LIFE

So today is my last day at The Flying Pig Marathon. I look forward to going back next year and working as an intern, hopefully with a larger role. This has been one of the best experience of my life. Through this internship I meet so many new friends that hopefully I am able to stay in contact with them. Lindsey, Denise, Iris, Rob, John, Trey, Steph, and Patrick were great people to work with and helped me out so much. I feel that just gaining this internship will lead to bigger and better things for me in my professional life.
As far as track goes, it's coming to an end. Me and about ten other people are still running this Friday @ IU and next week @ North Central. Hopefully fellow teammates Randall Mitchell, Scotty Mayes, and Lauren Hastings are able to make it to nationals. I've learned alot about myself this track season. I started off this season with only running one 400 in my life, to being one of the teams two 400 runners. I started off the season with never running the 4x400 in my life, to being the lead off leg, and the one strong hold on the relay team due to injuries and other issues. At the start of the season I set a goal for myself to run a 54 in the 400. I've officially done that so I've moved my goal to a 53 for the next two meets. By next year hopefully I will be able to hit a 51 and help the relay team bring home a conference championship. Through this season I set high goals in the 400 with never running it before, and I meet that goal. This season has helped me realize that the sky is the limit. I would also like to mention that I received a team award, The Focus Award. Focus stands for "Forming Our Circle Until Successful. At the start of the season we came in with no leaders left over from last year. Coach Hill came up to me one day, and said I'm going to need you to step up this season" One problem he didn't say what I needed to step up to. I then realized that I was needed to lead this very young team. The way I did that was by example. I acted as a class act, did all I could to motivate the team, and spent more time helping others than I have in the past. I feel that through my experiences this year I've become a man. I don't know if I could say that in the past. I feel that my hard work is paying of as a was accepted into The National Collegiate Athletic Honor Society.
Finally, This summer I will be going out to Utah to live with my sister. I will be working on a ranch doing office work, and also being a ranch hand. I will leave in two weeks, and hopefully in the 3 months I spend on the ranch I can learn more about myself.

The Flying Pig Marathon-Sunday

Today was the running of The 11th Flying Pig Marathon and Half Marathon. There were a record number of participants for Saturday Events, over 16,000 and over 22,000 for all events total. The overall winner of The Flying Pig Marathon was Sergio Reyes with a time of 2:20:37. That was just 12 seconds off the race record set in 2006. The winner of the women's division was Autum Ray in a time of 2:52:23. Sergio was quoted at saying, :This is one of the most scenic races I've ever done" and “The views were truly awesome and the weather was just about perfect.” The winner of the half Marathon was Chris Reis in a time of 1:09:09. The female winner of the half-marathon was Nicole Laselle in a time of 1:21:52. I would also like to make a shout out to current and former teammates of mine who ran The 4-person relay. The Mo Joe Racers team of Alex Shields, Jeff Schroer, Kassie Koch, and Gina Damon finished in 3rd place in the co-ed division. Nice race ladies and gentleman. With that said I am glad that I took on this internship and look forward to interning at The Pig next spring. It was an experience of a lifetime, and I will never forget it. Their is nothing that can compare to being at the finish line of a Marathon. I would like to personally say this is the best sporting event I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. For more Information on The Flying Pig Marathon please visit www.flyingpigmarathon.com.

The Flying Pig Marathon-Saturday

Saturday was just a taste of what to expect for what would happen on Sunday. On Saturday there were participants for the Toyota, 10k, The Fleet Feet Sports 5k, Hope & Possibilities 5k, the Kids 1 mile, and the diaper dash. In the Toyota 10k the winner was 23 year old Nazar Trilisky of Cincinnati. His finishing time was 33:30. The winner of the Toyota 10k for the women was 25 year old Karen Berling of Cincinnati. She finished in a time of 39:11. The overall winner of the Fleet Feet Sports 5k was 35-year old Jeff Hojnack of Chicago. His time was 16:22. The winner of the womens division was 26-year-old Kerry Bogner of Cincinnati. Her finishing time was 18:58. I would also like to make a special shout out to my assistant track coach Tina Blakley who finished 67 overall in a time 0f 22:18 and 2nd in her age group. Good job Tina. Also I would Like to share a short story with you all. As I was putting up signage for Sunday's race I had a Hope & Possibilities member who was physically handicapped come up and thanked me for all of my hard work. I took that to heart. That night as I was going to bed I was thinking about this older man In his wheelchair and I begun to think why wasn't I the one thinking him for his hard work. He was the one that just gave everything he had to finish a 5k. I mean what I had to do, put up signs was easy work. What this man did Saturday and has to do everyday of his life is the real hard work.

The Flying Pig Marathon Expo

So today I worked the Expo for my internship at The Flying Pig Marathon. I feel like I could fall asleep right now, but instead I'm blogging away. So to start off with I was giving people bid numbers, and boy was that interesting. Not to sound like I'm complaining, but people are impatient. If they have to wait more than 30 seconds they act like its the end of the world. I then worked on registration which was pretty easy and mindless. Other, than the few impatient people at the bid station people seemed to be very calm. Also I heard people complimenting and the wide array of vendors we had at the expo. Many felt their was something their for people of all ages. Also I noticed that having the expo at The Duke Energy Center seemed to bring allot of people downtown. I would think that has to be good for the local economy and downtown businesses. With that said I'm going to bed to prepare for the next two days that are ahead of me. I look forward to seeing you at the events of The Pig.

HCAC Championships-Women

The Mounts women team had a 5th place finish at The HCAC Championships. In the triple jump Lauren Hastings finished 3rd, Maria Reubusch finished 6th, and Kristin George finished 8th. In the long jump the women continued their winning ways with Lauren Hastings finishing 1st, Kristin George finished 6th, and Maria Reubusch finished 8th. George also had a impressive performance with a 5th place finish in the javelin throw. The Mounts 4x100 meter team of Abbey Modras, Kristin George, Emily Babel, and Lauren Hastings took home the championship. Those four women were named all HCAC for their performances. Abbey Modras had a 2nd place finish in the 400 meter dash. In the 100 meter dash Emily Babel finished 3rd and Kristin George finished 4th. In the 200 meter dash Emily Babel finished 2nd, Abbey Modras finished 7th, and Kristin George finished 8th. To finish off the day the 4x400 meter relay of Amanda Smith, Abbey Modras, Emily Babel, and Maria Reubusch finished in 5th place. The Mount will be back in action on May 8th.

HCAC Championships-Men

The Mounts men's team finished in 7th place today at the HCAC Championships. In the pole vault Doug Meyer had his best meet of the year with a 5th place finish. Also having a stellar day was Xavier Brison with a 6th place finish in the triple jump. In the throws Randall Mitchell had a huge weekend with a 1st place finish in the shot put and discus throw, and a 2nd place finish in the hammer throw. Travis Blank also came up big with an 8th place finish in the shot put while Ryan Averback finished 4th in the Javelin throw. Scotty Mayes had a big day with a 1st place finish and school record in the long jump, and also a 3rd place finish in the 100 meter dash. Jeff Schroer had a nice weekend with a 8th place finish in the 5000 meter run. The mounts 4x100 meter relay team of Scotty Mayes, Derick Tabar, David Davis, and Cory Hardin finished 6th while the 4x400 meter relay team of myself (Seth Gilley), Ben Weidner, Zach Shaw, and Jim Tritt finished 7th. Randall Mitchell and Scotty Mayes were named to the all-conference team while Mitchell was named Field Athlete of the Year. The mount will back in action at Indiana University on May 8th.

Mount Competes @ Quaker Invitational

The Mounts Men's & Women's teams competed at The Wilmington College Quaker Invitational and had some very impressive finishes. To start things off right the women's 4x100 meter relay team turned in a 4th place finish. Emily Babel was able to turn in a 5th place finish in the 100 meter dash and a 7th place finish in the 200 meter dash. In the 400 meter dash Abbey Modras was able to overcome sickness to turn in a 7th place finish. Kristin George had a good day with a 8th place finish in the 100, 4th in the long jump and 4th in the triple jump. Also having a good day was Maria Reubusch finishing 7th in the 100 meter hurdles and 3rd in the triple jump.
On the Men's side the 4x100 meter relay team had a 5th place finish. In the 100 meter dash David Davis came up big with a 8th place finish. In the 500 meter run Jeff Schroer had a 5th place finish. In the long jump Scotty Mayes finished 3rd while Doug Meyer finished 8th. Doug Meyer also had a 5th place finish in the Pole Vault. Setting the school Record in the javelin throw was Ryan Averback with a 2nd place finish. With a good day in the throws was Randall Mitchell finishing 2nd in the discus throw and 4th in the hammer throw and shot put.
The Mount will be back in action on April 24th for The HCAC Championships. "Mount Up"

Mount Competes at All-Ohio

So today we competed at the All-Ohio Championships which is a meet with all of the D-III teams in the state of Ohio. This event matches the best of the best in each event in the state of Ohio. While our place in the 4x4 wasn't very good I was pleased with my performance setting a Personal Record for the 400. With that said I felt the team was very competitive today.
To start things off on the Men's side Randall Mitchell turned in two good performances with a 6th place finish in the Discus throw and Hammer throw. Also with a good day was Doug Meyer who had a 10th place finish in the Pole Vault. 119
On the womens side the 4x100 meter relay team had a quality 11th place finish. Also In the long Jump Kristin George finished in 9th place while Maria Ruebusch finished in 11th place in the triple jump.
Look for the Mount back in action at The Wilmington College Invite on April 18th. "Mount Up"

Mount Competes @ Anderson

The Mounts women's team had an impressive day with the women's 4x100 meter relay team having a decent 3rd place finish. In the 400 meter dash Abbey Modras finished in 4th place overall. Emily Babel was able to turn in a impressive 5th place finish for the girls team. In the 200 meter dash The Mount had several competitors place with Emily Babel finishing 3rd and Abbey Modras coming in 5th. To finish things off on the women's side Lauren Hastings had a 1st place finish in the long Jump while Kristin George had a 3rd place finish in the Javelin throw.
To Start things off on the men's side the Mounts 4x100 meter relay team had an impressive 2nd place finish. Also on the men's side in the 400 open Ben Weidner had a 6th place finish while myself (Seth Gilley) had a decent 9th place finish. In the Men's 100 meter dash Scotty Mayes continued his impressive season with a 6th place finish and he also won the long jump. Also with another Impressive day Randall Mitchell won the shot put with a NCAA provisional mark, while also placing 4th in the discus throw and 3rd in the Hammer throw. To finish things off for the Mount Ryan Averback had a 2nd place finish in the Javelin throw. As always remember to "Mount Up".

Water Hog

So this weekend for my internship at The Flying Pig Marathon we helped out by being "water hog's" at The Heart Mini Marathon. This race is ran by the American Heart Association which is a great organization. So as far as the race its self, well lets just say it was a crappy and rainy day. So I'm sure at this point you are all wondering what a water hog is? Well a water hog is a person who fills up and passes out cups of water to hydrate the participants during the race. At the pig we realize how important being hydrated is for racers, so that's why we feel its important to have a water station at The Heart Mini Marathon. So after we passed these cups out to racers, they need somewhere to throw them and that promptly becomes the ground. I never imagined how long it would take us to clean these cups up. There was about 5,000 cups on the road and it took forever to clean up. That was a warm up for what to expect for our race. Did I mention that the pig has ordered and in stock around 200,000 cups. As I have talked about before you begin to appreciate the amount of time and people it takes to clean up cups which before I accepted this internship I would have never understood the difficulty involved with a small detail such as cleaning up cups. For flying pig info please check out www.flyingpigmarathon.com.

MSJ Track @ Hanover

The mount men's & women's track & field team competed at Hanover today. The men had an 8th place finish with several impressive individual performances. To start off with Scotty Mayes had an impressive day with a 3rd place finish in the 100 meter dash and a 4th place finish in the long jump. In the 10,000 meter run Alex Shields had a strong 7th place finish. Moving on to the Men's 4x400 meter team of myself (Seth Gilley), Ben Weidner, Zach Shaw, and Cory Hardin had a competitive 8th place finish. Randall Mitchell had another impressive day with a 2nd place finish in the shot put, 3rd in the hammer throw and 5th in the discus throw. Also in the hammer throw Travis Blank came through with a 5th place finish. And to finish things off Ryan Averback had his best throw of the season in the javelin throw finishing in 2nd place.
The women also finished in 8th place with Emily Babel having a great day finishing 3rd in the 100 meter dash, and 4th in the 200 meter dash. Kristen George also had a big day finishing 4th in the long jump, 5th in the javelin throw, and 6th in the 200 meter dash. Also Amanda Smith had a decent day with a 7th place finish in the 400 meter dash. Also having a nice day was Abbey Modras who had a 6th place finish in the 800 meter run. Also the women's 4x100 meter relay finished in 2nd place on the day. And as always "Mount Up".

Mount Competes @ UC

The Mount's track team competed at The UC Early-Bird Invite on March 21st, 2009. The men turned in a 5th place finish while the women turned in a 7th place finish. UC won on the Men and woman's side. To start off with on the Men's side Aubrey Carter turned in a respectable 8th place finish in the 200 meter dash and a 7th place finish in the 400 meter dash. The 4x100 meter team consisting of Scotty Mayes, Derick Tabar, Aubrey Carter, and Cory Hardin finished in 3rd place. Scotty Mayes also finished in 6th place in the long jump with a jump of 6.45 meters to break the school record. Xavier Brison had a strong 4th place finish in the triple jump. Travis Black had a very strong day with a 8th place finish in the shot put and to continue the success in the throws Randall Mitchell finished 8th in the discus. To finish off the day for the Mount Ryan Averback finished 3rd place in the javelin throw.
On the women's side Abbey Modras continued her great season with a 6th place finish in the 400 meter dash. The women's 4x100 meter team of Kristen George, Lauren Hastings, Emily Babel, and Amanda Holmes finished in 6th place. In the Long Jump Lauren Hastings had a 8th place finish as she continues to succeed. The most impressive performance of the day came from Kristen George with a 5th place finish in the javelin throw that breaks the school record.

Indoor wrap-up

So indoor season is over, and time for outdoor. This is the best time of the season for me. While I had my ups and downs this indoor season, there were a lot of positives. To start off with I set a PR in the 55 meter dash. By the way, I hate running the 55 meter dash. I ran my fastest indoor time in the 200 meter dash and I also competed in the 400 meter dash for the 1st time in a indoor facility. That is probably the hardest race I have ever ran. Also I competed in the 4x200 meter relay at The Hoosier Buckeye Invitational with our relay team taking a 4th place finish. I feel that my training is further at this point in the season then I've ever been in the past. I look forward to great success outdoor, and also running the 4x400 meter relay, the best race in track and field.
Also I would like to congratulate Randall Mitchell for his 12th place finish in the shot put at Indoor nationals. Randall is the2nd person in Mount history to reach nationals, and the first to reach nationals indoors. As always "Mount Up".

Sometimes The Little Things Matter Most

So I'm sure that if your like me you hate doing the little things, the mindless things, the things that make you want to fall asleep. That was me until a couple weeks ago when I realized the little things are what runs an organization. At my internship at The Flying Pig Marathon I have had to spend alot of time working on registration which to say the least is not very exciting, but I've came to a realization about the registrations. Without those registrations The Flying Pig Marathon is now existent. The registration are what keeps the Pig Flying. So In all reality the little things are actually the big things, and the most important part of what we do. So with that realization I actually desire registrations coming in everyday and understand their importance. Without registrations, which leads to participants, The Flying Pig would struggle to survive as a non-profit organization. With that said I love working at the pig, and the people I work with. I have gained a vast amount of knowledge on how much work it takes to run a 3 day event. With everything involved it takes a whole year just to prepare for the first weekend in May every year. As always I look to see you crossing the finish line at the Pig, and for more information please visit www.flyingpigmarathon.com

The Flying Pig Helps the Local Economy & Charities

While many people know about The Flying Pig Marathon, I don't feel those people realize the importance of the Pig to the local community and economy. The Flying Pig Marathon helps support around 100 charities and groups. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Program is our main beneficiary for the 11th annual Flying Pig Marathon. A amazing statistic is that The Flying Pig Marathon has raised over $7.2 million dollars since its start 11 years ago. Also another amazing statistic is the amount of money brought into the cities tourism economy by out of towners which amounts to over $10 million dollars. For this The Flying Pig Marathon was awarded the Queen City Advocate by The Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau. Local businesses such as hotels and restaurants benefit greatly from the participants The Pig brings to the greater Cincinnati area. Also with people concerns about the economy running/walking is an inexpensive activity that the whole family can do with out breaking the Bank. Also its never too late to sign up to run The Pig, and yes, Pigs really do fly.

Mount Competes @ Hoosier-Buckeye Invitational

The Mounts men's & Women's teams both competed at the Hoosier-Buckeye Invitational which consisted of all teams from the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Men received a strong 8Th place performance in the 400 meter dash from Ben Weidner. Jeff Schroer also turned in a strong performance in the 5,000 with a 8th place finish. The Mounts 4x200 meter relay team took a 5Th place finish which consist of Juniors David Davis, Seth Gilley (myself), Ben Weidner, and freshman Aubrey Carter. The Mounts throws crew had a strong day with Randall Mitchell taking 2nd, Travis Blank 5th, and Sean Janson taking 6th place in the shot put. Mitchell also claimed a 6th place finish in the weight throw. The women's team also had a strong performance with Emily Babel setting the school record in the prelims of the 55 meter dash with a time of 7.97. She recorded a 4th place finish in the finals of the 55 followed by Kristen George in 5th and Amanda Holmes in 8th place. Babel also recorded a 6th place finish in the 200 meter dash. Abbey Modras claimed a very strong 4th place finish in the 400 meter dash competing in the event for the first time this year. The women's 4X200 meter relay team had the performance of the day with a 1st place finish. That team consisted of Emily Babel, Kristen George, Lauren Hastings, and Abbey Modras. Amanda Smith claimed a 7th place finish in the pole vault. The Mount dominated the long jump with Lauren Hastings taking 1st place followed by Kristen George in 2nd. The mount was also very competitive in the triple jump with Hasting claiming 2nd place, George in 4th, and Maria Ruebusch taking 6th place. The Mount will be back in competition at Depauw on March 6.

Mount Athletes Compete @ All Ohio

The College of Mount St Joseph Track and Field Team had two athletes(Randall Mitchell & Lauren Hastings) qualify for All-Ohio Indoor Championship. Randall Mitchell had a stellar throw in the Shot Put with a distance of 52-02. He broke his own indoor school shot put record by over 2 feet. That mark gave him a first place finish in the All-Ohio Indoor Championship. That mark of 52-02 also provisionally qualifies Mitchell for Indoor Nationals in D-III where he is currently ranked 5Th. Mitchell also had a very good performance in the weight throw placing 11Th. Lauren Hastings had a very strong performance in the long jump at The All-Ohio Indoor Championships with a 5Th place finish. Hastings set a season best mark 16-10.75. That mark also broke the schools Indoor Long jump record. Hastings also competed in the triple jump with a strong 12Th place performance. Look for more great performance's in the future out of this freshman jumper. As always remember to "Mount Up".

MSJ Track competes at Anderson University

OK, so I know this blog about the meet is about a week late, and you are all probably yelling at me but I promise it will be fine. The women were very competitive today with the 4x200 meter relay team finishing 3rd. In the 55 meter dash Kristin George had a strong 3rd place finish.abbey Modras had a very productive day finishing 3rd in the 800 meter run and 6Th in the 1 mile run. Amanda Smith had a strong 6Th place finish in the 400 meter dash. In the 200 meter dash Emily Babel once again finished strong with a 4Th place finish. Lauren Hastings showed two quality performances wining the long and triple jump events. The men were also very competitive today with Derick Tabar finishing 6Th in the 55 dash. With a surprise finish in the 800 Zach Shaw in 4Th place. In the 200 Derick Tabar and Aubrey Carter finished 3rd & 5Th respectively. Randall Mitchell won the shot Put while Travis Blank and Sean Janson finished 5Th and 6Th. Travis and Sean also finished 3rd and 6Th in the weight throw. And as always "Mount Up"

The Flying Pig Goes Green

So as some of you may know I just started working at The Flying Pig Marathon and it has been one of the best decisions I've made to accept the Internship. I am still learning the In's and Outs of the organization, but so far it has been a great learning experience. There is so much more work involved with The Flying Pig Marathon than I ever could of imagined. One thing i have been impressed with is there idea to go 'Green'. They have decided to use old awards that were never used and have the replated for this year. Why I had to sort through all the awards, which was a pain I feel this is an excellent idea. I feel good that the organization I am working for in concerned about the environment. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a "tree hugger", but I feel this is very smart of us. Also, considering the economic state of the country this can not hurt. And as always its never to late to sign up to run the Pig.

Back in Competition

So this weekend was the 1st time since my surgery that I have competed, and it felt great. Believe it or not I had my best race ever in the 55 meter dash. I'm not a big fan of the 55 meter dash usually because its not a long enough race for me to get up to speed, but this weekend everything went right. I got out of the blocks fast, and finished strong beating a competitor at the finish line. It really surprised me considering Ive only been back to training for 2 weeks. My 200 meter dash wasn't the best I've ran that race but considering the limited amount of training Ive had I'll take the performance as a good building block for the rest of indoor season and the start of outdoor season. I just love track season. There is just something about it that give me shivers done my spine, in a good way. I feel good about the rest of the season and feel that I am going to demolish all of my PR's. "Mount Up".

Super Bowl and The Winner is....

Yes, I know you are all thinking this is a blog about MSJ Track & Field and The Flying Pig Marathon. The issue is I couldn't resist talking about one of the best super bowl games ever played to date. To start off I must admit that I wanted the Arizona Cardinals to win, but I was very happy with the performance of Santonio Holmes from The Ohio State University. By the way did I mention that this Santonio was a two time state champion in the 4x400 meter relay in the state of Florida, where his team won the state championship in Florida. With the 27-23 win The Steelers won their record setting 6th Super Bowl. At the end of the second quarter James Harrison intercepted the ball and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown where the Steelers would go up 17-7 at halftime. The Steelers then went up 20-7 on a Jeff Reed field goal. The Cardinals then made a brilliant comeback with a 1 yard touchdown catch to Fitzgerald. The then got a safety on a holding penalty by the Steelers in the End Zone. This made the game 20- 16 then Kurt Warner hit Larry Fitzgerald on a 64 yard catch to put the Cardinals up 23-20. That's when the heroics of Santonio Holmes came into play as he caught 4 catches on the game winning drive. The most pivotal was a 6 yard catch where somehow he was able to get both feet in bounds which gave the Steelers a 27-23 lead with 35 seconds left in the game as they went on to win. In all Holmes had 9 catches for 131 yards as he was named the Super Bowl MVP. Even though I wanted The Cardinals to win I was very excited to see an Ohio State standout win the Super Bowl MVP. To me this really shows the talent that Ohio State produces and sends to the league.

The Flying Pig Marathon Internship

So as some of you may or may not know I accepted an Internship with the Flying Pig marathon. I am super excited about the internship, not to mention this is my dream internship. The internship will give me a great opportunity to expand my network. Also, since I will get experience in all aspects of preparation for a marathon of upwards of 20,000 participants I feel I will gain great experience. This will give me a real opportunity to decide what career I want in the sports industry past graduation. Also, the expansion of my network will greatly expand my opportunity for success. I will begin in early February, and I've never been more excited to start anything in my life. With me being a runner I don't think I could of found I better fit. With that said I look forward to seeinf everyone on race weekend which is May 1-3. To find more information about the race visit www.flyingpigmarathon.com.

Wabash College Invite results

The Mount track team had a limited roster at their first track & field meet due to illness & injuries. With that said the team stayed very competitive with some strong finishes on the Men's and women's side. To start with Abbey Modras took 5th in the 800 meter dash. She was also a member of the 2nd place finishing 4x200 meter relay team along with Kristin George, Emily Babel, & Brandie Goad. Lauren Hastings was also very competitive finishing 3rd in Long Jump. On the men's side the 4x200 meter relay team won their heat and finished 5th overall. That relay team consisted of Ben Weidner, David Davis, Derick Tabar, & Aubrey Carter. Taking the only win on the day was Randall Mitchell in the Shot Put. The mount looks for continued improvement of the season starting on February 7th were we will compete in the Anderson Indoor Invitational.

MSJ track & Field Starts Season at Wabash

The College of Mount St. Joseph Track & Field team is starting our indoor season this Saturday at Wabash. We are expecting to just take a limited crew to this meet to get some experience under our belts. This years teams are young but loaded with talent. On the men's side their are two Seniors, six juniors, 5 sophomores, & 8 freshman. Looking to lead the way in the throws once again is two time conference shot-put champion Randall Mitchell. Also expected to be a very strong competitor in the Distance events is Juniors Jeff Schroer who holds most of the schools long distance records. Also looking to compete in for a conference championship in the 800 meter dash is Junior Ben Weidner. In the sprints freshman Aubrey Carter looks to make a bang, while David Davis looks to again qualify for the finals in the 100 meter dash. Also expect vast improvements this year from myself (Seth Gilley) and others such as Junior distance runner Alex Sheilds. The women's team is also very young but quite possibly the most talented team the Mount has ever had. With no seniors on the team the Mounts will be lead with strong Junior leadership. This years team features 5 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 8 freshman. Leading the way is Junior sprinter and High jumper Emily who was the 2007 Freshman of the year. Also expected to score many points will be Maria Ruebusch in the hurdles & jumps, and Kristen George in Multi-events. Also expected to make large contributions to the team are Freshman Abbey Modras (Mid-distance) and Lauren Hastings (sprints & jumps). Also looking to help out alot is junior Amanda Smith. We look forward to seeing people out at our meets, and as always "Mount Up".

Temporary setback will lead to success

Well to say the least the start of this track season, like the past two has been very difficult for me as an athlete. Once again I have been temporarily put down due to injury. Unfortunately, that led to surgery in mid December, and I'm still recovering. The fact that I am not able to competitively compete right now is really bothering me. With that said it has helped me be more patient. I realize that in the long run it will bring greater success for my season if I wait till I'm fully healed instead of jumping back into running early and taking the chance of re-injuring myself. I do feel my injury will help me be more successful this track season. You may ask why I say that? well part of the answer to that deals with my competitive drive. I know that this first meet when I'm sitting of the sidelines watching my teammates compete its going to make me want to help them out even more. I know that I'm likely to give them suggestions on running form, and proper mechanics which will then lead me to evaluate my running style even more while I'm helping them. Then by the time I,m able to compete I'll be on my prepared for success. I know that my team will do great and when I'm back in competition I can help them that much more. I feel that life's set backs are meant to make you that much stronger. Everything happens for a reason.