Army West Point Athletics
Nathan Davis Breaks Program Records for 3000m Steeplechase at Virginia Challenge
April 18, 2025 | Men's Track and Field
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Junior distance runner Nathan Davis was the second Black Knight from Army Track and Field to make history this weekend, setting a new program record in the 3000m Steeplechase.
The junior completed the race in 8:41.63, beating the former record set at 8:43.00 by just under two seconds.
The record stood the test of time for 35 years, with the former record being set by Army Track and Field legend Aaron Pouge in 1990.
The new record that Davis set allowed him to not only finish sixth at the Virginia Challenge, but also place Davis within the top 10 in the NCAA East Region, and among one of the top times in the NCAA.
Hear From Coach Smith:
In August of 2024, we dedicated a plaque to the memory of Aaron Pouge ('91). The plaque sits on a 300m granite post along a gravel running trail down by the Shea stadium track and the Hudson River. Each of the posts and plaques along that trail have a level of significance but the 300m post is a sentinel overseeing the mighty Hudson and keeping a watchful eye over the 400m oval where Aaron plied his trade during his time as a member of the Army track and field team. On that hot August evening last fall, friends and family of Aaron Pogue gathered to remember him as a friend, a son, and for many, the best teammate they ever had. There was very little mention of the Academy record in the 3000m steeplechase that Aaron set back in 1990. That is because Aaron's legacy was and remains, much more than an athletic mark. Aaron was a mentor and a leader of young men first and foremost. That is how he will be remembered. Aaron lost his life in a car accident in 1997, and his loss was a loss for us all. Aaron's name has been honored on the record board in Gillis Field House for 35 years. His time of 8:43.00 has withstood the test of time…until tonight. Tonight, at the Virginia Challenge, Nathan Davis '26 ran 8:41.63 and finished sixth in an elite field of runners. Nathan has been stalking greatness for some time now. He announced his presence as a plebe in 2023, qualifying for the NCAA regional meet and narrowly missing a qualifying spot to the NCAA championship in the 3000m Steeplechase. Last year he came into the regional meet with a realistic chance to advance to Eugene but came up short. Since that day in late May last summer, Nathan has been on a mission. He has always been a serious competitor but there has been a new sense of purpose in how he has handled his training and his races this year. His cross country season and NCAA qualification last fall was an indication of great potential this spring and that is what we saw tonight. The race went out fast, and Nathan did not shy away from the honest pace. He sat comfortably in the back of the field of 12 runners and then moved up to the top five in the middle of the race. He held onto the fifth spot on the final straight and was passed going to the finish line pushing him back to sixth. His performance places him in the top 10 in the NCAA East Region and ranks him among the best in the NCAA…for now. In speaking to Nathan after the race there was an acknowledgment of the improvement that he has made but still some frustration that he had not run faster and not finished stronger. The mission that he is on is a pursuit of his absolute potential. The best athletes are never satisfied. He will bristle at the mention of greatness associated with his name. I will humor him for now but to not acknowledge the significance of what he has accomplished would minimize what Aaron Pogue did 35 years ago. Nathan has reached a new level of good and his name will forever be linked to Aaron Pogue. Later this summer, Aaron Pogue's name will be replaced on the record board in Gillis with a new time and a fresh young name, but the granite post with his name and accomplishments will stand watch at the 300-meter mark of the North Athletic Field trail….. forever.
Players Mentioned
