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Photo Credits top left to bottom right Luke Warhurst BYU Athletics Ali Weimer VT Athletics

Photo Credits BYU Athletics

The Oval Magazine January 2022 Trusting Her Own Path Winning NCAA titles has become a habit for the BYU women as in the last four seasons Cross Country 2020 Indoor 2020 Outdoor 2020 Cross Country 2021 they have left the championship meet with some kind of crown In 2020 the Cougars were the NCAA Women s XC team champions and the Indoor NCAA Distance Medley Relay Champions Also in 2020 Courtney Wayment Smith won the Indoor 3000m title and Anna Camp Bennet won the Outdoor 1500m title Whittni Orton Morgan s Journey to NCAA Champion By Hannah Ballowe It s a special thing that we all got to do that And we all did it in separate seasons so we were able to cheer each other on through theirs says Orton Morgan O n November 20th 2021 Whittni Orton Morgan became Brigham Young University s BYU first female winner of the NCAA Cross Country Championship It was a title that was a long time coming for Orton Morgan Her time on such a successful team has led Orton Morgan to one key piece of advice for younger runners and herself don t compare yourselves to your teammates or competitors While she Camp Bennet and Wayment Smith all have the same distinction of National Champion now each of their paths to that title was different and Orton Morgan now knows the value in trusting your own journey I ve had that goal for probably two or three years of winning a national title in some event I wasn t going to go into any race and not try to win it Not only did she win the race she did so in incredible fashion running the second fastest time in NCAA DI XC Championship history as she crossed the line in 19 25 4 Orton Morgan and her teammate Conner Mantz make up the first men s and women s winner from the same school since 1988 as Mantz won the men s 10 000 meter race Of course be competitive and stuff You always should want to win but don t always compare your own journey Give your best What you have If you re looking at someone else s best then you aren t going to do your best and then you re never going to know what you have The 2021 NCAA XC Championships marked Orton Morgan s fourth NCAA XC Championship appearance and her 11th NCAA Championship appearance overall She is also no stranger to First Team All American status a distinction she has earned six times in her collegiate career Through the team at BYU Orton Morgan has met some of her best friends in Wayment Smith and Camp Bennet but the path to BYU was not always obvious for her Orton Morgan says she didn t initially want to go to BYU and wanted to be in an environment that wasn t governed by Orton Morgan and the BYU women celebrate their 2020 NCAA Cross Country Title Photo Credit BYU Athletics 6

January 2022 The Oval Magazine so many rules After her visit though the match was undeniable The feeling that she got from visiting BYU showed her that there was something special going on there and she knew that she had to be a part of it From that fateful decision to her national title Orton Morgan says there are so many people who played a role in what she was able to accomplish Among these are her family BYU coach Diljeet Taylor and at the top of her list God I ve definitely had a bunch of lows and it is still huge for me individually to be able to overcome the things that I did and to come back and be able to do that It really wasn t just me Orton Morgan s relationship with God has propelled her to new heights in all aspects of her life She has consistently included Him in her running and through that relationship has been made strong enough to achieve the things that she has Before hard workouts or races Orton Morgan asks God for the strength that she needs and it is through this that she has not only excelled in running but has also built her faith in God in her most vulnerable moments Whenever I ve been my happiest self is when I ve been doing the things within my faith Like when I am studying and praying and doing those things that s when I ve been my happiest and that s when I ve been able to get through the hard If I haven t tried to include God in the hard then that s when it just gets harder But when I have turned to God in those moments that s when I felt relief Outside of her faith Orton Morgan knows it takes a lot to be successful Her time in collegiate running has not been easy or a constant stream of healthy races and fast times But to run fast and to be successful she knows that it takes much more than talent You just need love you know You need to have lots of love because it really does take more than just being fast so much more You have to be happy you have to be grateful you have to be humble There s so many things The NCAA XC Championship race was the last race Orton Morgan will run in a BYU uniform She is not however leaving running behind After being crowned NCAA Champion Orton Morgan raced a 5000m at the BU Sharon ColyearDanville Season Opener running a new personal best of 15 09 47 She is taking a bit of down time now but will be back on the track at the end of January 7

Photo Credits Steve Schulz Steveschulzcreations

January 2022 The Oval Magazine Swinging the Pendulum M ason Ferlic is poised for excellence Leading up to his Olympic debut Ferlic found himself unsponsored yet undeterred I decided I was going to bet on myself I knew I was going to make this Olympic team and my value is going to be way more after I m Mason Ferlic the Olympian rather than Mason Ferlic the Olympic hopeful Mason Ferlic By Sarah Moxham And right he was Ferlic came away from 2021 with his first Olympic team under his belt and a shiny new sponsorship from Adidas While his speed on the track is nothing short of impressive Ferlic s career off the track drops jaws as well An alumnus of the University of Michigan Ferlic continued his career at the school as a part time Top Ferlic with Adidas spikes Photo Credit Luke Warhurst Bottom Ferlic after earning Bronze at the 2021 Olympics Photo Credit Getty Images 9

The Oval Magazine research assistant while he was injured during his first year of professional running He is now pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Michigan in Statistics I was living with two friends at the time who were starting their young professional careers I got injured and would watch them leave at 9am and come back at 5pm and would wonder what did I do If my only goal is to produce track results and work out and get fit it s pretty hard not to feel like you re kind of worthless So I found a research lab on campus and started doing part time work and all of a sudden running got better says Ferlic Ferlic like an increasing number of professional runners is of the camp that being a well rounded individual will not in fact destroy your running career There s a stigma in the sport that if you want to be the best athlete it requires 100 percent dedication I push back against that says Ferlic I believe that the last 10 percent is the hardest but if you re willing to accept that 90 percent is enough you can get a lot done with that January 2022 It s in this balance the brief moment the pendulum spends at center that Ferlic challenges the status quo It s about taking your mind off the immediacy of training It s a long process and rushing it doesn t accomplish anything The best thing you can do is have a distraction outside of it and let the training and fitness come to you and not try to be overly prepared says Ferlic The pendulum swung and the fitness certainly came Ferlic ran personal bests in the 1500m 3 35 45 the one mile 3 58 05 the 5K 13 24 94 and his specialty the 3000m steeplechase 8 18 49 all in the spring of 2021 In the wake of the outbreak of COVID 19 and the cancellation of the 2020 Olympics Ferlic decided to pursue his PhD in Statistics at the University of Michigan while continuing to train for the 2021 games I came out of 2020 being sneaky fit because I wasn t thinking too much about it but was still getting the work done The academic calendar ended in April so I had about two months of dedicated time to set up for the Olympic trials explains Ferlic If you re a person that enjoys having multiple passions or simultaneous trajectories they can actually complement each other I describe it as a pendulum that swings back and forth In times when I need to really focus on track that s where my mind is at and that s the focus How does one even begin to balance doctoral study and Olympic level training During the off season in the fall Ferlic s pendulum swings into laser focused study The way our season works in the fall there aren t many races on my calendar so it can take a bit of a back seat and I can focus on school or work says Ferlic It s tough It s not easy That s the answer says Ferlic My day is going on a run from 9am to 11am do 16 miles shovel down some pancakes then hop on the laptop and work from 12pm to 10pm Thankfully this is Ferlic s last semester of coursework as he ll welcome a semester of research this spring allowing him more time to focus on 10

January 2022 The Oval Magazine his next goal qualifying for the World Championships Knowing I can get in the same type of shape as at the Olympics I can still have those big goals to make the finals for Worlds and to run fast says Ferlic So much of the preparation for the Olympics was focused on placing to make the team For Worlds I can take some risks and see how fast I can run Reaching for lofty goals is always easier in good company and Ferlic has plenty I m leaning into this Adidas group we have in Ann Harbor says Ferlic of the Very Nice Track Club made up of Ferlic Hobbs Kessler Nick Willis and many others You can follow along with the guys at their YouTube channel link here As Ferlic looks to the World Athletics Championships in July he reflects on what keeps him motivated Making an Olympic team and knowing the process going into it and knowing I m one of the best steeplers in the country that makes me hungry Let s do it again and do it better says Ferlic And so again the pendulum swings Ferlic finds his balance and prepares to reach for excellence again From top to bottom Ferlic in Adidas gear Ferlic running Ferlic Adidas headshot Photo Credit Luke Warhurst Image in middle Ferlic races at the Olympics 11 Photo Credit Getty Images

Photo Credits Steve Schulz Steveschulzcreations

Photo Credits GVSU Athletics Queens Athletics

The Oval Magazine January 2022 DII NCAA Championship Interviews I t wasn t just the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships that went down in Florida on Saturday November 20th 2021 200 miles south of Tallahassee the best of the best in Division II were also lining up to battle The top 34 men s and women s teams took to Abbey Golf Course with Adams State University coming out victorious on the women s side and Grand Valley State on the men s Klaudia O Malley and Fatima Alanis The Oval Magazine sat down with the women s 2nd and 3rd place athletes Klaudia O Malley and Fatima Alanis By Ruby Wyles 14

January 2022 The Oval Magazine K L A U D I A O M A L L E Y Above Left O Malley left Klaudia O Malley sophomore from Grand Valley State University GVSU finished runner up to her teammate Hannah Becker running 20 26 over the 6000 meter course a time that would ve placed her 91st in the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships In her second appearance at the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships and still only a sophomore O Malley earned her second cross country All American honors finishing 2nd individually and 2nd with her GVSU teammates In 2019 O Malley finished as the top freshman in 24th place a performance that forecasted big things to come together more than once With Becker by her side O Malley gained the confidence to execute her coach s race plan and fight for a top finish She shares with The Oval her expectations going in and the master race plan behind the GVSU 1 2 finish Klaudia O Malley chatted to The Oval about her 2nd place finish and DII championship experience O Malley explained her path to GVSU after initially having her sights set on DI athletics at top programs like Michigan State University MSU she found herself more attracted to the team culture and coaching staff at GVSU The plan was for us to run together and work together like we had at conference and regionals Sometimes I struggle in my races I find myself disconnected in the middle and falling back a little bit Staying with Hannah Becker my teammate helped me to stay focused and make that move in the middle of the race I knew that if I wanted to do well I needed to stick next to Hannah We help each other and it s always nice having a teammate there next to you like we do in workouts KO I always wanted to run in college but I did play basketball as well I got a couple of letters to play basketball at some small places but I ve loved running since I was young and so I ultimately wanted to do that in college and teammates with their awards Photo Credit GVSU Athletics Above Right Alanis crosses the finish line Photo credits Getty Images Right O Malley center celebrates with teammates In high school I didn t want to go to Grand Valley I was more looking at D1 schools like Michigan State I took visits to both places and what really brought me to Grand Valley was the team and the coaches The coaches really care about you as more than a runner and I just felt like another recruit at MSU I made the decision to go to Grand Valley because I thought it was the best fit for me and it ended up being a good click right from the start Going into the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships O Malley had her eyes set on a top finish The dynamic GVSU duo of O Malley and Becker had already taken the regular season by storm crossing the line 15 KO My goal was to get top seven but I knew deep deep down I wanted to ultimately finish top five Coming into the race our coach told us not to get too in over our heads the first mile to settle in but not to lose the front pack Our coach also said that we may have to sacrifice an individual title to go for the team title

The Oval Magazine January 2022 It was just honestly surprising how fast Hannah and I moved up to the group from around 30th to the front pack Running with Hannah gave me the adrenaline and confidence to be like wow we can actually do this Before the race Coach Jerry Baltes said that he was confident that we were the best pair in DII right now and he believed that we could do it and go 1 2 And once we were there in the race I started to believe that maybe we actually do this It was a bit of a shock and it gave me a lot of momentum going up the hill at the end Throughout the race Becker and O Malley gathered momentum moving further and further up the field With 2000 meters to go the front pack had thinned and O Malley s podium dreams were within her grasp As the finish approached O Malley began to fatigue from the hot pace but the presence of her teammate kept her pushing through to the end KO Close to the last 1k Hannah kind of took off a little bit and I honestly didn t know if I was going to be able to finish the race or not My arms and legs got heavier and I just wanted to make the finish line I passed my coach and he s screaming you have two minutes left you can do this I wouldn t say I got a second wind but it certainly motivated me to believe that I could do it and stick with Hannah I knew Hannah wasn t going to wait and I didn t think I was going to be able to catch up with her but I wanted me to finish second just so we could have that 1 2 punch that would be good for our team Top O Malley races Bottom Alanis crosses the finish line Photo Credit Getty Images 16

January 2022 The Oval Magazine F A T I M A A L A N I S FA Honestly even though this was my first cross country season I did have expectations because I raced a lot of the same girls last semester The people I d run against in track season were around the top 5 to 10 and I had run faster than some of them so I thought that maybe I could win or get on the podium So my expectations were pretty high Fatima Alanis Covid freshman from Queens University finished 3rd in an incredible time of 20 28 just two seconds off of 2nd place and six seconds off of 1st in her first appearance at NCAA Cross Country Championships Her time of 20 28 would ve placed 94th in the NCAA DI Championships ahead of some of the NCAA s biggest stars Despite only being a freshman Alanis has yet to let her inexperience hold her back and the Queens standout looks to be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come Perhaps unsurprising given her psychology major Alanis appears to be really mentally strong and used sports psychology tools to aid in her performance A lesson for us all is how Alanis opened herself up to the possibility of winning saying whether you think you can or think you can t you re right Alanis journey to the podium was unconventional arriving at Queens in the Fall of 2020 from Mexico on a triathlon scholarship With the pandemic impacting sports differently Alanis experimented with an outdoor track season in the Spring when her triathlon season was cancelled This dabble with the track proved worthwhile with Alanis in her first season competing for Queens University notching up some stellar performances 16 20 for 5000m 34 10 for 10000m finishing 3rd in the NCAA DII Track and Field Championships in the 10000 and 9th in the 5000 This fall season Alanis combined the triathlon and cross country competing in both sports at the varsity level Having balanced two varsity sports this season The Oval asked Alanis whether she planned to continue doing both or focus more on just running FA Every time I run a race I love running even more Right now I really like just running FA I actually went to the US to do triathlon Queens offered me a scholarship for triathlon which no other schools did I grew up in the US but then moved back to Mexico and I wanted to go back So when I got that opportunity it was very obvious to me that I would take it Last semester our triathlon season got canceled and I really liked running My roommate was on the track team and she encouraged me to do a 5000 I ve transitioned more to running specific work since track season last semester Despite her lack of experience this being Alanis first cross country season ever she arrived at the championships ready to compete rather than merely participate O Malley and Alanis recieve awards Photo Credit Getty Images 17

The Oval Magazine Q A January 2022 O Malley and Alanis awesome There was so much support and I actually heard a lot of people throughout the race What are your majors in college KO Exercise science pre occupational therapy FA I didn t really have anybody I know Adams State had a huge crowd and cheer squad but we didn t have anything big Some people s parents went and boyfriends but it was very chill FA Psychology What were your pre race dinners before your NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships podium finish I remember running through the course and a huge Wingate crowd They had Wingate painted on their bare stomachs and were yelling loudly As I ran I decided to just pretend that they were screaming for me and that gave me energy KO Every pre race meal every time is Olive Garden s chicken alfredo with salad FA We went to Olive Garden we always go there I got the gluten free rotini with half the alfredo sauce Then before bed I got hungry so I had one of the Chobani Flip cups with cookie dough A couple of days removed from the race The Oval asked O Malley and Alanis for their post race reflections after stellar performances Understandably they were both pretty thrilled Do you have any race day superstitions or particular routines that help prepare you to race KO I did not expect to run that fast or PR by that much because the course was definitely like a hard one It was pretty awesome KO I don t really have any but before I race I chew caffeine gum and I like to sit in the Normatec boots the night before FA I thought it was a good race it s one of those races where I look back and just feel fulfilled and really happy FA I try to stay as calm as possible I m the kind of person that will feel everything I ll feel my legs hurt a little bit and be like oh my God my legs feel horrible I m gonna have a horrible race Or if I think I have had too much water my stomach will hurt I go all out with my thoughts So pre race it s a lot of staying calm and reminding myself that it doesn t matter if I feel this way or if I saw that it doesn t matter I think it s one of my favorite races ever and one of the results I m most proud of In the past when I ve had a bad race sometimes I ll give up a bit with 2k to go In this race I remember the last mile just telling myself it s nationals stick with them stick with them And with 1k to go I made a move I really thought I would win Even though it didn t stick I m really happy with the result I really thought I gave it my all and went all out Typical runner he next day I was so sore and my back hurt so I knew I d given it my all One thing that stands out to anyone watching the Division II and Division III Championships is the team atmosphere With these schools often having big rosters buses of non running athletes road trip across the country to support their teammates showing up on race day with wild outfits and deafening team cheers O Malley and Alanis shared their experiences Coming off the high of such incredible performances the two podium athletes deserved to soak up the celebrations as much as possible Hoping for some stories of wild postrace celebrations The Oval asked O Malley and Alanis for how they recognized their successes KO My brother and sister came down from Michigan alongside lots of parents and alumni which was really 18

January 2022 Q A The Oval Magazine O Malley and Alanis KO After the race we got to go to the beach with our team and just eat pizza We all hung out as a team celebrated and had some fun together before we had to go back to Michigan to the cold weather KO I m not 100 sure what my goals are but I do hope to win an individual national title before I leave college and I really want to win a team cross country national title I m not 100 sure where I m going to run for grad school I most likely would like to stay at Grand Valley because I love Jerry and the coaches but if another opportunity opens up I m not gonna be afraid of going there I m going to keep my options open for grad school and I m still thinking about running pro FA Yesterday a week post race I got to celebrate it was my birthday I got lunch with my boyfriend and I got dinner with my parents But when I got home to my apartment after the race it was horrible there were cockroaches everywhere I found a nest of cockroaches so that s what I dealt with for days until I got really relaxed and got to celebrate FA I m excited to run indoors I ve never run indoor before so I want to run a 3k and I d love to do a 1500 With plenty of eligibility remaining O Malley a sophomore and Alanis a freshman in cross country both have the potential to dominate Division II running for years to come Having already accomplished big things on the national stage The Oval was curious to hear what goals they have in mind to chase next I m graduating in three years actually so I have three more semesters but I would like to run in grad school I m still so new to running that I have no idea what could be a goal there Left O Malley races cross country surrounded by teammates Photo Credit Getty Images Right Alanis races on the track Photo Credit Queens Athletics 19

Photo Credits Loras Athletics Tufts Athletics

January 2022 DIII NCAA Championship Interviews The Oval Magazine Kassie Parker and Danielle Page By Ruby Wyles T he third cross country National Championships that took place on Saturday November 20th was the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships at E P Tom Sawyer Park A course familiar to many athletes this venue in Louisville Kentucky saw top DI DII and DIII teams battle it out earlier in the season at the Live in Lou Classic Division III pre nationals race and the Division I Southeast Regional race Considerably cooler than the DI and DII Championships in Florida the Kentucky course was similarly fast and flat to Tallahassee boasting some incredibly quick runs The women s team title was won by Johns Hopkins while the men of Pomona Pitzer defended their 2019 title the last time the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships were run The women of Division III are not to be underestimated The top finishers are some of the best runners in the nation regardless of division The women s 6000 meter race was won by Kassie Parker Rosenbaum of Loras in 20 11 a time that would ve won the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships by 11 seconds and seen her place 56th in the DI championships Ari Marks of Wellesley finished 17 seconds back in 20 28 just ahead of Danielle Page from Tufts University in 20 30 The Oval caught up with Parker and Page just days removed from their stellar performances Top Page blue races in a pack Photo Credit friend Bottom Parker races Photo Credit Parker s friend 21

The Oval Magazine January 2022 K A S S I E P A R K E R With her fresh NCAA title it seems ironic to think that Parker didn t start off as a collegiate runner when she first enrolled at the University of Iowa Parker later later transferred to Loras KP My senior year I was debating between Iowa and Loras DI versus DIII At the time I wasn t the best runner so once I got to Iowa my plan was to put running behind me But then for some reason I had it in my head to keep running and training and I joined the Iowa run club After running a meet with the club I realized I had potential At the same time I wasn t enjoying the bigger campus feel of DI and I didn t really know what to do training wise I was already familiar with Loras and the coach Bob really supported me and made me believe that I could be a better runner right from the gun However amongst a field of other talented athletes at the NCAA DIII National Cross Country Championships she found herself in an unfamiliar position through the two mile mark KP I expected to have someone with me for some of the way and I did up to the two mile mark Honestly I was expecting to maybe have someone there through the one mile and then going the rest of the race by myself But I ended up having maybe five girls with me at the one mile and then one girl stuck with me through the two mile before I put a surge in there Despite dominating the race and breaking the NCAA DIII record Parker was far from satisfied and was immediately analyzing her race with an eye to improve Parker was not satisfied with merely trying to win and instead had her sights set on breaking the 20 minute mark for the 6000 meter course a time barrier few runners break KP I felt like I went out a little too fast But when I feel other girls sticking with me I tend to get motivated to push the pace So that s what happened and I went out a little too fast I wish I was able to push it a little bit more during the third mile to get to that 20 flat goal pace but I m still pretty proud of being really close to my PR I was only one second off Breaking 20 is a goal I ve been thinking about all season and I was gonna fight for this race no matter what Parker s pace is hard to keep up with and for most of the season her races have resembled solo time trials after pulling away from the field Having run times that would put her competitive in Division I and with plenty of eligibility still remaining The Oval was curious what plans Parker had for the rest of her time in the NCAA and beyond KP Right now my roots are pretty secure around Loras and I wouldn t want to change that My family boyfriend and friends are all close by so I ll be staying at Loras to do my master s and run for another year and a half And then post ollege I have given it some thought but not in too much depth just yet With another full year I m starting to take a look at some distance running clubs in the US like Minnesota Elite 22

January 2022 The Oval Magazine D A N I E L L E P A G E Unlike Kassie Parker Danielle Page always intended to run in college despite being naive to the nuances of the NCAA Majoring in architecture and environmental science at Tufts University Page has risen to the top of Division III distance running over the last couple years but is still looking to level up DP To be honest I didn t really think much of the divisions coming out of high school I didn t really know the difference between DI II and III I wasn t really paying attention to that I was getting more interest from some of the other girls because the race isn t won in the first mile Page is an athlete who has clearly benefited from the pandemic allowing her time to train consistently and develop athletically With an extra year of eligibility remaining Page is looking to capitalize on her success and commit to a Division I team before turning her attention towards post collegiate running DP I m a senior now but eligibility wise I m a junior I m not going to come back for a fifth year at Tufts and I m trying to go DI for my fifth year I am wanting to go to a program that s going to push me more than my current program is pushing me So I m looking at some DI schools They re not winning NCAAs or anything because I m not there yet but they are in the top 25 in the country And then I would love to run post college Recently I was going on a training run with my teammate before nationals and she was nervous and was like man I m so happy we re not professional runners and that like my income doesn t depend on this race And I m thinking are you kidding me I wish this was my job DIII schools and I really liked the vibe of the school at Tufts I wasn t good enough to run DI but I definitely knew that I wanted to run and I wanted to be in a place where I could make a difference and felt valued Finishing 3rd at the 2021 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in a time faster than the previous DIII record Page has not only left her mark at Tufts University but also in the history books in Division III athletics Racing against Parker who had been undefeated within DIII all season Page knew she needed a solid race plan DP I knew I had to go out hard if I was to stick with Kassie In a championship race you can t not go out hard and that was the fastest I ve ever gone out I haven t run a mile since my sophomore year of high school and in that race my first mile would ve been a PR But I also focused on running my own race and being a bit more conservative than 23 But it s more of a point of curiosity I want to see how fast I can get and so I m going to pursue running post college And if that gets me to a point where I can make it more than a hobby then I would love that but if it doesn t I will still keep running Left Parker crosses the finish line Photo Credit Getty Images Right Page races Photo credit Friend

The Oval Magazine Q A January 2022 Parker and Page Only a couple years back both Parker and Page held similar PRs in the mid 18s for 5 000m and high 10 40s for 3 000m Later that same year they finished 5th and 6th respectively at the NCAA DIII Cross Country Championships Needless to say they have both clearly progressed KP I would attribute it to not doing very much in high school at all and then to gradually being able to reach another level of training each year throughout college Each time I saw my times coming down it motivated me to train even more DP The fall of my freshman year of high school I had a stress fracture and so I didn t get to train at all that semester And then I was dealing with a lot of GI issues in the spring and had a couple of trips to hospital to try to figure out what was going on I really wasn t able to put training together consistently even through senior year of high school until I finally figured out what was going on with my health situation in the summer Starting the summer of 2019 I was really able to finally just put together like a solid summer of training In high school I d been known to overtrain a lot and I wasn t doing that I was training just enough and resting enough too I felt like I was in control of my training and able to be really consistent I think that s honestly what made the biggest difference Largely unbeaten throughout the regular cross country season having finished 2nd and 3rd in the 10 000m at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships Parker and Page were familiar names Going into the cross country championships both had their eyes set firmly on the podium KP My expectations were to win But the plan was to go out at a sub 20 pace which I did The first two miles were on pace but my third mile was the slowest I m not sure if that was because we went out too hard or maybe because of the couple of hills I knew people were going to be with me that was a given it was just going to be like how long they could stick with me Something I ve been doing race wise is just getting out early from the gun instead of holding myself back with second place and then trying to pass them near the end I just felt confident from all the training this season our time trials and our workouts that running sub 20 was going to be possible I actually made a goal my first year when I came into Loras to run a sub 20 by the time I graduated At the time I thought it might be out of my reach but if I kept working at it I thought maybe I ll get there I still have one more cross country season to get that goal DP This was my first time coming to a big race having run it before literally the exact same course in the exact same race at NCAA DIII Nationals in 2019 I was trying not to get caught in a comparison between two years ago A lot has happened in the two years since I really wanted to set a PR and I felt like I d been just coasting most of the season and hadn t really been running to my full potential My main goal that day was to just pour it all out there and trust that would get me where I wanted to be or close to where I wanted to be place wise I wanted to finish top three for sure and a possibly unreasonable goal was to win But I knew Kassie was just on another level this year and with place goals it s hard because you can never control what anyone else is going to do You can only control what you re going to do it was a very fast day and I was just really happy to be part of it What goals do you have for the upcoming track season KP I m focusing more on outdoors and trying not to worry about indoors In the 5000 I definitely want to run in the low 16 minutes and then be in the 33 minutes for the 10000 and possibly go for the DIII record I ve had my eye on that for a couple years DP I m going after our indoor school record in the 5000 Right now it s 16 31 and I m trying to run in the 16 20s I feel like is not it s not unreasonable at this point because I m a runner and I m a dreamer too 24

January 2022 Q A The Oval Magazine Parker and Page The NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships are memorable for their spectacular and wild team support and camaraderie The Oval asked Parker and Page about their cheer squads and it appears even Covid couldn t keep the supporters away KP Our guys made it as a team so they were there cheering me on And then we actually had over 30 people from the women and men s cross country teams drive down and cheer us on I also remember my assistant coach who helps pace me in workouts and trains with me running everywhere around the course He was cheering in one corner and then the next thing I know he was over there on a different part It was awesome to have all my teammates and coaches there especially at the finish DP So we have a tradition every year where everyone who s not racing barring medical and familial obligations drives to wherever nationals is We had 35 people get in vans and drive from Boston to Louisville the day before On race day they all stripped down to sports bras and spandex and painted themselves blue and were screaming for two hours during the men s and women s race DP After the race that night my team and I actually put on non athletic clothes We went into downtown Louisville to dinner at this Ethiopian restaurant which was really fun Ethiopian food is cool They gave you a big platter with a crepe covering the whole thing and then put different piles of food in the middle of the crepe and you all eat familystyle tearing pieces off I like that running is more about knowing that you re doing it for yourself you re not doing it for other people What was your pre race dinner KP My pre race meal was lasagna from the Old Spaghetti Factory in Louisville But the night before that we actually went to Olive Garden I love Olive Garden and I ll have either spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna DP We had dinner in the hotel room and a bunch of people ordered from Olive Garden I don t really like Olive Garden so I just microwaved a baked potato and had a can of soup Nothing super interesting Do you have any pre race superstitions or lucky things you do How did you celebrate your podium finish KP On the trip home we stopped at a really nice steakhouse and had a good dinner Our team has a dry season through cross country so of course I got a drink with dinner a Tito s lemonade Then we got home kind of late but we still went out downtown to the bars A lot of people were buying me shots because everyone knew who I was and what I d achieved I remember walking downtown and this guy was like Hey didn t you just win cross country nationals or something And you re already back Wow that s awesome I feel like D3 has a really good community Just being at a small school you know everyone from classes and all the other athletes who congratulated me too 25 KP Oh my gosh um my undergarments I have to wear the same underwear and sports bra for every race I don t wear them for workouts or any other day specifically for race day With my sports bra I actually don t wash it all season It s kind of gross but I only wear it on race days Don t worry my underwear gets washed every time I race DP I wear the same socks and the same sports bra every race every race since freshman year of college It s the same kind of socks but I got a new pair and the same with my sports bra They get cleaned after each race too I m not one of those people who like never washes them The Oval can t wait to see what 2022 brings for Parker and Page as they threaten the record books

Photo Credit VT Athletics

January 2021 The Oval Magazine Embracing Changes Fits Seyoum s journey from femur fracture to professional running Seyoum races the steeplechase at the ACC Championship Photo By Hannah Ballowe Credit VT Athletics 27

The Oval Magazine F its Seyoum holds the unofficial Virginia Tech Cross Country record for fastest lap hiked while wearing a weighted vest He also holds the VT school record in the 3000 meter Steeplechase with a time of 8 31 23 A true master of the brisk hike and the steeplechase Seyoum earned both of these distinctions in 2021 In the steeplechase though it was a matter of lowering his own record If you know anything about Seyoum you know his range is impressive But what makes these two times hiking and steepling so significant Well hiking in the weighted vest served as a form of cross training for Seyoum as he recovered from a grade 4 femoral stress fracture he was diagnosed with in October of 2020 The diagnosis came just eight months before he finished 10th in the steeplechase at the US Olympic Trials with a time of 8 28 72 On October 16th 2020 Seyoum was unable to finish a cross country race because of the pain in his leg the first DNF of his collegiate cross country career He spent the next four weeks on crutches and wasn t allowed to crosstrain during this time but these tight restrictions drove him to seek other forms of exercise After two weeks I was doing one of the arm cycle bikes for 40 minutes Despite feeling goofy using only his arms to bike Seyoum stuck to the doctor s orders until he was cleared to swim bike use the punching bag and hike with the weighted vest Seyoum candidly described the process as awful saying that what made it so hard was battling self doubting thoughts like am I going to be the same Is it even worth it in my 5th year By this point Seyoum was setting up jobs and had pretty much decided he was done running I was chasing the person I used to be and the runner I used to be That pretty much sucked A winter break full of hiking and cross training led Seyoum back to the track in January where he did his first workout He finished his first workout back on land by throwing up January 2022 After his second workout back he was convinced he was done running and he told his coach Eric Johannigmeier he was close to walking away from the sport He stuck with it though and the entirety of his indoor track season ran on land only for workouts He spent his recovery days on the bike in the pool or on the Alter G At this point Seyoum was three months from the initial diagnosis Up until mid February when he ran a 4 08 36 mile running remained a painful and difficult task He ran the final 800 meters in 2 minutes before Johannigmeier told him he would be racing the mile at the ACC Championship meet At ACCs Seyoum ran a 4 04 80 to make the final almost matching his personal best The next day he ran 4 00 74 setting a new personal best and finishing 4th in the ACC While all of his teammates were tapering for the postseason Seyoum s mileage was reaching new heights since his injury I think I ran 32 miles that week and I was like wow I m building up mileage With a new mile personal best and mileage on the upswing Seyoum was headed into the outdoor season with a new perspective about the runner he was I was always comparing myself to who I was And at that meet ACCs I had a new perspective about how I will never be who I was I m different now and I just had to accept that and stop comparing myself to the runner I was I m not the runner I was I just wanted to appreciate the process and restart 28

January 2022 The Oval Magazine Seyoum s outdoor season was framed by one goal meeting the Olympic Trials standard He was fully aware of how loft that goal was be out there His time in Flagstaff has introduced him to an incredible running community The culture he has joined is focused and dedicated just like Seyoum is It was optimistic I m a guy who was running 30 something miles indoors and 40 something outdoors saying he wants to hit the Olympic Trials standard for a 3k steeple which is a distance race In less than a year Seyoum was diagnosed with a femoral stress fracture ran a 4 00 mile won his second ACC Steeplechase title graduated college ran in the NCAA Championship meet ran in his first Olympic Trials signed a professional contract and left Virginia to move across the country to Flagstaff In his first steeple race in two years Seyoum ran only six seconds off of his personal best giving him the confidence that he could meet his goal In May of 2021 at the ACC Championship meet Seyoum did just that defending his title and running under the Olympic Trials Standard in a time of 8 31 23 From there he breezed through Regionals before landing in Eugene Oregon where he spent almost a month total between the NCAA Championship meet and the US Olympic Trials At NCAAs Seyoum didn t have the race he wanted and says he was too complacent He took the two weeks between NCAA s and the Trials to prepare himself for another race and shake off any disappointment I knew at the Trials that I had to be ready for the moves and race like I belonged there That was a huge difference I just put myself in a better position I didn t run passive at the Trials After the Trials Seyoum began to negotiate professional contracts and signed with Under Armour s Dark Sky Distance He moved to Flagstaff to train full time on September 19th 2021 less than a year after he was sidelined with his stress fracture I just felt like this was the right group for me to take that next step When asked what he would tell younger runners or a younger version of himself Seyoum says the most underrated piece of advice is to focus on yourself Running is such a numbers thing People get caught up on seeing a fast time or seeing someone else run a fast time and comparing themselves to that Everyone has a different path You re going to get somewhere differently than someone else will Seyoum has certainly proved his ability to bounce back and succeed With as much as 2021 has held for him so far we can t wait to see what 2022 will bring but we hope it will be an injury free endeavor this time around FITS UA Favorite UA athletic shorts Good for running comfort wear Middle Seyoum wins the steeplchase Seyoum says that Dark Sky Distance checked off everything on his list and it seemed like the perfect fit for him to 29 Left Seyoum on the podium Photo Credit VT Athletics

Photo Credits Steve Schulz Steveschulzcreations

The Oval Magazine January 2022 The Good the Bad and The Ugly Kamari Miller By Jack Balick 32

January 2021 The Oval Magazine L ike many successful cross country and track athletes Kamari Miller first started running as a way to get in shape for a more mainstream sport in his case basketball Growing up in Marietta Georgia the hometown of some of the NBA s most talented athletes nothing seemed more important to Miller than a future in basketball Even after finishing his seventh grade track season with a 5 25 personal best in the mile Miller saw no other purpose for running than to improve his fitness for the court I originally didn t even want to be a distance runner says Miller reflecting on his first season of spring track I wanted to be a sprinter or a middle distance guy but my coach threw me in a mile just to see what I could do and I ended up running a 5 25 I didn t know if it was good or not but I didn t even really take it seriously enough to care Above Left Syracuse teammate pats Miller s back Above Right Miller and Syracuse teammates run in a pack Photo Credits the first day of track tryouts Miller would place first in the tryout which consisted of a one mile time trial even beating the team coach who was in the process of training for the Boston Marathon Just like that Miller solidified his spot on the team and was ready to begin his eighth grade campaign After spending the winter conditioning with the track team Miller entered his spring season primed for a breakthrough a breakthrough that would come in an event far from his favorite As Miller entered his eighth grade year his focus on basketball remained the same and so did his lack of care for track I started running a bit in the winter time says Miller but again just for basketball I had no intention of doing it to be competitive in track The head distance coach decided to throw me in the 3200 says Miller reflecting on the race and I was going against some of the best middle schoolers in the country at the time Justin Wachtel who s now a good friend of mine he runs for Virginia was seeded first and I was seeded last But I m a competitor I m always going to put myself out there to where I have a chance to win because you never know what could happen So my coach was just like you re going to stick on the number one seed and you re just going to hang on and if you re still there with two laps to go I want you to kick as hard as you can But as fate would have it Miller s unrealized potential in competitive distance running wouldn t stay hidden much longer After not making his school s basketball team in October of his eighth grade year Miller had nowhere else to turn than running After placing third in the race with a time of 10 47 Miller s talent in distance running was no longer a secret I m sorry to say it but you have a lot more potential in track than you do in basketball Miller s coach told him after that race And as the future would tell his coach was right Despite his disappointment Miller knew he was in good enough shape to make the school s track team and with no desire to spend the winter without a sport to compete in he made the easy decision to show up in early November for From there his success continued eventually leading him to personal bests of 15 37 in the 5k 9 08 in the 3200 meters 4 15 in the mile and 1 57 in the 800 meters by the end of his sophomore year Steve Schulz steveschulzcreations 33

The Oval Magazine It didn t take long for Division I colleges from across the country to come calling as Miller s sophomore season came to a close but with all this new attention Miller was far from complacent Colleges started recruiting me and my mindset was okay there s a lot more eyes on me Miller says I have to be consistent If I don t run fast am I still going to get recruited Am I still going to go to college Unfortunately Miller s fears of his recruitment s fragility were realized as he entered his junior year With only a two second improvement in his cross country 5k time and an international pandemic shutting down the outdoor track season Miller found himself with an empty mailbox and an empty race calendar At this point Miller decided there was only one thing to do train The summer going into my senior year I told myself this is going to be the season where I make a name for myself I m going to put myself on the national board and I m going to make sure everyone knows I m the real deal says Miller I just trained my butt off I mean everything bands core lifting two a days You name it I was all in Miller entered his senior year ready to prove himself and that s just what he did After running under 15 minutes in the 5k placing first at the Coach Wood Invitational taking January 2022 5th at the Running Lane Cross Country Championships and winning the 7A Georgia state title Miller was named Georgia s 2020 21 cross country Gatorade player of the year Then in his final outdoor season Miller lowered his personal bests to 4 09 in the mile and 8 54 in the 3200 As the recruitment letters began to flood back in Miller s commitment remained an easy decision I had been talking to Syracuse since my sophomore summer That was the only school that was really consistent They were with me through the good and the bad So I committed to Cuse in the fall the week after my first break out cross country race and like I said they ve just been with me through the good the bad the ugly The entire coaching staff is just amazing Miller is now preparing for his freshman indoor track season at the University Syracuse and is determined to continue progressing I just want to go out and shock some people and even shock myself I just want to see how fast I can run leading into Pan Ams for cross 2022 will be a big year for Miller and as he stands on the other end of an outstanding high school career he has one critical basketball tryout to thank Left Miller s Syracuse roster picture Photo Credit Syracuse Athletics Above Miller leading the pack in high school cross country Photo Credit Meg Robinson Photographi 34

Photo Credit Kevin Morris

The Oval Magazine January 2022 Three Women One Issue Eating Disorders and Toxic Culture in Women s Distance Running By Carley Crain TW This article discusses Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating 36

January 2022 The Oval Magazine I would go to school and would have nobody to sit with at lunch so I would go to the library and there is no eating in the library so I would go to practice after eating nothing all day explained a high school senior who prefers to stay anonymous for privacy concerns I would go the whole day without lunch I would just throw it away said Quinnipiac University senior Shannon Goria The biggest thing for me was restricting my lunch at school because that is when my family was not there said Springfield College senior Aly Coyle It seemed like a lot of other girls were doing that too Three girls one issue and very similar experiences an eating disorder that almost cost them not only their running careers but their lives While none of these young women know each other they all recalled the exact same experience at school lunch An experience that culminated into a physically and mentally exhausting journey fighting an eating disorder that isn t necessarily unheard of in women s distance running In fact according to Global Sports Matter almost 50 percent of female athletes in leanness sports ex dancing distance running cheerleading and other sports that prioritize weight or body image have experienced eating disorders But eating disorders are something that is not talked about enough to young female athletes due to the encouragement of a win at all costs culture NCAA DIII XC Start line Photo Credit Slippery Rock University 37

The Oval Magazine January 2022 Top Goria Photo Credits Shannon Goria Bottom Coyle races for Springfield Photo Credit Springfield College For all three women disordered eating habits and behaviors like restricting food groups throwing away meals and daily weigh ins started from a young age The idea of eating healthy and running fast became an obsession In order to improve all three athletes felt the pressure to lose weight The ideal runner s body proclaimed by society a long and lean figure was all they wanted and they were willing to do anything to prove to themselves and the outside world that they were worthy female runners even if it meant risking everything I thought that was how I was supposed to look People would say to me you are too thin but I would say that s just how my body is I am a distance runner explained Goria That s just how distance runners are and what they look like I always had the mentality that the runner s body was skinny with abs so I always was cautious of what I was eating said the anonymous senior I thought what I was doing was normal said Coyle It was hard for others and themselves to see anything wrong with their habits as their times kept improving Each athlete also found it easy to hide their restrictive behaviors Tricking loved ones teammates and coaches became a way to mask the disorder that encouraged their actions as they attempted to improve as runners This behavior can be very sneaky and secretive which was not who I was at all I think what is so scary about eating disorders is how they completely change a person It did a complete 360 on who I was I would wake up in the morning and try to trick my family I would eat a small bowl of cereal go the whole day without lunch eat nothing before practice get home and would eat the whole dinner to prove to my family that I was eating and then maybe something small at night continued Goria The skinny equals fast mentality felt impossible to break especially when some of their best times were run when they were at their lowest weight All three athletes eventually reached their breaking points and realized that this mentality was not sustainable Doctors told me if I kept running I could have snapped my spine That really freaked me out and was the main factor that made me realize maybe I should gain some weight said Goria Sophomore year I had a stress fracture and that was kind of an eye opener to me that I needed to start taking care of myself more explained Coyle Female athletes who struggle with eating disorders also tend to show symptoms of the Female Athlete Triad which Goria Coyle and the anonymous senior experienced 38

January 2022 The Oval Magazine Top Goria Photo Credits Shannon Goria Bottom Coyle races for Springfield Photo Credit Springfield College like infertility For years all three athletes were consumed by their eating disorder Life became solely centered on running Nothing else seemed to matter An athlete identity was all they ever knew I didn t let myself enjoy life explained Goria Running kind of was put into every other aspect of my life said the senior I was definitely dealing with a lot of confidence and body image issues as well I really isolated myself from social situations explained Coyle Another problem with eating disorders is the combination of hiding habits and the toxic reinforcement of unhealthy ideas from coaches mass media and society While nutrition and weight can be important indicators in a sport an athlete s success is imperative from a broader range of factors including their emotional and mental well being I understand that in running fueling yourself properly is important but especially for a young high school athlete it can be very triggering and bring you to places where you become obsessed with it said the senior It should be talked about but not to the max that it is The senior also reports being tolf by coaches to go on diets in some ways Global Sports Matter defines the Female Athlete Triad as an interrelationship between menstrual dysfunction low energy availability and decreased bone mineral density This is especially dangerous for women because it damages the hormone balance which is essential for bodily functions Disordered eating bone injuries and loss of a menstrual cycle are the three main contributors to the Female Athlete Triad Goria Coyle and the high school senior realized that once their eating habits worsened their period became irregular or bone injuries like stress reactions kept recurring Their bodies would have continued to suffer until they solved the root of the problem which was disordered eating in all three cases This could have led to long term health issues 39 Ignoring toxic behaviors and encouraging them Goria explains isn t uncommon in running Winning and producing fast times are often labeled as the top priorities Sometimes it would be really frustrating that there would be people who were much more underweight than I was that were still allowed to practice so I still feel like it s something people can get away with I know girls who should not be running but because they have not vocalized it their problem then goes under the radar util something bad happens which honestly is when it is too late continued Goria

The Oval Magazine All three athletes have received treatment and have learned to love running again Not everyone who suffers from eating disorders however has this same privilege Health com reports that The average cost of a hospital stay for a patient with an eating disorder is 19 400 For those who don t have health insurance reliable transportation or a support system of loved ones treatment is much harder and relapse is much more likely Most recently with the COVID 19 pandemic the number of people who were hospitalized because of an eating disorder doubled as well as a spike of more than 70 percent of reported calls and chats made to the National Eating Disorder Association NEDA according to MyCentralOregon com Non profit organizations like Project Heal are working to make eating disorder treatment more accessible and affordable by offering treatment placement insurance navigation and and monetary assistance programs Race gender identity and sex also play a role in the likelihood of recovering from an eating disorder Project Heal reported that 38 percent of their applicants were members of the LGBTQ community and 20 percent were Black Indigenous or People of Color BIPOC A likely explanation for this Project Heal report is that because anxiety depression and other mental health issues are often intertwined with eating disorders marginalized communities are at a greater risk for developing one January 2022 Education and knowledge about eating disorders helped Goria and Coyle realize that they were in need of help They emphasized the importance of having a strong support system that would help keep them accountable The education base helped me realize that I don t want to put my bones under this again and result in long term Osteoporosis said Coyle Creating a routine and sticking to it has helped all three women in maintaining a healthy relationship with food They all also were able to come to the realization that not ever day is going to go perfect body image wise and that it s ok I think body image is an everyday thing I don t think anyone always loves their body I think that is very unrealistic explained Goria But I take that hold it and understand it I have realized that it does not matter in terms of my overall happiness A new approach to food was essential in all of their recoveries Coyle brought up how she now intuitively eats which is a philosophy of eating that makes you the expert of your body and its hunger signals according to Heathline Goria explained that finding her identity outside of sport was crucial It s not just all me or running what is more important is having fun and enjoying myself explained Goria Thankfully the presence of more female coaches and role models in the sport has also shown to be effective in creating an environment that is less performance and appearance focused according to The New York Times Though this article discusses Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating as it pertains to female runners The Oval wants to make sure that I had one coach who was really amazing during my freshman track season the senior said about having a supportive female coach I opened up about everything to her and she really helped me She definitely helped me keep my love for running we address that these issues can arise in male athletes as well Regardless of gender race level of competition or any other factor you are not alone in your struggle There are many resources for information and advice if you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating The National Eating Disorder Associaion NEDA is a good place to start if you are seeking help Coyle and Goria explained habits and approaches to recovery that have helped them as well as what can be done to fix the damaged system that has become reality in the sport of running 40

Photo Credits Chandra Dickinson The River Reporter

The Oval Magazine January 2022 Left Photo Credit Alysa LaTourette Above Lukan and a teammate hug Photo Credit Chandra Dickins All for the Team and the Love of By Eric Lukan 42

January 2022 The Oval Magazine in the marching band there and my aunt was a student there as well Every single Saturday I watched Notre Dame football Hell I even missed my first cross country meet of high school to drive out to watch the Irish pulverize Temple 49 16 But the reality struck later on in my high school career that I just couldn t go to Notre Dame I was a good student but I wasn t quite smart enough for the geniuses that roamed their campus R ight before the end of my senior year I had to write a paper in my English class reflecting on my four years of high school In that paper I talked about the sometimes hard truth and reality some people face no matter the subject I used that paper to describe my struggles to find perfection in my running as well as my academics The fact of the matter is that not everyone is going to end up going to Harvard and not everyone is going to end up as an Olympic gold medalist I started cross country and track just about how every kid does I grew up playing soccer since my dad coached and was lucky enough to play in college at Penn State Worthington I ended up joining the track team because my brother and role model had done so for two years and I figured it was worth the try Eventually I got good enough that it was worth switching from soccer to cross country in the fall and eventually giving up basketball in the winter While it took me a while to fall in love with the sport I was still able to make the varsity team my first year of cross country and was the lone freshman sitting in the 7th spot on the team Now going back to this senior paper of mine it was important in helping me realize my ideals Ever since I was a little kid I dreamed of going to Notre Dame My uncle was the Sport 43 Similarly with my running I wanted to be great Seeing guys online like Ryan Trahan go from a 20 something 5k on JV to a low 15 minute 5k and a scholarship to Texas A M gave me tons of optimism that I could be that guy Not just good but great But similarly to my dreams of Notre Dame I realized I definitely was not D1 material or even D2 material for that matter My first 1600m I ran in 7th grade was a 6 34 and I ended my high school career running 4 54 for 5 straight dual meets I went from a 12 36 3200m runner to a 10 39 PR I lowered my cross country 5k PR from 23 33 to a 17 56 in four years despite being injured all summer prior to my senior season And despite all this I still just wasn t the runner I wanted to be I had okay times but they weren t great I was finishing well in races but the only races I was winning were from dual meets I came up painfully short at my district championships in track and failed to qualify for any state meets in cross country I ended my high school career without having ever won a medal with a painful 21st place at the PIAA District 2 Championships being the cherry on top Top 20 Medal While I was not the 15 minute 5k runner I had hoped to become I had slowly realized that I cared more and more about my team My cross country team was never in consideration for the district title until my senior year where the team finished 5th at districts My freshman year the track team had not won a dual meet in almost 5 years By my senior year we were able to win 3 dual meets in a season despite having only 5 distance athletes While I had numerous failures and could never get fit enough to run a time I thought was good I was finally surrounded by a team whose results I cared about more than my own results This love of the sport that I finally realized I had thanks to my team helped me decide that I was going to run in college after all During my whole college progress I ultimately decided to run D3 at the University of Scranton I had looked at not running in college and ultimately decided that running

The Oval Magazine would keep my head on straight keep me healthy and was what I needed to be happy I had looked at other colleges in state such as Moravian but ultimately decided that Scranton was where I wanted to be The same brother who had convinced me to join track in the first place also went to Scranton and a total of 7 members in my family had attended the university It just felt like the best choice with so much family supporting me Living in NEPA I was able to meet up with some of the guys on the team over the summer to train as well as some other local athletes While it was nice getting my butt kicked by some local athletes some of whom run for schools at the D3 level like Marywood all the way up to D1 schools like Boston College Temple and Saint Joseph s I really enjoyed running with my future teammates more Each of them had a vision for the season we had ahead and it felt great adding another brick to the great mansion of a season we had in mind Even more it felt great making new relationships with my future teammates Compared to high school it finally felt like my hard work could come to fruition with other guys who worked just as hard all for the sake of the team January 2022 Now I m not writing a sob story about my freshman cross country season just to complain and feel sorry for myself I m writing it because I truly love this team and everyone on it no matter what times I run While I still am a perfectionist who hopes to hold some school records one day I am also truly happy no matter the results Recently at the NCAA Mid Atlantic Regional Meet our men s team was able to get 6th out of 32 teams the highest finish since 1988 While I wasn t running in that particular meet I still woke up at 7 and drove 2 and a half hours down and back to Carlisle just to watch both the men and women run I may not be running well yet I may not be running D1 I may not be a student at Harvard or Notre Dame But I m working hard and putting in the miles Hopefully I can get fit enough to crush my first season of indoor track After that I d like to finally utilize my 6 3 frame for the steeplechase But even if I run terribly at the end of the day it s all for the love of the team and the love of the sport Beginning my year however I hit a series of obstacles I spent the night before my first race puking my brains out in my dorm room and while all my teammates were racing I was in the hospital With a hip flexor injury and another weekend of being stuck in bed I really had a terrible freshman cross country season Before my actual first race of the season as well as my college career I took enough ibuprofen to kill a hamster in order to get through my hip flexor injury and ran 22 09 for 6k My PR in the 8k of 30 16 came from my very first 8k where I went out in an idiotic 5 15 and slowly died off At conferences I ran absolutely terrible and was one of the last finishers overall I had put in the mileage and put in my time in the weight room but I truly just had bad luck in trying to stay fit stay healthy and perform well in my 3 races Lukan and coaches Photo Credit Chandra Dickins 44

Photo Credit Jason Timochko

The Oval Magazine January 2022 Dear Baton We know the spring of 2020 was rough for you We are guessing you spent the time cooped up in someone s basement backpack garage or trunk You were probably wondering what the heck was going on wondering why you had been benched for so long We wanted you to know that we missed you dearly during that time and are so happy to see you again By the way have we told you lately that we love you We love you in all the colors especially blue We love you in the shiny finish and the matte finish We love you beat up and brand new We love you in our right hand and in our left hand We love you on the straights and we love you on the turns We love you in the blind exchanges where only you can see the catastrophes that often unfold We love you in the visual exchanges where there is a little more room for error We love you in the short explosive powerful legs of the 4x100 and in the longer grinds of the DMR We hope that you do not mind our sweaty palms occasionally mixed with a little bit of snot This is how we show our love Also we are sorry that we sometimes drop you The pinging sound that you make when you hit the ground just as the crowd groans breaks our hearts We are going to try to do better We will also try really hard to pass you within the exchange zone But seriously it is kinda confusing and we just run out of room so quickly We are also sorry for the times that we have tossed you aside on the in field or stored you away with the implements And even more we are sorry for the times that we left you at the track all alone while the bus pulled away We really did take you for granted then the pandemic came and we realized how truly blessed we were to have you in our lives We can now honestly appreciate that you have always been there for us with us not quite attached to us And that you will always be there for us whether we cross the line first last or somewhere in between unless of course we drop you again sorry in advance the DNF is the worst We had a few questions for you Do you get dizzy with all the circles Do you prefer a hot day or a cold one Is indoor or outdoor your favorite So many questions we really wish you could talk As the sun sets on the 2021 season and we look forward to the thrill of the indoor track we want to take a minute to thank you For your dedication to our quest whatever it may be for always believing in us and for always leading the way We are and always will be grateful to have you in our lives So thrilled to be together again The Relay Team Dear Baton was written by Kathleen Beebe who picked up a baton again in the spring of 2021 to run the DMR after a 30 year hiatus from the relay team Sincerely Above Beebe s High School baton Photo Credit Kathleen Beebe Below The Garden State Track Club Masters Women s relay team that took on the DMR in 2021 at the East Coast Relays and Last Chance Invitational Photo Credit Jason Timochko 46

Photo Credit Pitt Athletics Katherine Kart katherine_kart

The Oval Magazine January 2022 Settling on the Other Side Nick Wolk By Ethan Hermann Wolk light blue races for PTC Photo Credit Katie Burgess katherine_kart 48

January 2022 The Oval Magazine N ick Wolk stepped off of the track at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville Florida this May having raced for the last time in his storied University of Pittsburgh tenure Wolk arrived at college in the fall of 2016 after a standout high school career at Peters Township in western Pennsylvania Now five years later Wolk is the owner of two of the University of Pittsburgh track records 3 000 meter 5 000 meter He joked of retiring from running immediately Some of his teammates and friends took him seriously while others scoffed at a man who had just run four personal bests in the last three months considering calling it the end of his career The Monday after his last collegiate race he titled his 35 minute long run on the running platform Strava Unretired This came as no real surprise but the actual interesting piece of news came from Wolk s Strava that ensuing Friday he had joined the burgeoning Pittsburgh Track Club began competing in the National Intercollegiate Running Club Association The transition from the NCAA to NIRCA was honestly somewhat of a shock to me Wolk explained For so long I was concerned with the culture of uniformity and the single minded pursuit of progress that was required to foster success in the NCAA Going to a team filled with more diverse perspectives goals and interests really made me rethink some things Wolk encountered a newfound atmosphere filled with dedicated people that had other interests hobbies and commitments in the meantime They weren t at Pitt on athletic scholarships and sometimes life got in the way of a workout or a practice Instead of the rigidity of the NCAA Wolk was placed into the fluidity of post collegiate running with Pitt Club XC and Pittsburgh Track Club alike When asked about the switch away from the team Wolk had mixed feelings Formed in 2021 by Syracuse alum and also Western PA native Juris Silenkis a post collegiate running option seemed to appear in front of Wolk right as he was wrapping up his undergraduate education at Pitt The transition seemed all too natural and Wolk was excited to run with new people There are some things that I will certainly miss However being on the team as an assistant coach has been a nice transition step I do feel like my time as an NCAA athlete was fulfilling and I had more time than I expected when it was over it did feel like the time to move on and try something new Wolk eyed up a chance to return to the University of Pittsburgh as a volunteer assistant coach and after that was a viable option he decided to unretire from school as well choosing to pursue a Master s in Public Administration at the University of Pittsburgh Going from the Pitt varsity team to two different clubs Wolk had a lot of freedom in his training from workouts to races to even doing outlandish easy runs with friends that would have been frowned upon by his coaches back on the team You can take the eligibility out of Nick Wolk but you sure as hell can t take the University of Pittsburgh and his yearning for running from him Well at least not yet Wolk with many good running friends on both the varsity and club teams at Pitt found himself on the other side of things as both a runner and a coach He joined the Pitt Club Cross Country team and 49 When it came to the Pittsburgh Track Club Wolk felt refreshed to be a part of a new team The training is new and exciting and I feel like the rookie again Wolk said The team has experienced veterans that make the transition so much easier I am looking forward to making the transition from miles and 5ks to half and full marathons in the future

The Oval Magazine While his tenure with PTC is just beginning Wolk s time with Pitt Club XC is rather finite he can run as long as he is a student at Pitt However that did not stop Wolk from quickly making claims to NIRCA fame On November 6 Wolk ran his way to the individual NIRCA National Title at the Blue River Cross Country Course in Shelbyville Indiana Wolk s 24 41 over the 8 kilometer course was good for a four second margin of victory Wolk helped lead the Panthers to a 4th place finish the highest ever finish for the Pitt team at NIRCA Nationals The following day back in Pittsburgh Wolk donned his Pittsburgh Track Club singlet for the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler Wolk rallied to a 3rd place finish with a time of 49 13 good enough to earn him some good prize money money that used to be unattainable for him as an NCAA athlete That weekend summed up Wolk s new normal having fun and racing hard with his friends and classmates on the Pitt Club Team and then turning around and racing with his post collegiate track club January 2022 So is it time to ask the unavoidable question of What s next for Nick Wolk According to Wolk himself there s quite a lot to be done next I have so many goals at this point Wolk said I am becoming more aware of what I still have left to do in this sport Long term I think coaching could be something that provides meaning and fulfillment For now I still have the drive to go faster This summer Wolk ran to a 9th place finish and a 4 04 mile in the professional heat of the 2021 Fleet Feet Liberty Mile in Pittsburgh With only four seconds standing between him and the iconic achievement he would be remiss to say it was not on his mind I ve never seen myself as a miler but I would be lying if I said I didn t want to run sub 4 Left Wolk 2nd from left with PTC members Photo Credit Katie Burgess katherine_kart Right Wolk races for Pitt Club XC Photo Credit Ted DiBlase 50

January 2022 The Oval Magazine However Wolk is eyeing up completely different distances altogether Simultaneously the marathon looms and I ll probably try an ultra at some point just to experience everything this sport has to offer While Wolk s aspirations for running in the future sit high he is not done soaking in the present day He is appreciative of the new community who has welcomed him in the club circuit and feels that it is equal to the NCAA if people are willing to put in the work Running for a club can be just as fulfilling It doesn t have to be a step down and the lower pressure can be liberating healthy and allow you to explore opportunities that you might not have had otherwise Wolk is excited for his remaining time at Pitt in all of his capacities and readily awaits the days that follow the conclusion of his time with the university In the meantime he will continue to train learn and coach in Pittsburgh and take in as much as he can from the different worlds he has entered Top Bottom Wolk races for Pitt Club XC Photo Credit Ted DiBlase Middle Wolk light blue singlet left races the Liberty mile Photo Photo Credit Pitt Athletics 51 Credit Katie Burgess katherine_kart

Photo Credits Daily Herald Hometown Source Ali Weimer Twitter

January 2022 Spotlight Stories The Oval Magazine NXR Champs Jefferson McMullin and Ali Weimer Interview by Sarah Moxham In this new Spotlight Stories column we want to shed light on running accomplishments big or small that might otherwise be overshadowed J E F F E R S O N Mc M U L L I N Lehi HS Utah Q A put myself in real race scenarios where I have to finish with that closing speed no matter how bad it hurts McMullin What were your goals for this season I wanted to qualify for states and regional meets I just went in and trusted my training and ended up taking states and ran a good PR for myself I was sick at our pre Foot Locker meet but I was able to fight through that and win that Coming into NXR I had a lot of confidence I knew I could perform and race well but I also wanted to make sure I was staying humble and hungry I still have a message to send and nothing is guaranteed Why do you run I m a super competitive person naturally Playing basketball built that up a lot The drive to have to win motivates me a lot of times there s no other option that s just how my mentality is I remember what I m racing for too this year I was racing for my school Throughout my season I kept remembering that I m racing for my school and representing my city and my coach What keeps you focused I say this is what people aren t going to see When it gets hard I think about how it is for myself This hard workout is teaching me that I can push through things A lot of times I ll 53 When I m hurting I ll tell myself I see you pain I know you re there Just leave me alone and throw it away and keep going I draw off of what goal I set in the regular season I set the goal to win state and every workout every long run even recovery runs I was focused on doing everything I can to win state What got you into the sport My freshman year I was getting ready to try out for the basketball team and was out of shape and told myself I d run 2 miles every day to get in shape for basketball My mom told me I should just run with the cross country team and pushed me to try it and I wound up doing pretty well and ran varsity for my last few races But then I was like I ll just go back to basketball Sophomore year I did it again and loved it a little bit more I ended up with the top spot on my team and that was fun and then it was my junior year that really set everything apart I was able to compete well at states and hit some goals I had set I went into basketball season that year and it was a grind of a season and I realized that it was rare that I was excited to go to basketball practice and going into the track season I was excited to go to practice and see all my friends and to be able to run with them That s when I realized that running was what makes me happiest I m able to draw off a lot of aspects of basketball and it makes me really grateful that I get to run

The Oval Magazine January 2022 Left McMullin after his race Photo Credit Jefferson McMullin Right Weimer crosses the finish line at NXR Photo Credit Did you always want to run in college A L I W E I M E R I knew in about seventh or eighth grade I always idolized older girls in high school who were winning state meets and I knew that s what I wanted to do and if it took me to run collegiately I one hundred percent want to do it St Michael Albertville HS MN Q A Weimer What were your goals for this season It was always in the back of my mind but I never thought I d be in this position I didn t realize I was good enough to do it until people started reaching out to me What keeps you focused When I want to give up I think about how I m doing this for more than just myself I m doing this for my team Obviously my junior year it was not normal whatsoever because of COVID I knew coming into this season it was not only my senior year but it was also time to not take for granted all the opportunities and races I have like the state meet or regionals In the previous season I hadn t qualified for national races so I knew I had to this year Who inspires you most Going in we knew that qualifying for national and regional races were the goal all along Why do you run What are your thoughts you bring with you into competition I race for my teammates and coaches and my parents But knowing I wanted to run collegiately next year too I wanted to run to my best abilities Once I committed to the University of Minnesota I wanted to make the head coach proud too My parents and my coaches do they have such a positive role in my running I could be so down on myself and they always find something good to say and they always believe in me even when I haven t I like the feeling of accomplishment after I cross the finish line or achieving a PR or running a hard workout It s always been therapeutic for me if I m stressed out I can go for a run and reset and go about the rest of my day 54 Shari L. Gross, Star Tribune

Photo Credits Pitt Athletics

Photo Credits Syracuse Athletics

Photo Credit Shannon Thompson