.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
.png&width=32&type=webp)
It Runs in the Family: Ava and Chad Beaty Take the Starting Line
9/11/2026 10:31:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
For most runners, the first collegiate race is a milestone years in the making. For Purdue Fort Wayne freshman Ava Beaty, it was also a family affair.
As Ava prepared to make her collegiate debut at the Mastodon Alumni Open on Saturday (Sept. 5), her dad, Chad, was preparing for a race of his own. The two would take the starting line in separate races, but for the first time, they would compete at the same meet.
Chad and Ava have been running together since she was in third grade.
"I've always been running with Ava," said Chad. "We actually have three acres in the backyard that we train together, so we've done a lot of different speed workouts, but this was different, seeing her running on a collegiate cross country course."
When Chad saw the Mastodon Alumni Open on the schedule, it didn't occur to him at first that he could run in it.
"When I saw it on the schedule, and it said alumni race, it didn't really connect that I can run in the alumni race," said Chad. "Ava and I were talking with Coach Combs and he told me I should run in the alumni race. It's inspired me to stay on it. To keep at it and keep going. And when I realized that I could run at Ava's first collegiate race ... you just can't beat that. Getting to watch her out there on the course, for me it's a proud dad moment."
For Ava, having her dad by her side has been a constant throughout her running career.
"My dad has always been cheering me on at cross country meets and encouraging me," said Ava. "He trains me during the summer to get ready for the next season, so he has been a big part of why I am here at Purdue Fort Wayne."
Running has always been a part of Chad's life, long before it became something he shared with his daughter.
Chad and his family have lived in multiple states, but returned to Fort Wayne in 2018. When Ava started looking at colleges, Chad didn't know Purdue Fort Wayne would end up being her choice.
"I didn't even know she wanted to go to PFW until probably about a year ago," said Chad. "You never think your kids are going to go to the same school you went to, but it became our number one pick and I thought, wow, this is kind of cool."
For Chad, watching Ava develop as a runner and eventually put on a Mastodon uniform has been a full-circle moment.
Chad's connection to Purdue Fort Wayne dates back nearly three decades. As a freshman at IPFW in 1999, he remembers a cross country program still working to establish itself.
"When I was here, we were transitioning from Division II to Division I, so it was more of a question of how do we compete? What do we need?" said Chad. "We had some good runners in the area, but we had a lot to learn still."
Since Chad's time as a Mastodon, Purdue Fort Wayne continues to grow. This year marks the Mastodons' 50th season as members of the NCAA.
"A lot has changed at Purdue Fort Wayne since then. I even remember going with my friends to the first Division I basketball game for the Mastodons. I think athletics in general has come a long ways now and the facilities are amazing. It has been cool to watch the university grow."
Now, Chad has watched the cross country program develop into one that finished second at the Horizon League Championships last season.
"To see it today, thinking back to the girls finishing second in the Horizon League and they continue to bring on strong runners. What Coach Combs has done over the last seven years has been unbelievable," said Chad.
While Purdue Fort Wayne continues to grow, Chad still recognizes the same community he remembers from his time as a Mastodon.
"You have the opportunity to go against the best of the best, but still have that tight-knit community that has been awesome and that's what Purdue Fort Wayne still offers," said Chad.
Watching the team practice brought some of those memories back.
"I saw the team practice at Foster Park and that tight-knit community just brought back memories, so it's cool to see that it's still that way today," said Chad.
That sense of community is something Ava is looking forward to building throughout her first collegiate season.
"I'm just looking forward to bonding with my teammates and winning races with them," said Ava. "I am just excited to have the opportunity to run with them and push myself with them. It's just such a good team."
For Chad, the Mastodon Alumni Open was more than a chance to return to a familiar course. It was another opportunity to share something with his daughter — and a reminder that running is a sport they can carry with them.
"That's the one thing I think is really cool about running," said Chad. "It is something that you can always take with you."
~ Feel the Rumble ~
