University of Detroit Mercy Athletics

As DetroitTitans.com continues to expand its content, fans will now get treated to a regular blog from coaches, student-athletes and staff. The “Titan Blog” will allow fans to get an even closer look into the daily lives of all involved in Titan athletics. 

Archives February-July 2009

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 
Danny Preston - Men's Lacrosse Junior

I came to the University as a freshman and built great friendships with a great recruiting class, who had and still have high aspirations. We came ready to play Lacrosse. To tell the truth, I didn't know what to expect because I had never played at a college level. I came out of my first fall ball season with many different styles of face-offs and slowly eliminated the ones that were ineffective, and developed new ones that were suitable for my competition. The pressure of being a true freshman was intense and it made me evaluate my every move. My main endeavor was to prove myself worthy as a face-off midfielder.

After multiple dislocations of my shoulder, I had to undergo a major surgery on my labrum. The road to recovery has been a long one. I redshirted my sophomore year, but I used it as a learning experience. However, this has been a blessing in disguise. I am back this year with a newly gained respect and intelligence for the sport. Whatever I thought of the game is gone. Our team is shaking off its youth and putting that in the past. I once again have to prove to my team, coaches and to myself that it’s business time. My experience has doubled since my freshman year and so has my drive. Not only am I competing against myself, I am competing daily with our other face-off midfielders, Brandon Davenport and Tyler Corcoran, for a starting position. All three of us are more than capable to have it, so it is a grind everyday for self-improvement and to better each other.

The sense of competition within our team is no mistake. Every practice we are a litter of pit bulls fighting for a common meal and refusing to come out empty handed. We have to show the tenacity and enthusiasm for this sport or it's off to the bench, which is one place we all refuse to go. I'm tired of talking about it. I'd rather be about it. Let's go play some Lax!

Thursday, September 16, 2010 
Katrina Oberski - Women's Cross Country

Coming in as a freshman last year, I had no idea what to expect. Everything was new to me: the people, the school, the city, running all year round, the mileage, the workouts, the homework, and even the food. As that year came to a close I was slightly disappointed with what I had accomplished. I kept getting injury after injury and never really came to my full potential. Everybody just kept telling me don’t worry about it, it’s your freshman year, everyone struggles at first adjusting to the new environment and training, but after watching a freshman girl win the Horizon League Cross Country Championship, I knew that wasn’t true and being as competitive as I am, I just was not ok with it. So as I crossed the finish line for the very last time last spring and my summer officially began I had a lot to think about. 

Was I meant to be a college runner? Was I running enough? Were my workouts fast enough? Why was I getting hurt all the time? Of course with only three months of summer training, I could not answer all of these questions, but I definitely learned a lot. 

My summer training consisted of long runs, a few workouts, fartleks, struggles, and good times, but I tried to avoid one thing as much as possible: timing myself. I ran no road races, and only timed my miles when Coach Emili (Jackson) specifically asked us to. I did this not because I wanted to, but because I was afraid. I did not want to know how far off where I wanted to be or get frustrated and be way too hard on myself, which I tend to do. So when the time trial came around on the second day of practice this season I was nervous and I just wanted to run well. 

When I crossed the line at 2.25 miles in a decent time it all kind of started to make sense. I finally realized what all the thinking, struggling, and running over the summer taught me: three valuable things. First, I run because I love it, not because that’s what the sheet in front of me tells me to do. Second, there is a reason God brought me to UDM to run and I need to embrace it and enjoy it and not keep thinking I should have done something else. Third and most important, every time I run no matter how far, how hard the workout seems, or where I am, I always have teammates going through the same thing, feeling the same pain, and most likely struggling just as much, who know how to pick me up when I’m down. 

So, am I happy that I have bested my PR from last year at only the second race of the season? Definitely, but what I find more important is that I have finally remembered why I run: it’s what I fell in love with six years ago when I started doing it just to stay in shape for soccer. So no matter where my season goes from here, I’ll always remember that I have been given the opportunity to compete in Division I college athletics and that I do it for the love of the sport and not for the time I see as I cross the finish line.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 
Alison Suschak - Women's Soccer Junior

With one day of rest between our trip to Malibu and our next away game it made our trip to the beautiful west coast seem even shorter. Our first game on Friday against San Diego State ended in a 1-1 draw with two overtime periods. Even though we had the initial lead, we let up a goal with a few minutes left in the game to head into overtime. This was a disappointing final result because we gave up our lead but we learned from our mistakes so we will be able to correct them in the future.

The next day we were fortunate enough to take a trip through the mountains to Topanga beach where we enjoyed fresh seafood and fun in the sun. It was a beautiful sunny day at the beach and a breezy 78 degrees in the valley. After the beach we headed to the mall to beat the heat on the mainland where the temperature spiked to 105 degrees. We finished off our day with creme brulee and called it an early night to get ready for the game the next day.

The last day we were headed to play Pepperdine with a beautiful campus nestled in the mountains overlooking the ocean. The Cliffside all the way to campus was truly picturesque, the homes had Spanish clay tile roofs and an adobe style building mixed with contemporary designs which were unique to Malibu. Even though we ended our trip with a difficult loss to Pepperdine we recognized how fortunate we were to be able to experience such a beautiful part of California. As we head to Eastern Michigan for our next game we can only get better and hope to improve our play throughout the season.

Monday, August 23, 2010 
Nora Abolins - Women's Soccer Freshman

To kick off our season we recently played the University of Michigan in its brand new soccer stadium. As a freshman I couldn’t think of any other way to start my college career in the net for Detroit. It showed what all the hard work was about during preseason training and gave me a taste for what’s in store for the next four years. 

All during preseason we were preparing for the big game and strategizing for the way U of M played, especially on set plays. When our coach talked about their size and the number of people on their team I think it motivated us even more to play our best against them. When we finally got to Michigan, the sight of the stadium, the perfect grass, and the score board with Detroit written on it was amazing. I have never played on such a nice pitch! The stadium seemed almost full when the walkout finally started, I don’t think I’ve ever played for such a big crowd! There were people playing the drums and others chanting. It was so loud. The team was so pumped for the game. In the locker room everyone was so upbeat and ready to give it their all. I knew it would be a great game. 

It was very exciting in the beginning of the game when we opened the scoring from a corner kick from Sarah to Nina. Everyone on the team went crazy! We had a great first half keeping them shut out of our goal and keeping the pressure on. Unfortunately we didn’t get the result we wanted in the end, losing 3-1, but I feel we played well as a team together. Michigan had such a large team it seemed they were switching the entire team every 20 minutes, where most of our team played the full 90, if not close to it. 

Regardless of the loss I had an amazing experience there. The atmosphere was overwhelming and so motivating! I can’t wait for the rest of the season to come! 

Tuesday, June 1, 2010 
Guy Murray - Director of Track and Field/Cross Country

The plan was to sweep the world off its' feet
Now you sweep the garage for the neighbors to see.
-The Replacements

I spent the day after returning from the NCAA Preliminary Round in Greensboro, NC, mowing and edging the lawn, cleaning the gutters and other things that don't get done during the outdoor season. The garage actually was swept a week ago prior to Colin's third birthday party. I had hoped to be working as a coach on the holiday weekend planning a return trip to Eugene, Oregon and the NCAA Championship. The logistics of the trip weren't going to be real easy as the trip that was about a week away and was also graduation weekend for the University of Oregon but still had to be more fun that collecting a trash can full of those helicopter seed pod things from the gutters.

Our Greensboro trip didn't go as well as we hoped. Brittany Horne was seeded seventh in the national hammer semi-final needing to be in the top 12 to qualify to make the trip to Eugene and finished 14th. While LJ Hanna was the 41st entrant in the 400m and the goal was lower his PR, perhaps below 47, as he was running his best coming in the meet having just rounded into top form following an injury. LJ stumbled early, ran a bit too hard too early to catch the Big Ten champ and paid the price down the home stretch missing his PR. He finished 45th against a field that was arguably the best this year in the NCAA with entrants ranking #1, #3 and #5 in the world going into the meet.

The meet, not a regional this year but the preliminary rounds of the NCAA championship, was as tough as it gets in NCAA Track & Field and while we were disappointed, it can't overshadow the tremendous year we had to get to the point to be disappointed with the weekend. The toughest pill to swallow is the realization that in all other qualifying formats used in the past and the one most likely to be used next year, Brittany did what she needed to do to advance to the NCAA championships. Yes, I am saying that Brittany, without changing a thing, would've have been at the NCAA championships in 2011, 2009 back to 2003, the first year of regionals, as well all the years prior. The only year she is not at the championships is 2010. The preliminary round format of qualifying, while the fairest, giving all the same chance to advance, was a tough format on the field event athletes but I don't think as bad as expected, but most likely won't be around next year. Very, very tough to miss NCAA’s on a one hit wonder of a format. I can only shake my head and curse Murphy's Law as we have not had much luck with the qualifying formats. The loopholes always get closed just after they cost us opportunities.

Brittany Horne's tremendous year is a reason not to be disappointed for very long. As a coach, there is nothing better than when an athlete puts it all together and achieves more than you could have imagined and Brittany did that this year and it was a great year for me as I was very lucky that she was not the only one to have this kind of season. Brittany stopped by the office and told me her goal of making it to nationals just after a very good indoor season and at that point, if you had told me she would be 14th at the NCAA prelims I would've been ecstatic at the prospect. Brittany figured to be in the top 48 to qualify for the preliminary with the equivalent improvement to what she achieved in the indoor season but the national meet was a long way off, even with the most optimistic of views. Brittany had the mindset and coach Brian Richotte did a great job teaching her his specialty and the year that unfolded will be a story told to many future Titans.

Brittany opened the outdoor season with an UDM record of 188' 7"/57.49m improving the record by about 11' and defeated a NCAA indoor All-American to win at Cincinnati. The mark would definitely get into the top 48 of the east for the prelim, not bad for an opener. Brittany was steady throwing consistently in the 180’s and then faced to challenge of the Championship of America section of the Penn Relays. She was throwing so well that I didn't even have to embellish her PR to get her in a field that included three athletes that were ranked ahead of her nationally. Brittany proved she was a NCAA contender by winning our first Penn Relays title by just 2" at 186' 9"/56.92m and at this point, I was thinking that she was a very strong threat to achieve her goal of making the NCAA’s. Brittany's HL championships performance will go down as one of the best ever by a Titan. In her first event, she stole the discus title on her first throw with her PR of 144' 6"/44.04m and then destroyed all records taking the hammer throw. Brittany threw the hammer 201' 1"/61.30m, a mark that challenges Paul Caraballo's 7'3" high jump as the best Titan performance all-time and is our only Titan to ever hit the NCAA automatic standard used for qualifying in all years prior to 2003. For good measure, Brittany took third in the HL shot put and claimed the HL Outstanding Performer for Field events. Brittany survived a weekend in Oregon with my distance group and gained good experience in her last competition prior to the NCAA prelim. It was our first ever at historic Hayward Field in the Oregon Twilight and Brittany took fifth at 186'3"/56.76m competing against an Olympian Loree Smith and NCAA All-American Britney Henry. Brittany took part in graduation the following week achieving as a student as well, improving her GPA to over 3.0 cumulative!

Brittany's meet at Greensboro was good but not great, falling two places and 1' short of qualifying. She threw 184' 1"/56.12m on a throwing sector that sloped up, in a day where only three athletes threw a season best. Brittany defeated two athletes that were ranked ahead of her including the No. 5 national seed who had qualified for NCAA’s last year. All in all, nothing to be disappointed from an athlete who walked onto the team as a sophomore after not competing as a freshman. Brittany is not done as she is our first to qualify for the USATF championships at the end of June in Des Moines, Iowa and will take the opportunity to compete with the group of athletes that will most likely make up the 2012 US Olympic team.

LJ's accomplishment is not to be forgotten. As stated previously, LJ made the field of 48 in an event that featured the best the NCAA had to offer as anytime you have to do anything speed related with the SEC, lookout as they build them fast down there. LJ ran 47.25 to take the UDM record last year at Hillsdale, but he found the next step is not always the easiest. He missed the 2009 regional time by just .05 and lost the HL 400m crown, he had claimed indoors, to a couple of Milwaukee runners that had their sights set on LJ and ran fantastic to beat him. Injuries slowed him during the current season and the improvements were not coming as fast as we liked but a couple of 47 second carries at the Penn Relays showed he was ready for the conference championship. LJ took second at the HL meet in the 400m with his second best time of 47.37 and claimed the UDM 200m record breaking Wally Gruber's 21.6 set in 1948 with his 21.52, a mark that scored a third place finish in the much improved HL. LJ ranked 52nd going into the last chance weekend and travelled to Georgia Tech's last chance to improve his standing. LJ did just that lowering his UDM record to 47.16 and moved to 49th on the list just .01 off of the coveted 48th spot. We were pretty certain someone would opt out of the 400m to focus on other things but the declaration process was not complete until the next Friday when we learned LJ had made the field at seed #41. A great accomplishment for LJ to represent UDM in NCAA tournament action, especially as the list was a bit tougher than projected which with high level of NCAA Track and Field is always expected as there is not easy way to NCAAs.

We have been fortunate enough to have an athlete involved in NCAA level qualification every year except 1999 since Paul Caraballo and Kim Jess first made the NCAA indoor high jump list in 1995. NCAA competition is always humbling competing with some of the best athletes in the world. NCAA competition is also inspiring as the Division 1 challenge is the challenge to achieve beyond what you can imagine. Watching Brittany compete and how there was no doubt she belonged made me proud of her and all she had accomplished and also left excited for the future and finding our next athlete who will achieve that level. It will happen, just not sure who. LJ is healthy and will compete at the upcoming Bahamian national championship to qualify for the national team at the NACAC under-23 championships. LJ also leads a strong list of Titans that have the ability and have gained some inspiration from Brittany Horne and all hope to conquer whatever NCAA qualifying format is thrown at us and get the Titans back to the NCAA championships and sweep the world off its' feet.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 
David Byrne - Men's Golf Senior

Well, a few days have passed since the final round of the 2010 NCAA Central Regional. Brian Sparks along with myself saw our college careers come to a close. Of course we would have liked to finish in the Top 5, but it was a great learning experience for all involved and I’m sure the guys returning will take many positives out of it and learn what they need to work on to strengthen their games. I know I have. Since I have been home everyone seems to know that the Detroit Titans have a great golf program and will continue to have one for the upcoming years. The final round saw the team put together a 5-over-par 285 round and the year ended strongly.

For many of us when the year is done saying goodbye isn’t all that difficult. Only for the reason most of us will see each other come Sunday afternoon. For us the end of the spring season means that golf season (usually snow not included) begins. For me I had mixed feeling of the final round concluding and the season ending. On one hand it is nice to be done and move to the next chapter in my life – However, on the other hand, I have had such a great experience and been given a great opportunity by Coach Engel. I feel that I will always remain close to the school, and be associated with the program in some form or another.

One thing is certain: I will never forget my years at Detroit and hopefully have influenced someone’s life around Detroit, because I know I am so grateful for all the people who have influenced me along the way.

I’m sure this goes without saying, but I will be looking for the Titans to be stronger and deeper next year and I’m sure I will be following them at the 2011 Regional! Best of luck to the boys this summer and once again thank you Detroit for the experience of a lifetime! Special Thanks to Coach Engel and Coach Luke for a great opportunity and to the guys on the team who have pushed me for the last four years and to everyone in the athletic department who has made Detroit a place that I’m proud to call home.

Friday, May 21, 2010 
Brian Sparks - Men's Golf Senior

The second day of the NCAA Central Regional tournament was a long and frustrating one. We were called off the course around 1:20 p.m. with lightning in the area. We had to wait about three hours before a decision was made by the committee to suspend play for the day. In some ways, I liked the decision. In other ways, I did not. But it certainly was the right decision to make things fair for all teams in the tournament since some teams were able to complete play without playing in the rain. The course also was not in shape to play yet again.

The team is doing about the same as yesterday. Hopefully, we can get off to a good start tomorrow and move up the leaderboard quickly. Some of the other guys are playing much better than yesterday as well. The course is in great shape and can be taken advantage of if you put the ball in the right spots, especially on the greens.

You can keep an eye on the Titans tomorrow on GolfStat (if they fix their stuff) HA! Hopefully, they can figure out what is wrong tonight and get it going by tomorrow. But I am off to bed since we have to get up at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. Go Titans!

Thursday, May 20, 2010 
Simon Reyers - Men's Golf Freshman

Today we played in the first round of the NCAA Central Regional in South Bend, Indiana. We got off to a decent start and at one point on the front nine we were tied for first place with Iowa, but we knew that there were some tough holes to come. We struggled down the stretch and in the end we are tied for 12th place with Murray State, just five shots behind Duke and eight shots behind North Carolina State. Brian Sparks led the way with a 72, I followed with a 73, Jeff Clarridge shot 76, Britt Pronk shot 76 and David Byrne shot 78.

It is pretty exciting playing in the same tournament with some of the best college players in the country. Nine of the 14 teams are ranked in the top 50 in the country and there are 18 individual players in the top 100, including the 2009 NCAA Individual Champion, Matt Hill of N.C. State. This is a great opportunity to compare ourselves to these top players and see where we need to improve. Although we didn’t play our best golf out there today, it gives us some confidence going into tomorrow knowing that we can hang with these guys. There are still two rounds left for us to get into the top 5, so don’t be surprised to see us making a charge up the leaderboard!

It seems like yesterday that I was playing my first tournament at Michigan State last fall. I was told to enjoy my time at university because it will go by quickly, and they were right. I am so glad that I made the decision to come to this university and share that experience with the other eight guys on the team. I have learned a lot from them both on and off the golf course and for that I am greatly appreciative.

Be sure to follow us tomorrow with hole-by-hole updates on Golfstat. Go Titans!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Britt Pronk - Men's Golf Junior

Today, the Titans men’s golf team began the NCAA Regional Tournament in South Bend at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Club for our official practice round. We arrived at the course on familiar grounds, having already competed in a dual match against Notre Dame this year. The field this week is strong, nonetheless the team is very competitive and mentally prepared in representing the Titans for a strong top five finish to advance for the NCAA Nationals.

The course is a more challenging and demanding than before, as the rough is longer and the softer fairways are adding extra length. The team comprised of David Byrne, Brian Sparks, Jeff Clarridge, Britt Pronk (myself) and Simon Reyers all bring experience and course knowledge to the table. Our mind set approaching this prestigious event will not vault or distract our goals in competing to our max potential.

The first tee time will be off at 9:40 tomorrow and extending to 10:20. You can follow the Titans on Golfstat.com. We have many family and friends making the trip to watch, and the team would like to thank them and everyone else for the support throughout the season. So be sure to watch the Titans online or make a trip down I-94 west to watch us play.  

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 
Mark Engel  - Head Men's Golf Coach

We’re off and running. NCAA Regionals week has started for the Titan men’s golfers.

Tuesday is typically a travel day for the competing teams and it was no exception for us as we loaded the van this morning and headed west on I-94 – final destination, Notre Dame – for our fifth Regional berth in the last 10 years. There’s a bit of excitement surrounding the team because only the two seniors in our lineup, Dave Byrne and Brian Sparks, have experienced NCAA post-season play before. It’s the first time for Jeff Clarridge, Britt Pronk and Simon Reyers.

Saturday, April 24, 2010 
Corina Mahorn  - Women's Lacrosse Sophomore

One final game in our 2010 regular season… might as well go big. Sunday afternoon, Detroit Women’s Lacrosse takes on the nationally ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio State. This is our second chance at the Buckeyes as we played them in our inaugural season last year with a result of a 21 to 4 loss. Now with six returning players and six new players taking the field this Sunday, we are a very different team. 

Detroit has seen many changes this season, all for the hope to move forward positively. Many freshmen have been given the chance that they would not have had otherwise and have risen to the challenge with heart and without hesitation. Their strength shows me that we are ready to take on a giant like Ohio State and come through with a positive outcome. As a young team being the underdog is nothing new to us and we are ready to show what we’ve got. 

Along with wrapping up our season we are also wrapping up our school year. There are exams to study for and final papers to write but that can wait for the bus ride back, because on the way there, our focus is on how to give our all for 60 minutes on Sunday. 

As our season comes to a close, I can’t help but look back on the progress we have made this year and realize how happy I am to be a part of this team. All I ask of my teammates is that come Sunday at the conclusion of our game when our coaches ask us if we left it all on the field that we all confidently say YES!!!! 

Go TITANS!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Sheldon Keyte - Men's Golf

It seems like yesterday the team was packing up our clubs and heading down to Florida for spring break.  Now we are only a week and half away from the most important tournament of the year, the Conference tournament. 

Time flies during golf season apparently. Our play this spring has been inconsistent, at best. We have played well at times, but never long enough to close the deal and get a victory. That could be a good thing though, everybody is hungry for a W right now. Everyone is working hard and I think we will hit our stride at the right time. 

I am in a van right now on the way to a dual match with the storied University of Notre Dame. It is our second to last tournament round before conference finals. The guys are pretty excited to come down here and play ND. Our line-up includes seniors  Brian Sparks and David Bryne, juniors Britt Pronk and Jeff Clarridge, and freshmen Simon Reyers and Sheldon Keyte (myself). 

This week is turning out to be a very busy one. We have our home tournament this Friday and Saturday and not to mention the school work which seems to piling up this time of year. Our home tournament is at Prestwick Village Golf Club, about 45 minutes from campus. Most of the Horizon League teams will be there, so it will be a nice conference preview. Come out and support us if you get the chance.

I have really enjoyed my experience at UDM thus far. It took a while to figure out how to manage my time. Having balance between academics, golf and friends is key. I still haven't fully adapted to playing college golf vs. junior golf. I'm not too sure why this is, just haven't quite got the game going yet.  Hopefully we can play well today and get some momentum heading into these last couple of weeks.

Go Titans!

Monday, April 12, 2010
Emily Boissonneault - Women's Lacrosse Sophomore

Getting ready for Saturday against Liberty was a whole new game, with an atmosphere that brought a defining day of change, chances and enjoyment. As we all headed from our locker room hitting that “Built Titan Tough” sign that hangs proudly beside our doorway, we all knew the great afternoon that was to come. For our team it was the 19-5 win we were waiting for and what accompanied it was a day of personal achievement as I scored my 100th goal of my college career.

Receiving the 100th goal ball at the end of the game was exciting, but even more thrilling when I found out coach MA had actually planned to save the actual scoring ball. You see, I thought at the end of the game she just had given me a nice new yellow ball to symbolize the moment, however, later that night I had found out that silly goose was just as excited and giddy to get that ball as I, thanks MA. As a sophomore, I am honored and blessed to see that my hard work has been paying off fairly early during my career, but more importantly I am excited and focused on the future and what it has to offer.

Being part of a team that shares a passion for success, lacrosse and strives for the same goals as me is all I could have asked for during my college career. Now with only three more games and conference finals left of my sophomore year, I couldn’t be more excited and confident that this team can conquer and strive for more. I mean, a team with heart is all I could ever really ask for and I think we have found our groove; it’s just how we use it now.

“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep
inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision.”  -Muhammad Ali


Thursday, April 1, 2010 
Tim Shoemaker - Men's Lacrosse Senior

We finally got the monkey off our back and got our first win. The confidence gained from that “W” was an amazing boost to the players, coaches, and overall outlook on the Detroit name. Before, we were so concerned with the fact that we were winless, that we felt we couldn’t just relax and play our game. That boost was depicted fairly well the following weekend against VMI. We knew we had the talent, it was just a matter of putting it together for four quarters, and we’ve done that twice now.

It was a long, bumpy road to get to this point. I came from MSU with coach Holtz, with the hopes of competing and winning at the highest level. Competing was fun for a while, but I think after we started out 0-6 this year, we were all questioning whether or not we had what it takes to win. It’s a great feeling to get that first win, but we have to look forward. The season is halfway over, and from here on out, its almost all conference games. If we stay focused, continue to work hard, and buy into the system that our coaches have laid out for us, the conference tournament, and eventually the NCAA tournament will be our destinations.


Tuesday, March 23, 2010 
Chris Butts - Men's Lacrosse Senior

Manhattan- It was a great experience to get a chance to go back home and compete. I had a chance to see my mother and aunt, as well as friends from home and past teammates. I haven't been home since early January, so just to be in the atmosphere of the city was refreshing. The only thing that could have made that trip better was a win, but we now have our first collegiate win as a team and hopefully many more to come. Check us out this Saturday at Titan Field at 12:00 pm versus VMI.

 

Sunday, March 21, 2010 
Nick Tolomei - Men's Tennis Sophomore

9 a.m., Thursday, March 18, we left for Columbus, Ohio to face No. 4 ranked team in the country, Ohio State. Everyone was in good spirits on the van ride there despite the prospect of facing the toughest team we had ever faced. We arrive to the courts around 3 p.m. after checking into our hotel and grabbing lunch. We hear the Ohio State girls in the background practicing. We ignore them and get a nice, long warm-up after three and a half hour van ride. 4:45 p.m. comes around we start play against last year’s NCAA finalists. A couple of hours later, the match was all over. Some of us struggled against the Buckeyes, but we gave them our best effort. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. That’s okay, this was a once in a lifetime experience.

The very next day, Friday, we say goodbye to Columbus and head to Dayton to play Wright State. When we arrive at the club, we see the Lady Titans waiting in the lobby, reading magazines, waiting to start their warm-up against the Lady Raiders. Finally, on two separate banks of four courts, the men and women Titans go to battle against conference foes Wright State. Doubles begins the proceedings. The Raiders were too strong and take the doubles point. However, Pete gets the score back to 1-1 after a quick win. Cesar and Chris add another point, however, Pat, Alex, and I, come up a bit short and drop a 4-3 match to Wright State. However, with our match over, we go support the women and see they have wrapped up a 5-2 win.

Saturday comes along and we head to Indianapolis to prepare for the Butler Bulldogs. Fortunately, we had an off day after two straight days of matches, and we get a chance to watch the Lady Titans play Butler. After a couple of tense doubles matches, the Lady Titans lose the doubles point to go down 1-0. Then, the Lady Bulldogs get out to leads in some of the singles matches. We couldn’t stay long because we had to go practice for our match Sunday against Butler at a nearby club. As we were finishing up practice, the Lady Titans suddenly appear out of nowhere. It had gotten too dark to continue play, and with the match tied at 3-3 and Carolina up 4-2 in the third, they have to move indoors to finish the match. Carolina warms up for 5 minutes and restarts her match. After a long game on serve, Carolina goes up 5-2, only 4 points away from the win, not only for her, but also for the team. Carolina wraps the win with a sizzling forehand return winner crosscourt.

Finally, it’s our turn. However, a 7 a.m. wake-up is not ideal, especially on the last day of our 4-day road trip. With our eyes half closed, we get to the club at 8:30 a.m. and start our warm-up. The hour warm-up goes by fast and we jump right into doubles. With unsuccessful play against Wright State, we mixed up the teams to try to jump-start it. Pete and Chris win at No. 1 doubles. Patrick and I at No. 2 doubles were in control of the match, but we lose the momentum and eventually lose the match. It came down to Alex and Cesar. They get to match point to clinch the doubles point but relinquish it. It goes to a tiebreak to decide the point. Butler comes up with clutch play and wins the match and the doubles point. We move to singles. Of course, old reliable, also known as Pete, gets the victory and evens the score at 1-1. Patrick, at No. 3, goes down to give Butler a 2-1 lead. Alex, at No. 2, struggling, lost the first set and is down 5-2, only one game away from a loss. But, he battles back and forces a tiebreak and takes the second set. Chris and Cesar come on late because of there being only 4 courts. Chris, a little bit injured from Friday, goes down fast and Butler leads 3-1. Meanwhile at No. 4, I lose the first set 6-2 but keep pace in the second. I eventually force a tiebreak and don’t get so lucky and lose. Butler clinches the match 4-1. Alex’s momentum in the third stops, loses control, and goes down. However, Cesar plays great and wins his match. Butler wins 5-2.

Thursday, March 18, 2010 
Chris Nemes - Men's Lacrosse Freshman

We are five games into the season and it is going very fast. We recently got back from a trip to Pennsylvania where we played Robert Morris and Lehigh. We played a very good first half against Robert Morris and it showed us that we have the potential to win games in the future! The hotel stays and hours on the road were very fulfilling, and I feel that our team has gotten a lot closer and built chemistry with all the time we spend together.

The first win for the program is in close reach, and all of us players are working our hardest on the field and in the weight room in order to accomplish this. We head out to New York this weekend to play Manhattan on Saturday and everyone is looking forward to this great opportunity. This will be the first conference game in UDM lacrosse history and we plan to start conference play on the right foot!

As a freshman, this year has been really eye-opening to me and the friendships that I have made will last forever. All the leaders on the team are doing a great job of helping the younger players learn the college game and adjust to the fast pace. All our hard work is paying off and we are ready to get our first win and many more! Go Titans!

Thursday, March 11, 2010 
Alex Gould - Men's Track & Field Senior

As indoor season wound to a close, I found myself at the start line one last time at the Alex Wilson Invitational at the University of Notre Dame. I had heard previously that it was one of the more prestigious meets in the country, but that fact didn’t strike me until I saw myself standing amongst the likes of the SEC, Big XII, BIG EAST, and the ACC.

Excited, anxious, and somewhat intimidated of my surroundings and competition, I stepped to the line at the starter’s command and, with a shot of the gun, the race was off. As I took off, my feelings of intimidation and anxiety faded away, replaced with feelings of confidence and a sense of belonging. The race plan was to sit in the pack for the first 400 meters to see how the field was going to run. After going through the 800 meter mark in 2:07, confidence turned to panic. The pace was too slow, and time was beginning to run out on a PR. Realizing it had to be then, I gathered myself and began to make a charge.

Passing the 1200 meter mark in 3:11, with just a quarter mile to go, realizing this was my last indoor race in a Titan uniform; I dug in and laid it on the line. It had been a great year, my training had come together and I was running faster than I ever had. I had run a 4:14 mile earlier in the season and made the trip to Notre Dame with every intention of bettering that time. Hitting the bell lap my thoughts were focused on only one thing; making the trip worth the while, justifying missing out on a few days of spring break and some rest and relaxation.

Charging down the homestretch and crossing the finish line exhausted, I staggered off the track barely able to hold my own weight, and stared at the board waiting for my name to show up. My name appeared; and next to it, 4:11.85. In that very instant, all of the miles I had run and the hours I spent training were vindicated. For a guy who once struggled to a 4:59 mile, the feeling could only be described as surreal. It was a fitting ending for my final indoor track and field season.

Now, with spring break winding down, I look forward to outdoor season with the highest of hopes, with every intention of making my last season donning the Titan red and white a most memorable one.


Monday, March 8, 2010 
David Byrne - Men's Golf Senior

FINALLY! Florida and the spring season is here – a trip that everyone looks forward to all year. The 6 guys who made the trip to Florida (Simon Reyers, Sheldon Keyte, Mark Hicks, Britt Pronk, Jeff Clarridge and myself, David Byrne) all breathed a sigh of relief today - We landed in Orlando, Florida and didn’t see snow on the ground! Once we got the van, we were on our way to PGA Village for a few hours of practice.

This trip means a lot to each and every one of us. For some guys this is the first of many trips to come. For some it is midway through their college life and they are realizing how amazing our experiences have been and what lies ahead and for others (myself, being a senior) it is a realization that this is the last guaranteed week-long trip with the team. For all, it is a week to get our season off to a great start and share lots of laughs, jokes and jabs at one another and to work exceptionally hard on our games – all of which happened today – maybe too much! Ha

I think it is safe to say that everyone expects a Horizon League championship come year’s end and this is where it begins. Each guy brings his own unique contribution to the team. Although golf is an individual sport, we do make it into a team – we are sort of a small family. Simon and Sheldon are the two freshmen, who are looking to gain more college experience and continue to excel as great guys and great players along with understanding that even though we work hard, we share lots of laughs at every moment possible. Mark, a sophomore, has worked hard on his game this winter and is looking forward to going low this week and showing that he is going to help lead the team in years to come. Britt and Jeff come into this week knowing how hard they need to work to get themselves ready as they are coming into the leader roles – a lot of guys coming through the program will look at these two and try to emulate what they do in the classroom and on the course. They have been a great class and I’m sure Coach Engel knows this more than anyone. As for me – I am on the home stretch of my senior year and hoping I have led by example and to finish out my collegiate career strongly.

I think it is safe to say we are one of the hardest-working teams on campus and in the Horizon League. This winter we worked harder than maybe any other year I have been here.

We are so excited to have this opportunity to come to Florida for spring break and get a chance to play golf. Every day, we will be working hard. Tomorrow morning we will be up around 7:30 am and back to hotel around 8 pm. We are playing the Fox Club tomorrow afternoon. It will be our first round of the year on an amazing golf course that Coach LaFave has lined up for us to play (hopefully it doesn’t beat us up).

We wish all the teams the best of luck this spring break and remember that not everyone has the opportunity to do what we are doing. We are very fortunate and want to thank anyone who has helped us get here. We are very grateful and this year is our time to win another conference championship. Go Titans!

Saturday, March 6, 2010 
Susan Kalkstein - Women's Track Sophomore

There’s something different about the entire track season as opposed to the league championships. Whether it’s because that meet has been weekly analyzed for the last two months or because when reminisced in five years, it’s the only meet that really has a memorable impact, there’s a sense of significance—and urgency. Track meets seem to be such a waiting game but once they begin, the excitement and anxiety in the air is palpable. 

The preseason/indoor season as a whole felt like it lacked a routine to me. It was all over the place with constant struggles and everyday annoyances. Regardless, it happened, and it was probably more productive than it overtly appeared upon reflection prior to the championship weekend. The Indoor Horizon League Championship meet, on February 27 and 28, 2010, reminded me of the overlooked progress and accomplishments over specifically, the last six months. 

At first I was not sure how I felt about hosting the meet. Or the fact that the meet was going to be at the University of Michigan—which meant that we could be traveling and competing on the same day. I typically prefer to have some buffer time in between the ride and the event to shake my legs out and refocus. Regardless, that was the agenda and I was trying to approach it as optimistically as possible: I’ve (somehow) remained incredibly focused the entire week despite unpredictable distractions and I was ready to compete, whenever, period. 

Somehow I managed to get some sleep Friday night and arrive at the University of Michigan feeling confident. It felt familiar, considering that our tune up Silverston Invite meet the week before was at the same facility—and I had a PR performance (seems like a good sign). All I had to focus on today was long jump, after deciding to compete in it because I knew I had the potential to contribute points if all went well. Also I just wanted to be as involved as possible; this meet, the only meet that matters all year finally has arrived and I deserved to be there and wanted to be there. Therefore, I was going to make the most of my time, talent, and opportunity. 

When it comes to track, I rarely feel paralyzing nerves like I once had as a rookie in high school. However, the league championship is a totally different ball game: you feel like you have something to lose. I had one year under my belt of championships, which I think definitely helps to ease anxiety. Honestly, I was still pretty anxious once I started warming up. I was in the second flight, which just allowed more time for nerves to build. My run throughs went well (it seems they always do, even if my attempts are off the board ha). Coach Alexander gave him his final pointers: don’t reach, strike the board with your toe up. I felt empowered by the energy Vushaun and J’Quan had performing as well as they were on the runway parallel to me; they were jumping great. I was ready to see myself perform like I know I am capable of performing, just like they were. The beauty of the Horizon League Championships seems to lie in the contagious dynamic within a team: every athlete in red and white influences their teammate in the same uniform. Being aware of that and receptive to the positive influence allows a team to exude the positive energy necessary for collective success. 

First jump, foul. Second jump, foul. Final attempt, basically a do or die situation. I tend to find myself work well under pressure, perhaps because I’m used to it because it’s imperative for the sport. Regardless, I knew my first two jumps were good; the approach could be adjusted. My Coach told me what he just told Vushaun and J’Quan: just get on the board and you’ll get a good jump (and that they definitely did). And so it was, I jumped a season and college PR of approximately 30 centimeters: 5.27 meters. Although I’ve stated I work well under pressure I would never say that I’m lucky. Blessed, yes, lucky, probably not a prevailing quality. With that being said, I was almost not surprised to hear the official say that 5.28 meters was the minimum jump for finals. 1 centimeter. Seems like nothing, field athletes know it’s a lot. What’s even harder to swallow that the mark is subjective to the official: we’d all like to think that it’s always legitimately marked exactly at the point closest to the board where the sand is broke but the margin for human error exists. 

Nonetheless, finals or not, I jumped very well. I was really excited my parents were able to be there to share in my success and enjoy the rest of the meet. After cheering on my teammates running on the track and Brittany throwing in the cage I could not wait to get out on the runway again the following day for finals in the event I specialize in: triple jump. 

The first day of Horizon Leagues is the prerequisite that makes the second day possible. All the wonderful performances the previous day were acknowledged and forgotten in a sense: they narrowed the athletes down for finals and gave them a chance to perform at that level, or better, again. But that’s exactly the challenge: the standings are based on the performance for today. So the pressure is on. For triple jump, the preliminary and final rounds are both on Sunday, which I like because the energy from the pressure on the track pumps me up to perform at my peak. 

One flight of jumpers, I was ready to go. First jump was not my best, but it was not terrible and would have qualified me for finals (which I did not know at the time). My second jump I fouled and the nerves built again. Like the day before, I did what I had to do on my third jump and was marked at 11.29 meters. Going into finals, I was seated in 5th, but quickly fell to 6th with another athlete’s performance. I furthered my distance to 11.38 meters; I felt satisfied with another PR. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side again, as 6th place (scoring) was 11.39 meters. As badly as I wanted to score for my team, I could not be unhappy with my performance at all. As the meet progressed I felt the girls could all accurately say the same thing to themselves. I saw every Titan cheering on everyone with a Detroit uniform on. In 7th place or 1st, it was clear to see that everyone, guys and girls, were performing with their prepared bodies through the determination in their hearts. I consider that kind of total effort and commitment a successful Horizon League Championship experience.


Friday, March 5, 2010 
A.J. Levell - Men's Lacrosse Freshman

Last weekend, the Detroit Titans went on a business trip to Columbus to play the Ohio State Buckeyes. We had no knowledge about us even having a game until 24 hours before the starting faceoff. (Winter weather forced Ohio State to cancel a game against UMass and then our game was scheduled). We had little time to prepare for the game either, but we all wanted to play a team as high caliber as Ohio State
.
Once we found out for sure that we were playing, the entire team got very excited and eager to play. In the game, we learned a ton about ourselves, we learned both our strengths and our weaknesses, and we found out how we can make adjustments to our game to make us become a more successful team. Although we did not win the game, we left with more experience to help our team be the best we can be this year. 

With this experience, we have the potential to do very well in the MAAC. But for now, we are going to get back to the practice field and into the weight room to work for our ultimate goal, to win in our conference and to have a winning season.



Thursday, March 4, 2010 
Woody Payne - Men's Basketball Senior

Up to this point words can’t even explain the way I am feeling about the season. Our overall record so far is 19-13 and we have a chance to go for a twenty win season, the first at Detroit since 2001. 

My first three years here were hard to deal with as we were not winning and not even being in talks about going into the tournament. Now we have a chance to bring some spirit back to the school and enter postseason. 

I am having the time of my life playing with this team and I’m not ready for it to end. Overall, we are really focusing on our next game and keeping everyone together so we can come out and get a win. If we stay confident and take everything one day at a time, the sky is the limit for us.


Wednesday, March 3, 2010 
Joel Matthews - Men's Lacrosse  Freshman

You can't go through life quitting everything. If you're going to achieve anything, you've got to stick with something.

This is certainly true when it comes to the sons of Detroit and the men’s lacrosse team. There are no all-stars, or amazing players, just players who work hard and do the dirty work other teams are not willing to do. Because each player on our team knows that failure is not the worst possible outcome this season, but not trying and giving up is.

We will not allow that this year, this is a new team, and we have a new goal. The season started a few weeks ago with a strong effort against Bellarmine and we dropped a 12-8 decision in a game that we certainly could have won. But we are a young team and I am positive that we work harder than any other team - we will be better.

Three weeks later on my birthday weekend, we were presented with the gift to play Ohio State, a school that Detroit had much to prove against because of the 21-1 loss from the 2009 season. This game was an unbelievable opportunity for our young team and we pounced at the opportunity. Once again, we came up short in a game that if some certain areas of play were cleaned up then this game could have been something special.

So far, this season has been a roller coaster ride, but we all persevered and are better student-athletes but, more importantly, a better team because of the trials and tribulations we have been through. I have met some of the most amazing people this season, and I have met some friends that will most certainly play a role in the rest of my life. There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel for the Detroit Titans.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Brett Yenger - Women's Lacrosse
Sophomore

It’s always fun to go on a road trip with our team, especially when we go south to warmer weather. There are constant discussions on what movies we should watch on the bus, having fun with our awesome bus driver, and most of us will sleep just to eliminate a fraction of the 12-hour trip. Then, when we finally got to our location, we all passed out in the hotel. 

The next day is game day in North Carolina. It’s raining but no snow in sight, so we are still excited. We get up, eat breakfast, and head to the field to shoot around and try to get our legs used to solid ground again. Just having the chance to play with each other against a new team is exciting for us. Although we lost by three to Davidson, we felt like winners. We battled hard against the Wildcats and came back from a deficit to close the score gap. We were still proud of ourselves and decided to shake off the loss and get ready for our next game. Right after the game, we were back on the bus for another couple hours’ journey to Clinton, South Carolina.

The next day we started with a practice and then we had some friendly competition at a local bowling alley. It was a bowl-off against our two team divisions, red and white. It gets really intense and involves “star jumps” and a trophy is at stake. It is just a little something to get us pumped and ready to play Presbyterian the next day. Afterwards, the red team won the trophy, but we all had a great time taking some time to relax and get our minds off the loss from the previous day. There was nothing but thinking forward from then on out.

We ended up winning against Presbyterian on Friday, but losing to Jacksonville on Saturday. Of course, we wanted to win both, but we have a lot to learn still. Playing against challenging teams is a privilege that allows us to grow as a team and learn from our mistakes. It is never easy losing, but if we play our game and try our best, it gives us an opportunity to refocus. Then, if we have a chance to meet the same team again in the conference tournament, we can show them that we improved and can hopefully beat them the second time around. 

We are always happy to get to play another day of lacrosse and proud to be Titans!


Monday, Feb. 8, 2010 
Brittany Horne - Women's Track & Field Senior 

Usually over Christmas break, athletes look forward to a short break from athletics, enjoying family and great home-cooked meals. Instead of going home to Okemos, I was able to go almost halfway around the world. I traveled to Yokohama, Japan for 22 days with my teammate and friend Ashley Schinske, where we stayed with her best friend and visited my uncle.

Japan was so much different from the United States in the way their society functions, it was unbelievable. Because Japan is an island and everything is imported, it’s more expensive and things a lot smaller. Japanese people take such great pride in every job that they have no matter what that job is. They pay very close attention to every detail. People use public transportation and walk more frequently than here in the America. Every day we had to take a staircase of 244 stairs to the apartment where we were staying. 

We did a lot of shopping! There were shopping centers everywhere and they were filled with very interesting merchandise. Our favorite place to shop was the 100 Yen stores. They are like dollar stores, but one thousand times better because they were all at least 2-4 stories high! We spent hours upon hours looking through the hundreds of items that were all 100 yen! 

It was a blast to try so many different foods! We were able to try REAL ramen which is nothing like the ramen sold here in the United States, it is way better in Japan! We tried octopus, mochi (a rice dessert with sweet bean paste in the middle) and yakisoba (a delicious noodle dish). It was such a great opportunity to go to another country and experience another culture so different from our own. The break from track and school was much needed, but now it is time to get back to work and finish the school year and track season with a bang! GO TITANS!!


Monday, Feb. 1, 2010 
Scott Harris - Men's Lacrosse Sophomore

Everyone is getting pumped about the Bellarmine game and the rest of the upcoming season. It’s been to long since we have played against a team with a different color jersey. It will be very exciting to step out on that turf at Ultimate Soccer Arena and look across the mid-line waiting for that first whistle of the first game of the Division I lacrosse season.

I’m personally excited to work with some our freshmen and create chemistry that can help us score goals. We have very talented freshmen who can find the back of the cage. This week is going to be different from any week; the preparation for this game is a key part in how we show up on Saturday. We need to play calm, controlled and above all, crisp. If we can control the little things in the game and this season, we will come out with the wins.

It’s tough to be patient with the game so close. You can see it in everyone’s eyes that they just want to play.

I can’t wait to get out there and show everyone how we do things.


Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 
Vince Lefler - Men's Track & Field Freshman

This year's TNF debut at Notre Dame was a lot fun. In my entire high school career, I would have never pictured myself competing against schools as big as Notre Dame. 

Despite the fact, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. The other freshmen and I just went out there to see what we could do, and overall I think we competed very well. It's a good feeling to know we are no longer recruits, but part of the team now. I'm looking forward to racing again!






Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 
Alex Harris - Men's Cross Country/Track Junior

The NCAA Great Lakes regional race marked the end of the UDM cross country season. Despite a myriad of injuries and other setbacks effecting many of my teammates, we were still able to pull it together and score better than we did at last year's regional. It has been far from a perfect season for the team, but I think that we did about as well as we could have, all things considered. 

In regards to my own performance, I am very satisfied with how this season turned out. After a good summer of 70 mile weeks, I came back to UDM and began to cope with an old hip injury almost immediately. The first couple races were disappointing but after the Louisville Invitational, I felt that the season started to turn around. I began moving up in terms of team finish position and my times began heading in the right direction. Although I wasn’t able to match my PR from last season, I was satisfied with a strong performance at our league meet and felt ready for the upcoming 10k regional race. 

I was a little apprehensive before the race, thinking about my DNF from last season, but I knew that I had been running well in the last two weeks and should be able to knock out a good final race. Standing on the start line alongside all of the other Division I schools, and some of the nation's finest distance runners, I was reminded of what it is that makes competing at this level such a privilege. I had planned to go out conservatively and pick up the pace with each mile, but after coming through the first mile under five minutes, and two miles under 10, I knew I was in for a different kind of race. 

At the 5k, I was around 16 minutes and thought about how far I have come since my high school 5k PR. My 8k split would have been a good time on its own for me this season and that gave me some motivation to stick it out and get a solid time for my first collegiate 10k. 

My teammate Patrick was in sight at this point so I made it my goal to keep the gap between us from growing. The last 2k was a struggle, and although I was not able to make a good kick on the home stretch I was able to finish in 33:05, which placed 81st in the region. 

I am very satisfied with how this season has come together; the next step will be trying to chase down my father's regional 10k time of 32:18 from 1984. I am feeling strong and ready to run some good times for the upcoming indoor and outdoor seasons.


Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009 
Beata Gorzynska - Women's Cross Country/Track Senior

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go." -PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian
Personally for me, running is the greatest metaphor for life; I get out of it what I put into it. 

When I came to the UDM, I didn’t know what to expect. First, I was fascinated by the new environment, different culture of running and the excitement of racing that I had never felt before. However, different system of training sometimes might discourage from running. It was hard to change my individual habits of practicing and adopt team rules. After a while, I’ve realized the significant advantage of running in the team. I’ve learned that it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. There is a lot of satisfaction that you finished and you run as hard as you could to help your team. 

I’m more satisfied with my performance this year then I was in the past, but I always desire to improve my results and to compete harder then I ever have.

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009
Maya Thomas - Women's Lacrosse Sophomore

When you think you're going hard, go harder.

Reviewing my start of the 2009 fall semester with lacrosse at UDM is hard because there are so many things to say and so many things I would also wish to forget. As a team we are very young and there seems to be a constant struggle within our team for power, but on the outside you would never see it because we love each other, despite some of our flaws.

For our Fall season, we had the opportunity to play St. Bonaventure, St. Francis, Bucknell and Lock Haven. Though we beat the teams we expected to beat, we were still a little upset over the ones we failed against and that's where our real test is for the upcoming season: being able to pull together and triumph when the odds are against us.

As for everyday practice, I have been told by Anna Eidem, Hilary Petcoff and Kandice Bogatz, all currently injured, that we have been looking better and coming together as a team. I say otherwise, but that's always because I feel things could always be better.

On defense, we have gotten better at working as a unit, but we still have things to improve on because no team is perfect. As a team our biggest challenge is transitioning to offense quicker, and for offense we need to work together more as a unit, instead of one on one.

With our new freshmen, we have strengthened our chances of solving the problems that cause division.

You might think we are going hard, but we can and WILL go harder.

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 
Joe Tofferi - Strength & Conditioning Coach

The other day, I was talking to a strength and conditioning coach from another university and she told me a story about an athlete who just recovered form an ACL sprain and scored her first goal. Wow, what a great story! I began to think about our almost 300 athletes and began to think about the qualities and accomplishments they have received. Two girls came to mind immediately. I don’t think anyone would guess in a million years who they were because they are probably two of the most “unathletic” people on campus... no offense ladies! However, they have received great recognition and accomplishments as of late and I think their stories are worth telling.

Monday Oct. 26, 2009 
Curtis Eatmon - Men's Basketball Junior

Sometimes, when you do a community service project like this, you never really know what to expect. In basketball, we get scouting reports and go over film on opponents so nothing should ever come as a surprise, but walking into GESU Elementary School was a whole different game.

The kids were so excited to see us and it was truly a great experience being able to interact and read with them. It got me thinking that I wish I had a team come in and help me when I was in school.

The visit was very inspirational, not only to myself but to all of my teammates. It gave us all a chance to get away from our lives as student-athletes and just help out young kids that hope to follow in our footsteps one day. 

 

Friday Oct. 23, 2009
Vince Diana - Men's Lacrosse Senior 

Coming into this year, there is no one on this team that doesn’t think we have a chance to win. Our fall ball went really well. It’s tough getting all the new players to learn our style and system, but I feel that most, if not all, have been giving everything they have and fully grasp what’s going on. From the first day we had our scrimmage, to the Headstrong Nick Colleluori Classic, we have really come a long way. It’s very exciting at practice to see all the new players that have come in and are already contributing to our team. Everything about the Titans is already better than last year. From the offense, to the face-offs to the defense, everything is looking really good. The returners are going to have some tough battles in the spring to keep their jobs, which is very good because it’s going to push everyone to put in that extra time and to do the little things that get you to play your best. 

Being that it is only our second year as a Division I program, it’s an honor to be voted a captain. The other captains and I know that it’s our job to lead this team. We have to set a good example. For three of us, it’s our last season of lacrosse and we want to go down as getting this program off to great start. Not winning a game last year was tough. We put in a lot of hard work and nothing to show for it. 

Now that our fall season is over, it’s time to start to look forward to the spring. We will have some more home games this year to show our school and community who we really are. Coach Kolon told us on the first week that we are the “Sons of Detroit” and we are held to a higher standard. We have to go out there and prove to everyone who we really are. The school has done a lot for us and the community is really behind us. They are really supporting our program and are looking forward to seeing us to do well this spring. Things are really changing around here and for the better.

Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 
Katrina Oberski - Women's Cross Country Freshman

Stepping up to the start line in my Detroit titan uniform for every race so far this season has been unforgettable. Knowing every time that I get the chance to represent a successful running program as a Division I athlete can be nerve racking, but usually exciting as well. Though some steps have been a struggle, I wouldn’t trade any of my experiences for the world. With each day of practice, I gain knowledge that helps me to continue to improve as a runner. 

With every hard work-out and long weekend run I’ve been glad to have my teammates by my side. They always know the right words of encouragement to help me push past the little voice in my head telling me to quit. Whether it is a movie night, shopping trips to Royal Oak, dinner in TDR, or events Downtown, we always stick together. They have made my transition to college that much easier and have become my UDM family and for that I am very thankful. 

As we near the end of our season the competition is heating up. With the Horizon League Championships and the NCAA Regional just around the corner, nerves are beginning to build. All the hard work we put in during the hot summer months, pre-season and the first part of the season itself come down to these two races. It is time to show that WE are better prepared, WE are ready to fight off our opponents, and WE are ready to prove that we are the better runners. So in closing, UDM Are you in……? 

Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009
David Byrne - Men's Golf Senior

The Titan men’s golfers flew into the Baltimore airport on Saturday night, anxious and excited for our last tournament of the fall season. Every year it is a treat to come here and play the Georgetown Intercollegiate on a great golf course that played host to one of the 2009 U.S Open Regional Qualifiers.

We were eating lunch before the round at The Members Club at Four Streams and we heard the course has had six inches of rain in the last three days and there would be no practice round today. We could only drive around in carts. Kind of disappointing since the golf course is always a treat to play. We still went out in carts (unlike many other teams) and showed our two freshmen (Simon Reyers and Sheldon Keyte) the course and the do’s and don’ts when playing a competitive round there. As per usual I had plenty to say – not necessarily because of my long-windedness, but because I have seen my way around the spots where one wouldn’t want to be! Ha.

Then we started thinking – Why not head downtown to D.C? We left the course and hopped on the Metro. We got off and saw things like the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument.

It was great to go to D.C (for the upperclassmen this was our second time), and even with four out of six of us (including Coach) being Canadian, it was just as exciting for us as if we were American. There is so much history and so much to see we could only get a few things in. We gained a little knowledge about World War II and the history of various buildings (hey – students before athletes….right? ha).

Needless to say, we made the best out of a crummy day. Now it is off to bed to get a good night's sleep and play only 18 holes tomorrow (they had to cancel the first 18 since the course is so saturated). We are excited to get another good finish against a very good field, but also play to our potential because we know we are still warming up and the best is yet to come.

Cheers, EH.

GO TITANS!

 

Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 
Jason McDonald - Men's Lacrosse Sophomore

Ridley High School hosted the third annual Nick Colleluori Classic last Saturday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Head Strong Foundation, who sponsored the event, was created by Nick shortly after he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The tournament was a great way to raise both money and awareness for this devastating disease. Nick’s attitude both on and off the field became the motto for the Head Strong Foundation…”Relentless.”

That one word will not only be confined to the Head Strong Family, but used to describe our efforts for this upcoming Titan season. We have much to prove after last year, now even more so that we’ve been accepted into the MAAC, where we should do fairly well after our display at the classic.

There’s nothing better than waking up to the sounds of your coach pounding on the door at 6 a.m. Following the abrupt wake up, the team shuffled downstairs for breakfast and left for the field at 7:30. We had a quick warm up and we were thrown back into it all over again, with the exception of the freshmen who really helped the team out. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side and it began to rain. There were the usual pre-game butterflies, but they quickly dissipated shortly after the first face-off. For the first time we controlled the speed of the game; the offense possessed and the defense was a unit.

We quickly got into rhythm and really took it to St. Joseph’s, who is a conference opponent that we will see again later this spring. I had never seen us play so crisp and cleanly. The first half went by quickly and we clearly played our best lacrosse as a young program, unfortunately we ran into a few penalty problems in the third, but we pulled the victory out.

It was an amazing feeling, but we didn’t have much time to celebrate. We played game two, ten minutes after the final horn of the first game. So we put our gear back on and headed over to the now saturated grass field. With a brief warm up, we went back at it against Lafayette, a team that beat every MAAC team they played last year. We started off extremely sluggish, but picked it up towards the end of the game. Conditions were tough for both, but Lafayette held strong in the end.

We finished the day 1-1 but gained so much more than a win. The team finally began to work together and the freshmen really showed their accountability, especially our goalie AJ Levell, who played two exceptional games. Even though we lost the second, the outcome could have been different if not for the fact that we were missing key players at each position. It will be interesting to see how we progress with a full roster this spring and have no where to go but up.


Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009
Ty Maruyama - Men's Lacrosse Sophomore

Everyone is starting to get real pumped about Philly. 

It'll be nice to get to beat up on someone from another team. Fall ball is all about improving and building team chemistry, and is also to give our freshmen a taste of Division I lax. These games will be a nice gauge of how far we've come this fall. Thanks to strength coach Nick Wilson and the coaching staff, I can say that no other team in lacrosse has worked harder than us. 

It's going to be a fun weekend because I think we can turn some heads at this event, while playing for a good cause. 

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009
Rachel McHenry - Women's Golf Senior

Tuesday concluded the third of our four fall tournaments as we competed in the Zippy Invitational in Akron, OH. Our assistant coach, Kyle Stefan, chauffeured us safely into Akron on Sunday afternoon to play our practice round after stopping for a quick breakfast at Panera – one of our favorites (second only to IHOP). The course was long and wet – ideal conditions for us short hitters on the team – but we kept our chins up knowing that everyone had to play under identical conditions. We finished the day by eating dinner (PF Changs – another team favorite), checking into our hotel and going straight to bed. We needed our rest to prepare ourselves for 36 holes the next day, which usually averages around a speedy 12 hours.

We all teed off as the horn sounded at 9:00 AM, and we moved at a surprisingly swift pace through our first 14 holes. Then we reached hole #2. At one point, our entire five-woman team was united on the same hole. Needless to say, we were experiencing just one of the few minor backups Rosemont Country Club had to offer. Hole #2 was changed to a par 3 for our second 18 to encourage quicker play. At the conclusion of our 36 holes (35 for some, which were finished the following morning), we ate dinner in the clubhouse and listened to Akron’s head softball coach speak about her victorious battle over breast cancer. It was remarkable to witness such positiveness come out of such struggle, and it made me so grateful for the health of each one of my teammates and coaches.

We finished our final round Tuesday afternoon with a team score of 334, which put us in a tie with Bowling Green at a total score of 991. We packed up our clubs, headed back to Detroit amidst a rain storm, and listened to the Tigers lose. Oh, well… better luck next year!

Although we haven’t even scratched the surface of our potential yet this season, I am encouraged to observe such hard work and dedication to our games. All I ask is that each one of us does our best, and I have yet to be disappointed. Come spring, I look forward to seeing our hard work rewarded as we swing our way into our first Horizon League Championship!

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009
Alyssa Korson - Women's Soccer Sophomore

On Monday, my teammates, coaches and I returned from an unforgettable trip to Hawaii, a nice getaway before our Horizon League schedule begins. I don’t have any complaints from our trip last year to Newport Beach, California, but I loved the experience of traveling a couple thousand miles further.

Sunny weather and beautiful beaches may be the first things that come to mind when you think of a trip to Hawaii. However, our focus was the opportunity to play two soccer games against a very skilled team, University of Hawaii. Though we did not come out with a win for either of the games, there were a couple good halves that proved what kind of damage we can do in the Horizon League, and how we need to play in order to be successful in the Horizon League tournament.

A couple of wins definitely would have been amazing, but I believe we all had a great time relaxing and bonding as a team in Hawaii as well. The majority of our free time was either spent at the beach—enjoying the 90-degree weather and swimming in the ocean or pool (not necessarily by choice)—or shopping. However, our last day in Hawaii was probably the most eventful. We got up early to go snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, but due to van caravan issues, we were set back about an hour or two, but everything ended up working out all right and we made it to the Bay for a couple hours of snorkeling! So overall, we had a great time on our little vacation and are now focused for our upcoming Horizon League games! 


Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 
Horizon League Network Blog on Fall Tennis and UDM senior Pjotrs Necajevs

Tennis is a Fall Sport Too?
Adam Coppinger · September 28, 2009

Seriously. Who knew? I didn’t. Then I started noticing the same name winning every tournament. Pjotrs Necajevs is a senior on the Detroit tennis team and I apologize for not including him in the Two Sense piece we did on the most dominant athlete in the Horizon League. This kid can play. I mean REALLY play. This may not be news to those of you that closely follow Horizon League tennis but bear with me. 

Click here to read the complete blog entry.

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
Trina Kochanski - Women's Soccer Senior

So…we just arrived home from our Hawaii trip and it sure was eventful. It was exhausting, relaxing, and overall a great time. We spent all of last Wednesday traveling…literally from seven-thirty in the morning out of Detroit, until nine in the evening in Hawaii. It was almost 20 hours of travel! It was completely draining, but we were all super excited to be there nonetheless. It was lights out for us immediately following a quick dinner that night. 

Thursday, we woke up early for a jog and stretch…and ended up being neck-high in warm ocean water five minutes into it. Joe took us for a jog on the beach…what’d he expect?!? After returning to our hotel in completely drenched practice gear, we got changed and relaxed on the beach for an hour or two before our pre-game meal. After our tough 1-0 loss, we all pretty much passed out after we got back to our hotel. 

We spent almost all of Friday out on the beach and shopping around in the local stores and at the International Marketplace that was right next to our hotel. We ate dinner at the restaurant that was in our hotel and finished the night with shopping, shopping, and more shopping. We lasted till a whooping 10 pm… we just could not get used to the time change!
 
Saturday morning we got up early and headed to practice over at the University of Hawaii’s practice facility. After practice, we all relaxed in the hotel until we left for our game. We played hard again, but we fell short. The end of the game got a bit heated, and that’s all I’ll say about that. 

Sunday was a fun day. By 8 a.m. we had all woken up, piled in the vans and squeezed in breakfast. We finished up the day with some snorkeling in a coral reef bay which looked like it was straight out of a dream. It was the prettiest beach/mountain scenery I have ever seen. Afterwards, we hung around the beach again until reluctantly packing up and leaving for our redeye flight home. 

Being back in Hawaii was exactly as I had remembered it from my sophomore year. It was again two hard fought games of soccer, beautiful weather, beautiful beaches and sights, and another great experience with my teammates!! Even though we didn’t come up with the results that we were hoping for, I think its good that we are playing with the right attitude and intensity that we need to win games in our conference. Overall, it was an awesome big trip to have during my last year on the team.

Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009 
Edwin Gay - Men's Cross Country Freshman

Toeing up to the line at my first collegiate 8k at the National Catholic Championships, I thought, this couldn’t be much different from a high school 5k. I was wrong. I ended up running pretty well, but it was a lot different than I expected. The hardest part had to be at the two mile. In the 5k, a runner comes through the two mile and knows it’s time to kick it in because there’s only a mile left, but at the same point in my debut 8k, the only thing I could think about was that there was almost a full 5k to go, and that I was already a little bit tired. Besides the extra two miles that seemed to last a lot longer than they actually did, and the many blisters I accrued, it was actually a lot of fun. 

In the first mile, it was exciting to be in a pack of hundreds of racers who were competing for position, not caring much what happened to the other runners as an effect of their efforts. Some people got elbowed or pushes, others were hit by the pine trees that lined the course pushed around often while the pack was thick, which snapped back into different parts of the other competitors’ bodies, including one runners face. He didn’t like that. 

It was fun though to be part of that excitement as that is what makes the sport what it is. If it weren’t for runners getting pushed around and spiked a couple times, running through bad conditions, or racing on a tough course, it wouldn’t be as thrilling. It was also nice to be a part of my new team in my debut race, as having teammates to run with in the race helped me stay on pace and motivated. Overall, it wasn’t too bad. I was thankful I could race that well after coming off an injury from the summer. Now I’m hoping the team and I can put a few good races together and have a fun and successful season. 


Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 
Simon Reyers - Men's Golf Freshman

This past weekend, my college golf career finally began at the Spartan Classic, hosted by Michigan State. The event was held in Traverse City at the Kingsley Club, which is a links-style course. We left for Traverse City on Friday at 7:00 am and played our practice round at 1:00 pm. After a long round of figuring out the golf course we grabbed some food and went back to the hotel for some rest.

Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 
Kyle Stefan - Women's Golf Assistant Coach

Good afternoon from Hammond, Indiana. Our 2009-10 season is underway at the Chicago State Invitational. Our team has worked extremely hard over the past two weeks to gear up for this event and the fall slate.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 
Alexandria Vintevoghel - Women's Cross Country Freshman

As I started out my college career two weeks ago at Oakland, I realized that collegiate running was going to be much different than high school running. I was jumping into the unknown. I didn’t know the competition, the course I was running on, or what to expect of myself like I did in high school. This was a new team, new coaches, and a new world I was about to enter. My nerves didn’t handle the change well at first. But after the gun went off, the familiarity of cross country running set in.

We’ve had two meets now and both the men and women have rose to the challenge and shown great potential. Putting in the miles over the summer and working hard during these past few weeks of pre-season have gone a long way. I feel very lucky to be part of such a great program that is getting better with every workout. Every time I put on the red, white, and blue, I am proud to be a Detroit Titan.

Monday, September 14, 2009
Mary Leone - Women's Soccer Freshman

This weekend I went on my first U of D road trip. It was a lot of fun, but a long weekend.  We went to Indiana Friday, played, came home that night, and then went back to Indiana Sunday for another game. What a busy weekend! 

Our first drive was a long one. It took about five hours to get to Indianapolis to play IUPUI. The ride Sunday to Fort Wayne was about three and a half hours and not as bad. As a team we had a really good time. There were a lot of funny things that happened over our hectic weekend. We slept most of the time but when we were up we were usually laughing or getting ready for our games. We got to watch a funny movie during one trip which helped a lot in passing the time. 

We played well over the weekend and went 1-1.I really enjoyed the traveling part. It was really cool seeing the different fields and universities. I liked the second field we played on at IPFW better than the field at IUPUI. IPFW's mascot is the Mastodons and behind on the the nets there was a big mural of a mastodon head which was pretty cool. I cannot wait for our next road trip to see more of the country and all of the different fields and schools. It was a really fun experience, especially spending more time with my teammates, and I can't wait for all of the other road trips in the future!

Friday, September 11, 2009 
Alex Gould - Men's Cross Country Senior

Another summer is over, another school year has begun, and another cross country season is in full swing. In the wake of all of this, I can’t help but take a step back and realize that this is my final year of collegiate running. I, like most everyone else, was warned of how quickly the time goes by and I, like most everyone else, thought four years was going to be an eternity. I was wrong. 

I once stumbled across the quote, “Life is short. Running makes it seem longer.” Now this statement does seem to have a great deal of truth to it four or five miles into a weekend long run, but the truth is that at this point in my career, I find that there are not many things I would rather find myself doing. That in itself is crazy, because if you were to ask me four or five years ago if I could see myself running 70-80 miles per week, I would have just laughed. While running and myself have had our disagreements (yes Coach Murray, the 4x100m relay comes to mind as one of the bigger ones), running is something that I have come to appreciate greatly, and have learned to savor nearly every minute of it. 

I have spent hours running through rain, wind, sleet, snow, hail, 90° days, and whatever else to prepare myself for this point; my final year, and it has started off with a bang. We had our first race of the season last weekend, and as I toed the line, I knew I was in good shape, and after a two-minute improvement from a year ago, it is clear that all of the miles, all of the pain and misery associated with training, was more than worth it. I now know for certain that I am ready to push myself to an entirely new level of running, and am both excited and anxious to see how the season plays out. 

As I look around at all of my teammates, it is clear to me that we as a group have the potential to be one of the best teams in Titan history. It is a privilege and an honor to be a part of a team such as this. We have and continue to put in the work, the trial of miles as some call it, and we are ready to take the next step as a group. 

So as my senior season progresses, we will strive to and begin to achieve our goals and I for one will be cherishing every moment of it. My only hope is that it doesn’t go by too fast.

Thursday, September 10, 2009 
Patrick Troy - Men's Tennis Senior

It's great to be back for another year at UDM and another season with Titan tennis. I couldn't be more excited to get the season going! With four new faces on the team, it's always exciting to meet some new personalities. Our rookies - Russ, Alex, Chris C., and Chris D. - are all great guys and I can't wait to hit the road and travel with them. Best of all, they have some serious game too!

Our first trip is to IPFW to take part in an invitational with some solid, scrappy teams. We edged out IPFW in a nail-biting 4-3 decision, and I expect nothing short of a battle with them again this time around - maybe we'll have to rely on David Stabley to pull out another tight match for us! The other two teams, IUPUI and DePauw, are also going to be competitive with us. When I was on Grand Valley State's team, we also played DePauw and never managed to even score one victory, losing ALL matches both times - needless to say, I'm excited to see how our Titan squad matches up with them, and I'm eager to get a shot at taking them down!

Overall, this is shaping up to be one of my most fun, competitive, and successful years as a college athlete. Looking forward to seeing how our young-guns compete and hope to take home number one at the invite!

Go Titans!

Friday, September 4, 2009 
Rob Radlich - Men's Cross Country Sophomore

Cross country season is finally here, with the Golden Grizzly Open being our first meet this Saturday. Although the season is only a few months, it takes many more to prepare and be physically fit. This summer consisted of miles upon miles, working my way up to my longest week of 72 miles. Although it may not have been fun running all those miles, they have definitely paid off substantially in these last two weeks of preseason.

Coming in two weeks early has been fun and challenging. We have been putting in some hard workouts and even more miles per week than I ran this summer. Two-a-day practices for most of the week and a 14-mile run at the end has tested me physically and mentally, but has taught me discipline and how to work through pain.

What’s even more exciting about this weekend is that I get to run my first race in a Titan uniform. After redshirting all of last year because of various reasons, I am anxious, a bit nervous, but ready to run my first race representing the University. This Saturday will be the first real test of all the miles that I have put in over the summer and these last two weeks of hard work.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Lauren Roffey - Women's Soccer Sophomore

In just a few days, everything that our team has worked so hard during preseason for will unfold. We’ve been working for the past couple of weeks in hopes that we will have a winning season. Our first game is against Notre Dame College out of Ohio and looking back at the strides that we have made throughout the last couple of weeks, I expect us to come out with a win. We have a very young team made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores who are ready to make a huge impact in the Horizon League and with the experience of the juniors and seniors, hope to set the stage for a successful season.

Along with our season getting underway, school also begins next week. I learned first hand last year that with a heavy class schedule on top of traveling often for soccer, life gets pretty hectic. It is definitely hard missing a lot of classes due to games, but with one year under my belt, I have learned how to balance both soccer and school. Last year, I, along with many of the other girls would bring our class work on the long bus rides to and from away games and work together to get homework and studying accomplished. It helps when my teammates are just as motivated as I am to get good grades. I anticipate this year being just as crazy, if not more when it comes to missing classes; however, working together with my teammates, I know that we will accomplish great things both on the soccer field and in the classroom.

Friday, August 28, 2009
Stephanie Rossman - Women's Cross Country/Track Sophomore

“Remember today, for it is the beginning of always. Today marks the start of a brave new future filled with all your dreams can hold. Think truly to the future and make those dreams come true.” 

This message portrays the optimistic attitudes of the many student-athletes who have moved onto campus over these past weeks to begin pre-season training. In a sport where summer training defines the athlete, cross country runners have continuously put forth extraordinary efforts in order to arrive back to training at high intensity. With two short weeks; teammates bond, workouts are run, and coaches work hard to prepare for a season of excellence. As the Horizon League advances into more powerful levels of competition, the University of Detroit Mercy runners train hard to accept the challenge. With the start of a new cross country season, returning veterans and recruited freshmen on both the women’s and men’s team have shown potential to place well in the Horizon League competition.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Trina Kochanski - Women's Soccer Senior

So we're two scrimmages into our season and it's been a bit rocky. But seeing as this is my fifth preseason, I know that this is the rough transition period that the team must go through every year. We need to remember that this is just the beginning of a long, hard season, and it's better for us to fix mistakes that happen now so the rest of our season can be successful. It's unfortunate that we have some key players with injuries, but hopefully they'll get healthy soon so they can help get this team to where we want to be come regular season games. 

I think we have a really good shot at having a great season as long as we keep focused and stay healthy. Our goals for this year are to get better as a whole, finish in the top half of our conference and really compete come tournament time.

Thursday, August 6, 2009 
Brigid Mulroy - Women's Basketball Senior

This past week, I was lucky enough to be chosen to go to Indianapolis to attend the 2009 Horizon League Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) Conference. I was extremely excited to head down to Indiana and to see what the Horizon League had in store for my fellow student-athletes and me.

One of the best parts about my trip was getting to know the student athletes from the other conference schools. It was nice to meet them on a personal level. When I normally think of athletes from places like Green Bay or Valpo, I think of rivals in the league; I think of my competition. But in Indianapolis, they were just people who in just three days have become good friends. They are no longer the enemy, but people I cannot wait to see when their teams come to Detroit to play.

The Horizon League put together an unbelievably fun and productive conference. We all were able to share ideas about SAAC and other student athlete related events. It was good to hear what other schools are doing so I can bring these ideas back to Detroit and hopefully implement them here.

Also, the conference helped us out by putting us through resume building and a mock interview process. This was beneficial to all of us as we learned about what employers are looking for during the application process.

Finally, on Friday, we were able to go on a tour of Riley Children's Hospital. I appreciated being able to visit and to see what Riley is doing for kids all over the state of Indiana. I hope we here at Detroit can do something to benefit the children's hospital in our area.

I loved being able to spend three days in Indianapolis with other student athletes from the Horizon League. I wish I had been able to stay longer and learn more, but I can only do my best to bring what I learned back to Detroit. I wish that next year's representative has as much of a great time as I did!

Monday, August 3, 2009 
Kristie Ferrans - Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Junior

“Trial of miles and miles of trials.” This is the quote that has been popping up in my inbox all summer through the emails of my teammate, Kevin Smalley, and I couldn’t think of a better quote to describe summer training.

When I was asked to write this, I wasn’t really sure what could be said about summer training for cross country. But in a sport where there is no offseason during the school year the summer is where it all comes down to. For a cross country runner the summer means the chance to put in a lot of miles to set up a base for a school year full of races every weekend. Summer training is my favorite part of running because it is a chance to test your dedication to the sport. There is no coach or team practice to keep you on track; it all comes down to how much you really want it. I won’t pretend that I wake up every morning excited to go on another run, but when those rare days of wanting to skip pop up, that is where the true test lies.

“Running only asks one question of you: Are you going to be weak or are you going to be strong today?” On those unmotivated mornings the answer to that question still has to be the same, you have to be strong. Answering that question the same way every morning and choosing to go out and run no matter what is what I believe separates runners when the season gets hard. Those who choose to answer to be strong each day and run are the ones who will prevail when adversity comes their way during the season. This summer has been full of opportunities to choose to be strong and has been a summer of “trials of miles and miles of trials” as Kevin would quote, but I can’t wait to be back at school and back to training with my teammates.