Technically, they’re not a package deal; it just always seems to work out that way.
Bishop Kearney grads, and twin sisters, Therese and Jackie Gallagher weren’t planning on going to college together, but the pair found a home together at St. John’s, and now the dynamic duo is hoping to make a name for themselves on the track.
“We ran track at Bishop Kearney together, so we knew that we wanted to run in college,” Therese said. “We didn’t need to go to the same school, but it just happened that way. St. John’s wasn’t even on our radar. But later, on a whim, we ended up talking more to coach and we really liked the team and the campus when we came to visit. It was just the place that we wanted.”
The Gallaghers come from a long line of running talent — they are two of nine siblings, and their older sister Keri served as their inspiration on and off the track.
“She ended up really liking it and had a lot of success, so by the time we got to eighth grade and deciding where we wanted to go, we already knew that we had to do track and cross country because Keri had set the bar,” Therese said. “Everybody behind her, we all did track and cross country.”
Therese and Jackie both honed their skills at Kearney, and admit they rely on each other to improve their running approach. Sometimes, during high school, they were each other’s most supportive teammates That hasn’t changed at the collegiate level, although now there are a few more athletes on the roster.
“In high school, we had a very small team and at one point it was actually just like me and Therese on the team, so I’ve never really experienced having a full team,” said Jackie, who clinched multiple Brooklyn-Queens titles at Kearney. “It’s a new experience that I’ve never had, which I really appreciate.”
Jackie and Therese both run distance for St. John’s, but they each have their own speciality and while they’re not always competing together, they’re almost always pushing each other to improve.
“Honestly I don’t know where I’d be without [Therese],” Jackie said. “She’s very important to me, not just running, but all aspects of my life. She helps me put myself out there and believe in myself and actually push myself.”
The sisters are rarely without each other — they also live together on campus — and while their times aren’t perfect, they’re looking forward to what the future will bring.
“The future is to just, honestly, get better,” Therese said. “It’s more about personal development than it is just setting ridiculous goals. But in the future, I would like to do well and score well at the Big East championships.”
