SLIPPERY ROCK — It took four years for Josh Rader to introduce himself to cross country at Butler High School.

It took him a few days to take a trip to Alaska with the Slippery Rock University cross country team.

“I played football through my junior year,” the 2014 Butler graduate said of his high school career. “I only ran cross country as a senior. I was a middle distance runner on the (high school) track team and didn't feel like I needed it.”

Rader decided to run cross country and track at SRU, majoring in safety management.

Every four years, SRU's cross country team makes a trip to Anchorage, Ala., to get in some early competition. Collegiate teams in Alaska are allowed to start their season early and sometimes struggle to find opponents.

Rader barely knew any of his teammates — having only been on the squad for days — before heading to Alaska his freshman season.

“Honestly, it was one of the best trips of my life ... even though my first season ended out there,” Rader said. “The guys on the team were very welcoming. Everyone was cool with me.”

While running down a steep hill on a course, Rader's foot got caught on a root “and turned in a direction it wasn't supposed to.”

He had broken the same foot during a high school football season.

“That foot's always given me trouble from time to time,” Rader said.

One wouldn't know by looking at him now.

Rader has emerged as the top runner on The Rock's cross country team this fall. It will be his final season of athletic competition as he is scheduled to graduate in December.

“I really think that's part of it,” SRU cross country and track coach John Papa said. “Josh knew coming in this would be his last competitive season.

“He worked so hard in the off-season, getting stronger and getting ready for this. He was our third-best runner last fall. This year, he's clearly our No. 1.”

Rader is a team captain as well.

Papa said he could see this coming as recently as last spring, when he broke the four-minute barrier in the 1,500 meters.

“That's the equivalent of running a 4:16 mile. That's pretty good,” the coach said.

Rader is carrying a 3.7 grade point average. Besides running cross country and putting in 55 to 65 miles of practice a week, he works part-time for 70E Solution in Butler, the same company he completed an internship with.

“You just juggle the time,” Rader said. “It's not that big a deal, honestly. I don't work that many hours and when I do, it's in an office. It's not very strenuous.”

Rader is a nine-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Championship qualifier in various events. He placed third overall in the collegiate men's 8,000-meter portion of last weekend's Bill Lennox Invitational. He ran a time of 29 minutes, 17 seconds and was The Rock's top placer.

“It's special, what Josh has done in this program,” Papa said. “That's why he's a captain. He's a good leader. He sets an example for the other guys.

“He has all of the 'self' stuff. He has self-discipline. He's a self-starter. He's self-motivated. He does all the little things right and doesn't take any shortcuts.”

Being a standout in the classroom goes hand-in-hand with being a stellar distance runner, Papa said.

“It's not coincidence that guys like him do well in the classroom,” he said. “All of those 'self' qualities pay off in academics.”

And running has paid off for Josh Rader.

“I plan to keep up on it after I graduate,” he said. “I won't be as intense with it, but I'll keep involved. I'll do some 5ks and I want to try to do a marathon next year, probably Pittsburgh's.

“It's always good to compete.”