I can.”
