All Access with runner Megan Gingerich

All Access with runner Megan Gingerich

Richard Morse / Staff Reporter

Red-shirt freshman Megan Gingerich played three sports in high school. At Eastern, she is focused on running, and says it has helped her gain discipline in the classroom as well. "I think anything you learn in sports transfers over into real-life situations," she said. (Alycia Rockey / The Daily Eastern News)

Megan Gingerich loves to run, whether it's on the track, the trail or on the courts. Although the former high school basketball standout now reserves her legs for running, the lessons learned keep going strong. The red-shirt freshman utilizes the self-discipline she has learned from sports to continue pushing in her academic career as well.


You played basketball and volleyball as well as running track in high school - how did you keep balance?

It was tough. Obviously, it's really time-consuming going from one sport to the next. I went to a smaller school so that kind of helped because everyone cooperated with each other as far as scheduling. It was hard with school and everything, but it definitely helped me learn a lot of responsibility for now, being at college and being a student athlete. It was hard but I liked it. I knew I wanted to do it and I had to keep my grades up.


How much did that experience help you make the transition to college?

I had pretty hard classes in high school, and I had to keep my grades up. So it definitely helped me learn responsibility with classes. I feel like it helped me a lot, my schedule now is crazier than it was in high school so it has definitely helped me.


You red-shirted your freshman year, what's the best advice you can give to incoming freshman student athletes?

As far as running goes, it's not as different as you think it's going to be. You may have been the top runner in your high school, but that doesn't necessarily mean you will be in college. That doesn't mean you won't eventually work up to that. Everyone thinks athletics is so much bigger. It's a bigger stage, but the competition is the same. You may run into some amazing athletes from Big 10 schools, but for the most part these are the same people you ran against in high school. Just put in the hard work and good things will come.


You run cross country and track, but which do you prefer?

I never ran cross country in high school because I played volleyball, so coming to college and being thrown into cross country was a new experience to me. Distance running in general is just a whole new thing for me, but my roommate Caitlin Napoloeni was a distance runner in high school so we've talked a lot about it. It is a lot different, but I've learned to love it. I'm definitely more of a track person, but I appreciated cross country.


What is your favorite track event?

The (steeplechase). I definitely like watching the (steeplechase) here in college. That and the (800-meter run), since I run it, I like to watch how other people run it.


What has been the greatest benefit you have gained from running?

Especially with distance running now, it's taught me a lot more discipline. You have to get your mileage in especially during the season. Going out on a six-mile run for me, it's tough for me, discipline on the days we don't have practice. I think anything you learn in sports transfers over into real-life situations. So it has helped me out in classes.


If you had to choose between volleyball and basketball, track is out of the question, what would you be playing in college right now?

Basketball, definitely. I almost went to a smaller school so I could run and play basketball. I miss basketball a lot.


What is your favorite thing about Eastern?

I would say the campus and the campus community. I came from a small school, a small town, so I knew I didn't want to go to a huge university. It's definitely got a small campus vibe. Every day I see people I know on campus. At the same time I see people I don't. It's nice to see familiar face and feel like you're part of a community. Especially the student athletes, I know a lot of other athletes, it's nice to have your own little group within the campus and feel close to those people.


What is your favorite sports memory?

I would say I have a lot from high school, especially from basketball. Track-related, I would say my junior year of high school when I made it to state in the 800 and high jump. I had only made in the 800 my sophomore year. So I came in hoping that I would just make it in the 800. I ended up making finals in high jump and 800, I made second in high jump and jumped a personal record, and fifth in 800. I double medaled, which I was not expecting to do, so it made it one of the best days in track for me.


If you had to choose and event other than mid-distance, what would it be?

I always wanted to be a hurdler when I was younger, so I would say maybe 400 hurdles, even 100 hurdles. I always thought it would be a fun event to learn.


Who has been the most influential person in your track career?

I would say two people. My track coach in high school, coach (Dale) Schuring. He was my track coach all four years. I was the No. 1 runner all four years so he and I have a special bond. I would say my dad too. He has always been the one to support me no matter what sport it is.


What is one thing other than running that you are passiosteepleweb about?

Right now especially, my major. I am to be a speech pathologist, so that takes up a lot of my time because the classes are hard and getting harder. I would say I'm passiosteepleweb about becoming a speech pathologist and starting my career.


Is there one quote that you try and live your life by?

I don't think there's necessarily one quote, but anything about hard work. That was really instilled in me in high school. Putting the time in putting the work in. It's the little things that make the difference.


What are your post-college plans?

After my four years I have two years of grad school, so I'll be here forever. I'll either work in a school or a hospital, my major is pretty broad, so it depends. Hopefully, I'll be working in either a school or hospital with children is what I want to do.


What is your favorite holiday and why?

Everyone says this, but Christmas. I like the music and that everyone comes together.


Quick Hits
What's your favorite...
• Sports team - Cardinals
• Athlete - Albert Pujols
• Smell - Vanilla
• Song - "All of the Above"
• Book - "Frindle"

If you could have a super power, what would it be? - Flying

Three things you can't live without - Phone, iPod, running shoes


Richard Morse can be reached at 581-7944 or at rjmorse@eiu.edu.