Senior Breanne Marchan’s high school track and field resume prior to Marquette speaks volumes.
A native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Marchan attended Wild Rose High School, where she lettered in track and field, volleyball and basketball. Her high school accolades include being named 16-time All-Conference, 12-time All-Regional, 9-time All-Sectional, 10-time All-State Honoree and 4-time state champion as a jumper and sprinter.
Marchan’s impressive high school career caught the attention of many Division I schools, including Marquette.
“I was recruited by a lot of Division I schools throughout high school, but Marquette made a personal connection with me and believed in me, which ultimately led to my decision to coming here,” Marchan said.
Marchan was recruited as a high jumper at Marquette even though she did both jumps and sprints in high school. As a first-year, she found herself only competing in the high jump, where she placed third in her first BIG EAST Championship, setting a new PR of 1.65 meters (5-5 feet).
At first, Marchan struggled while making the transition of only competing in the high jump until she talked to her coach about doing sprints again.
“It was really weird my freshman year only competing in the high jump,” Marchan said. “However, once I talked to my coaches about sprinting again and competing in sprints as well as jumps my sophomore year, everything felt normal again.”
In her sophomore year, Marchan had several top-5 finishes in the 60-meter dash and as part of the 4×100-meter, 4×200-meter and 4×400-meter relay teams.
Marchan’s success on the track was noticed by both her teammates and coaches.
“Bre has improved so much throughout her career here at Marquette,” head coach Bert Rogers said. “It was a tough transition for her to stop sprinting her freshman year, but once she started again her sophomore year, everything was back on track. It was a gradual process, but it all came together.”
Marchan’s wide range of athletic ability has allowed her to compete in many different events at Marquette. She currently holds the No. 2 all-time record in the 100-meter dash, the No. 3 all-time record in the 60-meter dash and the No. 3 all-time record in the indoor 200-meter dash.
“One of my favorite performances so far in a Marquette uniform was BIG EAST Indoors my junior season,” Marchan said. “It was only my second time running the 60-meter dash, and I ended up getting second in the finals. I had a great jump off the blocks, and everything sort of came together that race.”
During her sophomore and junior seasons, she was named to the BIG EAST All-Academic team for her work off the track and in the classroom. Then, during her senior season, she was voted team captain.
“Along with Madison Marko, (Marchan) is one of the athletes that I would go to if I ever needed anything,” Rogers said. “She always did a great job of leading by example on the track and in the classroom.”
Marchan said her teammates look up to her for speaking the truth and seeing the emotional aspects of track and field.
“I think I do a good job of being very real,” Marchan said.
Marchan said she is considering returning to Marquette next year since the NCAA allowing spring athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the events of the COVID-19 pandemic that prematurely ended Marchan’s senior season.
“She’s just one of those athletes where I’d love to have her back for one more year,” Rogers said.
Marchan, a double major in criminology and law studies and sociology, is currently applying for a master’s program in criminal justice data analytics in the fall, which would then allow her to compete for one more season in a Marquette uniform.
Marchan says she has unfinished business left on the track.
“I still have a lot of goals I want to accomplish next year that I didn’t get to attempt this season,” Marchan said. “As a team, I want us to take first at indoor conference and build off that going into the outdoor season, and for me personally I want to break the 100-meter and 200-meter dash school records.”
This story was written by Sam Arco. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @_sam_i_am119.
