With the OK of Andy, PennTrackXC.com is inviting alum and current athletes to send us their stories on the impact that Millersville T&F and XC have had on their lives. We'll keep an article with the response on the top of PennTrackXC on a regular basis. This will be shared through our Twitter and FB feeds, plus to the MileSplit college site. Please send those stories/memories, etc to don@penntrackxc.com.
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Photos courtesy of Megan Meyer and Top Secret
Posted 2/24
I’ve competed against Millersville University, be it as an athlete or coach, for the last two decades. As an athlete, I had some very close friends on their teams, and we spent a lot of time together. As a coach, I have observed some tremendous athletes, teams, and coaches at Millersville and we have always maintained a friendly rivalry. It is those things that transcend rivalries and competition, however, that stand out to me when I think of Millersville University Track and Field and Cross Country.
This past May both the men’s and women’s teams joined my teams here at Lock Haven in running to Harrisburg to bring attention to Governor Corbett’s proposed budget cuts to higher education. They ran the forty miles from Lancaster and met our teams at City Island (after our 100 mile trek). Together, along with State Representative Mike Hanna, we ran the final mile across the bridge and up the steps of the state capitol building. As the gathered protesters parted and the “Rocky” theme blared over the loudspeakers, I can tell you that I have never experienced a prouder moment. Intermingled, the teams formed the backdrop for speaker after speaker for nearly two hours. They led the crowds in cheers, and took interviews with newspapers and television stations from across Pennsylvania as well as the country. They served as spokesmen and women for a cause they were passionate about, and they did so with great poise and maturity.
In this day and age, it is often difficult to find things that motivate and inspire our younger generation, especially in the political realm. Despite differences in political beliefs, these men and women came together with a common belief: that their education was invaluable. They epitomized everything positive about being a student athlete. They combined the qualities they had developed as athletes with the lessons they had learned, and translated them into something meaningful beyond the athletic arena. Their spontaneity, organization, creativity, leadership and character sent a strong message to their lawmakers, and inspired throngs of supporters.
It is heartbreaking to think that it is these young men, men who helped lead the charge for the Commonwealth to continue supporting state funding for higher education, that are now victims of what has been put forward as a “cost saving measure.” It is often said that it is when circumstances are at their worst, however, that people’s true character shines through. Last week, I traveled to Millersville to lend my support to the teams at a student senate meeting. Once again, I found a lump in my throat as I observed the composure and passion with which Andy, Scott, and their squads fought for the livelihood of their men’s teams. The outpouring of support from other athletes on campus, parents, alumni, and community members was tremendous, and the men I saw against the wall in their current Millersville uniforms were but a reflection of those who spoke of their past experiences when they had worn the same black and gold.
What I think of when Millersville’s men’s track and field and cross country teams come to mind are the ideals of character, commitment, responsibility, and sacrifice. I think of pride and tradition and honor. I think of the number of boys the program has helped to mold into young men and responsible citizens over the last six or seven decades. I think of the void that is going to be left, both at Millersville University and in the lives of many would-be student athletes in the future. I think one needs to look no further than these young men to see the value of athletics within a college community.
The battle Andy, Scott, and these teams are waging is a fight not just for Millersville University, but for the future of these great sports. It is a fight for all of us, and the sports we hold so dear. I urge everyone to continue to lend them your encouragement and support.
Aaron M Russell
Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach
Co-Head Men's and Women's Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field Coach
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Chairman, NCAA II United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association
I ran on the Millersville Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams from 1984 – 1988 under Head Coach Keith White. I would not trade this experience for the world! The friendships that form when you are pushing your personal limits while working toward a common goal are like none other. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity. While we may be separated by distance and time, my teammates are never far from my heart.
Coach White taught me that I could do anything that I put my mind to. This belief has helped me achieve not only athletic goals, but educational, career, and personal goals as well. Uprooting every few years, teaching multiple subjects, age groups, and in multiple states… completing my dissertation, running a marathon; these were all doable because I had the confidence and focus I learned under Coach White’s tutelage.
I was deeply saddened to hear (after the fact) that the university had let Coach White slip away. I wish that social networks such as Facebook had been as active then as they are now so that those of us who are out of the area could have helped protest. I am so glad that this tool is available today to fight this latest travesty.
On one hand, the powers that be are asking that we raise the bar in education and produce young people who are equipped to compete in a global economy. What better way to prepare them than by building the collaborative skills, strong work ethic, and resiliency that they develop though Cross Country and Track and Field? To cut these programs is not only a great disservice to these young men, but to our society as a whole. These young men are our future.
Kelly (Sprout) Geurts
Millersville Class of 89'
Posted 2/22
My name is Aaron Kauffman, I graduated from Red Land High School in 2006, and from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2010. I have never run for Millersville and rarely competed against them, but was very saddened and disappointed to hear the announcement of them cutting their Men's Track and Field team. You see, for me personally although I have never run for them, Millersville is the reason that I became a runner. Not only that, but the runner that I am today. Their summer cross country camp was my first true look into what running was about my sophomore year. This year, little did I know it at the time, my counselor would be my collegiate coach at Charlotte and the reason I chose to go there. I enjoyed it so much that my junior and senior years were even better. This camp inspired me so much as a high schooler, that when I was a collegiate athlete I decided to come back and be a counselor so I could try to give the same inspiration to young and upcoming runners that my previous counselors before me did. I did this for 4 years because each year just kept getting better and better. Also through this camp I have met so many of the individuals who have built this University's track and field programs. Coach White, Coach Young, and many members of their National Championship team (THE ONLY National Championship Millersville has) are all such influential people and it's an honor to know them, and know what they have built at Millersville. To see this stripped away is just heartbreaking.
I think the reason I am so devastated and so disappointed to hear what the administration is doing is because I know what it is like to be a part of a collegiate team and the opportunities that it presents. And because of this, denying kids this opportunity to compete in college is just flat out wrong. The friendships you make, and connections you have with other people, and just the pure satisfaction that you are out there competing to give your best that you can be is just unfathomable unless you are a part of it. I don't know where I would be today without some of these assets that running has provided me, and I can't imagine denying someone this opportunity either.
I hope that the University reconsiders its decision and can try to find other options to save money. I don't know what the outcome will be. In the end, they may take away the team, but they will NEVER be able to take away the community that we are all so fortunate to be a part of. Keep fighting Millersville and know that you have support across the country to help resolve this issue. Like Jimmy V said, "Don't give up, don't ever give up!"
Aaron Kauffman
UNC Charlotte Class of 2010
Posted 2/21
February 21st Statement from former Millersville Head Coach Keith White:
Dear Team,
My 1st public comment on the attempt by Millersville to drop Men's Track and Field is today, a week after the shock of the announcement. When I was fired I never cried. I knew that I had a lifetime of grand experiences and those of you I met along the way made my life special. I have cried every night since last Tuesday. When I awoke this morning I decided to stop feeling sorry and do something. "FIGHT” Losing the programs is not an option. Your teammates need your help! Let’s be together again for the common good, for something bigger than us all....
Coach White
Posted 2/19
I could sit all day and share what the MU xc/track and field team meant to me. But, after a few days of thinking I have a few things that I would like to share concerning Coach White, the girls I had the opportunity to run with and the guys that supported me.
If you were to ask any teammate of mine, they would all confirm that I was a Coach White fan. To be honest, he never should have let me walk on the team. I was not fast enough to be an athlete at this level. However, he took a chance to see what would happen. I remember my first camp week for xc- let's just say most of the runs ended with me in the back of his truck- yeah, I was that slow! However, over time, the training kicked in and I was right there in the pack of MU distance competitors. I remember my breakout race: the 5000 at Ship. I was so scared because it was the first opportunity Coach White was giving me in this event! But let's just say I dropped a lot of time and according to my teammates, Coach White ran across the inside of the track cheering for me! Too bad I didn't get to see that one!!! That race was just the beginning. Coach White I am pretty sure had more confidence in me than I had in myself. Now I was never an All-American or anything like that but I feel that Coach White treated me like I was.
But the relationship I had with Coach White wasn't just with running. He was very involved in the team with their academics. I remember one semester I was in a class - Sports in America. I had to do a major project that covered 10 years of a sport. I decided to cover the MU XC women's team. The amount of afternoon hours that Coach White spent with me, I cannot count. He even set a meeting for me to meet with the former AD, Trout, so I could have another source for my project. In his office he pulled out piles and piles of training logs, season race schedules, stats from invitationals, stats from season to season, etc, etc, etc. The stories he had to tell were amazing to hear. However, there were some hard days with the girls when I was there. I can't say that even today I understand all of what was going on but I had a little idea - just from observation. But, I do know that it bothered Coach. One night after a pool workout, I was getting ready to head out with a teammate from the guy's team. He asked if we could stay back for a few. I sat by the pool in Brooks for over an hour talking to Coach, answering questions he had about himself as a coach and what he could do to better coach the team. He made me swear on the Bible I wouldn't tell of our conversation--hopefully he doesn't read this!! I think these times- sitting in his office doing research and sitting by the pool let me see a side of Coach White that many didn't get. And yet, six years later, they still stand out in my memory. However, I think the one thing that stands out to me most is my last 5000. It was nasty out-spitting rain that would stop and start. Even though I was already qualified for the PSAC meet, I ended my last regular season race with a PR. When I finished my cool down, with a teammate (Lauren Pettis) who had just made her first PSAC qualifier, Coach White gave me a hug and told me how proud he was of what I had done in the past four years. Like I said earlier, it never would have happened had he not have taken that chance he did when I first arrived. Since graduation, he attended my wedding and for the past three years he has invited me out to help him with his summer camps. I even call him now and then with questions about injuries. I am so happy that my relationship with Coach White did not end after graduating.
I had the opportunity to run with some amazing girls! I remember talking to Theresa and Amy before the first morning run at camp. They were every friendly and encouraging. I guess some of the girls had a feeling I was fast b/c my boy friend, Pizzulli, on the guy's team was fast. HAHHAHAH. Boy were they surprised! However, my first new friend was Courtney. We were roommates that first camp week of mine. We hit it off because our backgrounds were similar. We had a lot to talk about! I didn't get to race a lot my first xc season because of how slow I was. But, once I started attending the indoor and outdoor races, the girls were always excited for me when my time dropped. I remember many runs where different girls would hang back and run with me if I started to fall back (Shannon, Molly, Tiff). I remember Wednesday morning-7AM runs with Hallie-in the snow and ice- due to class conflicts with practice. I remember moving in with my teammate Gretchen. The time I got to live with her was the best. She was always encouraging me DURING races (yeah, she had asthma) and even when her eligibility was up, but she still had student teaching left, she would leave me little notes. I remember making shirts with Becky and Lauren, lunch dates with Adrienne, pasta dinners all over and secret psychers. And if anyone needed a laugh, Jessie was always there! I am so lucky to have these girls in my life. They were with me during some amazing times and they stuck with me during some hard times- even helped me with some classes that I was struggling in. I am fortunate that Courtney, Hallie and Lauren were in my wedding, supporting the next big step in my life.
As for the guys team, I think they were great too. They provided much entertainment. I can honestly say I feel that the guys supported me (well, not just me, all the girls) just as much. I remember Cory, Jeremy, Matt, Dom, Stephen - they would sit by the steeple pit for every lap of the 5000--if there was a MU girl in the 5000, there was an MU guy somewhere around that track supporting her. That first 5000 I ran at Ship, I was so scared to go a little faster, even though my legs just wanted to go. I guess you could see it in my face because one of the Houseman's told me to go for it and not be afraid. I remember Russ, Corey, Matt, and Jeremy at my first PSAC 10000- Jeff, Stephen and Mark were also there in the 10000. They did not have to be up early or even at the track. But they came to watch. I remember Cory giving me lots of encouragement after missing the indoor 5000 qualification by less than a second. I remember a bus trip to Slippery Rock to watch the guys run at Nationals. Then the trip to Ohio with Corey, Theresa and Amy - stopping at Kim's place and then finishing the trip the next day to watch another National race. We felt so bad to find out that Jeff was sick. We begged Corey to run in his place!!!! I remember being the senior with Justin- we were the only two left from the group that came in the year we did. Watching the success of the guy's team was great to see.
There is a lot more that could be written. Some of you may be wondering why I wrote so much about myself. My intentions are not to just write about me- but to show what MU was and did for me. If you were at the meeting in the SMC or have read any of the other posts, it is clear that the MU xc/track teams ARE family. Family encourages you. Family is there for the big moments. Family supports you when life isn't going how you would like. I hope that in all of these posts, those that have the power to make something happen with this poor decision to cut the men's programs, can see the impact the MU men's program and how it is needed.
Nicki (Bradham) Pizzulli
Class of 2005
Posted 2/18
Hello – my name is Melissa McCarthy and I was a student-athlete at Millersville University from 2009-2011 before making the move to a Division I field hockey program. As soon as I heard about the decision to cut the men’s indoor/outdoor and cross country teams, I knew my voice had to be heard.
In high school, I was a part of my track team. Coming to college for the first time, I had to make the hard decision to focus my time on field hockey. While playing in Biemsderfer Stadium at the same times the men’s and women’s teams ran their practices, I couldn’t help but get side tracked. Looking back on it, I really should have paid more attention during my own practice, but I was captivated by their effort. Track is one of the most physically demanding and taxing sports I have ever participated in. It takes over not only the body, but also the mind. The young men and women on these teams possess all elements of a true track athlete: dedication, hard work, and passion. Between speed workouts and tempo runs, they always had smiles on their faces. They made their sport look fun and almost effortless. It takes a true team to pull together through the hardest of workouts and at the end of the day, bring home successful seasons to the university they represent.
Sure, it is easy to say that by cutting the men’s teams only a handful of athletes will be affected, but frankly in my opinion, that is a handful TOO many. Why cut a program that has represented Millersville University successfully throughout the years? Why cut a program that so many athletes not only from the university are fighting to keep? Shame on Millersville.
An open letter defending Millersville running:
In regarding Millersville University’s decision to cut men’s Cross Country and Track and Field we could consider the negative impacts this has had across the running community here in Lancaster County, but I would prefer to discuss the outstanding benefits of a college running program from a personal perspective.
Academically, I gravitated towards the ambitious students, studying with them and comparing results post-exam, never scoring nearly as high as they did. They accepted my ineptitudes, helped me as best they could, and laughed at my humorous attempts to compensate, but one thing I excelled at that they could not. I could run. Fast. They didn’t know or understand this until they confronted me for falling asleep during one of our sessions.
I was shaken awake in the library, again, my study group shooting me dour looks across the table, but, I explained, we had double workouts, we did a Salazar on the track, twelve miles total today, and I begged them to keep me conscious. They did, but they were both fascinated and horrified at our coach’s seemingly Herculean list of tasks and the subsequent masochism of our entire team. They were in awe of me and they came to a meet, then more. One of them was inspired to buy running shoes and I was hugged tighter into our study group.
For me, the world opened considerably through running. Coach made sure we ran in meets where the competition was fierce since it was an expectation to fly somewhere for our last big meet of the season. I boarded a plane for the first time freshman year and our coach asked for additional days to do some sightseeing and cultural immersion. During my tenure at IUP, we often ran against the 'Ville. Coach Keith White, intrepid, intense, and able to be heard clearly from 800 meters away had similar expectations of his teams. His athletes have gone on as disciples of the sport as well as becoming pillars of the teaching and coaching community. I am no longer in contact with the study group, but I stay connected with several members of our cross country team and I am annually invited to Millersville XC/TF Alumni events with my current proximity to the school. The bonds running builds are truly amazing: when our Coach Fry retired after 43 years, we threw him a party and over a thousand people came.
To learn that a men’s cross country and track team perhaps will not exist at Millersville is unconscionable given the success of pairing academics and athletics. MU now has two brand new performing arts centers and the disparity leaning towards the arts is evident, perhaps a backlash of misunderstanding towards the importance of sports in college life. All students should have an opportunity to be well rounded whether it’s a proclivity towards playing in the band, singing on stage, writing for the school paper, scoring a goal, or breaking the tape at the finish line.
There must be a way to compromise and retain the men’s programs. Cross country and track are relatively cheap sports, financially speaking, and the returns reaped are great. If I know I’m working/teaching alongside a competitive runner, I know he or she understands how to set goals, work hard for them, tolerate tough competition, endure set-backs, set the bar higher when it gets too easy, and prepare for big events without losing composure or performance. MU officials could tell runners to go somewhere else, but Millersville historically has had an incredibly successful men’s program, under Cy Fritz and Keith White. It would be ironic to have no men’s program when hundreds of runners from Connecticut to Virginia come every August to Eastern States Cross Country Camp which has been held at the school since 1982. As a coach myself, I don’t want to tell my guy athletes they can’t run for Andy Young, the present MU coach, because there’s no opportunity for them at Millersville.
It is my greatest expectation that Millersville will have the creativity and guts to find a way to keep running an integral part of the university.
Sincerely,
Jenny Sassaman
Warwick Boys and Girls Varsity Cross Country Coach
Posted 2/17
I am writing to voice my concern with the recent decision to discontinue the Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field Programs. I would like to share a personal experience that has greatly impacted my life. In May 1995 I was a 22 year old forth year student looking for some direction with my life. I woke up one morning and decided I was going to change my life by walking onto the Division II Men’s Cross Country team and called then Coach Keith White to sign up. Coach White never hesitated but simply said give me your information and you can run for me. Many colleges and universities do not allow Senior walk-on’s to the sports programs but Millersville University was the exception.
I then proceed to be lose 35 pounds while training for the entire summer. Coach White even faxed the workouts to me while I was doing an internship in Johnson City, TN. The men on the team opened their arms and hearts to me that Fall and I have made some true friends for life through this once in a life time opportunity. If you allow the University to discontinue these programs that help to shape men into leaders then you are going against everything that Millersville University stands for and preaches as part of their mission statement. We can continue to build more and more buildings on campus but what we truly need to do in this case is to invest in our student athletes by continuing these important sports programs.
Please let me know if there is anything that can be done to prevent a storied men’s program from being discontinued. Thank you for your time.
Best regards,
Thomas L. Bildheiser
Class of 1996
At the 2006 Athletic Hall of Fame banquet, I had the pleasure of meeting you shortly after you were named Athletic Director. For me, it was wonderful to see [one of our own] come back to her roots and make a name for herself. And you also began the clean-up work to "right the ship" after the disaster that was [DM]. For all of your hard work and devotion to the University, I am grateful. Thank you.
It saddens me though, to learn that Men's Track & Field and Cross Country are being cut at the end of the fiscal year. As an alumni of a program so rich in tradition and excellence, my heart just breaks. I understand that cutting costs, budgetary restrictions, and Title IX are supposedly to blame for this decision....but forgive me for my bitterness when I say that playing the Title IX card is just a means of covering up something bigger, and it probably came with hopes that most of us would just hang our heads or put our tails between our legs and accept it. As it turns out, I have seen the social media posts about the large turnout of current and past members of our team at last night's Student Senate meeting, and you can see that we will not go quietly.
I'm an employee of the Commonwealth, and since [the change in administration], I have seen and felt the same budget issues that you are faced with today. Last year, [the axe swung] at Pennsylvania's public schools and caused devastating cuts to so many programs...... and I've recently read that this year [that same] axe is coming for the schools in the State System, we will likely see the same kind of devastation. I am sorry that this is happening, especially to my alma mater. It is a travesty.
Our teams have struggled through some really tough years, but once again, we are growing into a PSAC Powerhouse, and even garnering some National attention. Andy Young has really turned things around for this program, and I, like many others, are proud that he came on board. When your alumni are loyal to a Coach that they feel was unjustly fired, it is a pretty big deal when they respect and admire the "new guy" and all that he has done to bring Millersville Track and Cross Country back. I have tremendous respect for Andy, almost as if I ran for him myself....and to see him face the demise of a program he worked so hard to turn around is crushing. He deserved better.
We are a family. I was part of the team in the mid-1990s when the men were rebuilding, and the women were a national contender year after year. We traveled together, and built special friendships that continue to this day. And I know the tradition continues with the current team. So by cutting this team, you are essentially breaking up a family.......
I ran for Keith White. He brought out the best in all of his athletes, despite his sometimes "unconventional" means of motivation. But it worked for me, and I brought a lot of attention Millersville because he pushed me to be the best student-athlete I could be. Without the opportunity to run track and cross country, I am certain I would not have graduated. Coach White was more than a coach to us.....he loved his athletes as if they were his own children, if we had a bad day, he'd know what to say to turn it around. He even served as a mechanic a time or two when our cars would break down. I have grown into the person I am today because of that man. My loyalty to him and the legacy that he built as Cross Country and Track Coach is fierce, and I will defend him until the day I die. My loyalty to the team, although I'm 15 years removed, is equally as fierce.
Cutting Men's Track & Field and Cross Country is a mistake. Please reconsider this action. The men represent Millersville in such a positive light---academically, athletically, and as model citizens. They work hard on the track and in the classroom, and I thought I read that they were just recently named NCAA All-Academic. To me, that's a statistic to be very proud of....not buried with the legacy you are throwing away at the end of the year. There's got to be another way to save $200,000 throughout the Department.
I found it interesting that the term "Consolidate" was used to describe the mission of the Athletic Department in making this change. The definition of "consolidate" involves bringing things together, and unifying....why couldn't someone just come out and say what really happened? Nothing was consolidated, it was flat out CUT. And you and I both know that "making the (ahem, football) other teams stronger and healthier" is not going to be because now 20 men who weigh in at 150 pounds and are runners, are going to join the football team as walk-ons next fall. It just isn't going to happen.
Again, I ask that you please reconsider. I know you're not the one who makes the final decision on who stays and who goes, but please continue to fight for our team.
Thank you,
Jo Rupp ('96, HOF '06)
Although it has been 10-years since I've worn an MU uniform, I still have very fond memories of competing for Millersville University . . . and of the support I found in my teammates (BOTH Men's and Women's teams) at such a crucial time in my life. My teammates were there for me at a time in my life when I really was dealing with a lot of emotional pain, and they continue to be.
I remember being a senior at Lampeter-Strasburg HS and having just competed at the PIAA state meet. I got recruitment letters from F&M, Dickinson, and also a letter from Coach White. I laughed off the letter from Millersville. I didn't want to go to school so close to home, that was taboo. I was such a young, cocky bastard. I chose to attend IUP that fall. I really fell in love with the school, my teammates there, and with Coach Fry. Unfortunately, my way of dealing with the stress of life's changes was to develop an eating disorder. I quickly became very sick, had to stop competing, and dropped out of school. I came home deflated, ashamed, and literally fighting for my life. When I was well enough to go back to school, I decided to test the waters and begin classes part-time at Millersville. I was embraced by my friend Jared, a HS T&F teammate and an MU Men's T&F alum, who introduced me to his teammates. I was so shy and so awkward, but suddenly my number of friends grew exponentially. The guys team was, as always, lovable, goofy, silly. I had real friends, the kind that invited me to lunch or let me hang out in their dorms. Their embrace a huge relief, even though at this point, I wasn't even an official member of their team yet. Looking back, we must have been a pretty hilarious sight: one shy, skinny girl eating dinner with a table full of loud, sweaty guys. But it worked: looking back, those guys probably never realized it, but they were my lifeline.
Betty Mohler (then a senior and an athletic stand-out in the 10K) and I had zoology together Spring '01, and I would let her copy my notes when she needed to miss class to travel with the track team. One day she said, "You ran for IUP? Why don't you run for us?" and she promptly took me to see Coach White. There we sat: Betty, Coach White, and I in Coach White's tiny office. The office was very tiny, but the energy there was warm, comfortable, open. We talked some about running and my PR's. When it came up that I had an eating disorder, Coach White asked Betty to leave. Coach White was always like that: he never disrespected me, and from day-one, he was looking out for me. I was still too thin to run XC that fall, so Coach suggested I train for winter track. Each week he would weigh me before practice, privately and with great compassion and empathy. I remember my first indoor race at Delaware that winter, where I passed three girls right at the end to get third in my heat. The small contingent of men and women MU athletes there cheered me on as loudly as a stadium-full of fans, and for the first time in several years, I felt like my old-self again.
I'd like to say I had a stellar athletic career at Millersville, but for the most part I was a screw-up. I broke my hip. I resorted back to old, bad habits. I lost weight. However, one thing that was always constant, was the friendship and support from my teammates there and from Coach White. He kicked my butt when I needed it, and he was a friend when I needed that too. He put a lot of effort into me, even when I wasn't capable of giving back much in return. I'll never forget the last thing he said to me before he left MU. He said, "I hope one day you can get past all this and that I'll see you at the Red Rose Run, happy and healthy." I am so grateful to him and to the fine young men whom he expertly coached and mentored.
I will always love my IUP and my MU teammates dearly. I hope that something miraculous can happen for the MU Men's teams, as they deserve more than anyone to continue competing. They have more than earned it. Many of these men have continued on to become mentors to younger athletes or are teachers or coaches at HS and college levels. The elimination of the Men's programs isn't a decision that, "just affects a mere 30 men." LET's GET REAL PEOPLE. This is a move that will be detrimental to tens and hundreds of thousands of lives. Let's join together now and show the just university that: We can't let them get away with thinking that their decision will have such a small impact when it really will be a great tragedy and huge loss. I am more proud today than ever to have been an MU runner. I can only hope that the men's team can continue to enjoy this same experience for years and years to come.
Adrienne Shirk
Milersville Alumnus
BS Biology, '04
What is there to say about Millersville Cross Country and Track and Field that simply can’t be seen by what is before you. You can practically feel the sense of kinship in this very room and if not then let me tell you something about it.
Back in 2008 I arrived here at Millersville University for the Eastern States Running Camp held annually. I was new to the sport and was still trying to find meaning in it and was not expecting what I had found. Shortly after we were all moved in we were given our group counselors and sent off to become familiar with them. Mine was none other than Jim Boyer. I felt something from him that day when he talked about his passion for the sport and how much it meant to him to be part of this program. The next morning we all got into our groups for the morning run and I foolishly followed Jim into group 1 and only lasted about two miles at their fast pace. But when I died off Jim stayed back with me and told me about all of his hard runs and we shared race stories. Eventually Coach Young came around on his bike as he was checking on each of the groups’ progress and I first witnessed his connection with his athletes. Any coach can simply instruct athletes on how to perform at their peak, but it takes a different kind of coach-a better one mind you-to be able to reach out and have a personal connection to each of his athletes which I can assure you, Coach Young most certainly has accomplished. As the week progressed I met more and more Millersville Alumni and Cross Country Athletes and I noticed that each of them shared a bond. Now I’m not just talking about the fact that they were all affiliated with the same school and same team. I’m talking about how they interacted with one another. This was truly something special because there were Alumni there in their late forties to early fifties treating the current student athletes of their beloved program like brothers. They were in every essence a family. When the week long camp was at its end I certainly didn’t want to part ways with them and longed for next summer to be there.
The next year I came back and was happier than ever to see Jim and Adam again as well as all of the other counselors. I also met new counselors and two of them in particular really reached out to me.
I had met a new counselor who was a Millersville alumni that had an abundance of knowledge when it came to our sport. He had been one of the lucky few Americans to have been invited by the elite Kenyans to train with them in their native land. Needless to say he’s one of the fastest people I know. I was in better shape this time around and finally able to hang with group one, which he led most of the runs for, and got to know him very well. We would talk for hours after the runs about races and training. After one run I told him of my dream to someday go pro and he told me to always go after what I wanted. He taught me to never doubt myself. On my last run at camp I did horribly and a new counselor along with Jim stayed back with me and talked me through it to the end. They both told me that these things happen and told me of actual races that it occurred to them. I used the knowledge they gave to me that run many times since. After the run was over I sat in my room exhausted and thought about all that I had learned that week. Every single one of the Millersville athletes and alumni that I had talked to were extremely insightful in a way that only pure passion can make you. I was saddened that my last year as a camper was over and I couldn’t wait to hopefully return as a counselor myself.
Two years had passed before I returned to the camp as a counselor this time. I was treated differently in a good way this time around. I was able to see an even better side of the bonds all of the Millersville athletes had with each other as well as the alumni. I was able to take part in the stories that they told one another, and see the raw love that they had for each other. This team is more then just a group of guys that share a love of running with each other. They are a family. And this family stretches way beyond that of the current roster. It reaches all the way back to 1955 when the program first started. From that first team till now this program has been one huge family in every essence of the word. They come back year after year, they stay in touch with each other, they are involved and they love one another. But still this family is even bigger. This family encompasses everyone that a Millersville Runner has ever reached out too. Runners like myself and thousands of other former campers that attended eastern states. I know that each of us would be a completely different person if it weren’t for people like Jim Boyer, James Mcbride, Adam Malloy, Coach Young… the list goes on and on. This family also includes all of these people here today that support Millersville University Cross Country and Track and Field.
By cutting this program you’re not just getting rid of a men’s sports team but you’re getting rid of this university’s biggest family. Decades of memories and traditions would be lost and forgotten. Your University preaches to “seize the opportunity” but you would be denying everyone on that team the opportunity that they each seek. I ask you all to look into your hearts and to reconsider the current plan of cutting this team and to somehow reach another solution that both benefits the university and preserves the precious tradition that is carried by each of these marauders.
Seth Robbins
I graduated from M’ville in 1980 and ran track and cross country under coach Fritz. Keith White was then one of our star athletes, and he was one tough training partner! I often saw only his back. I transferred from another state college at the time mainly so I could run track for Millersville! I had the privilege of being on a high school state champion cross-country team (William Tennent 1975), and then again at Millersville, as we won the state championship on our home course in 1980. I tell my teenage daughter these stories as she is a budding young x-c and track runner in high school. My senior year was one of chronic injuries, so I hung out around the track and noticed a beautiful young track runner on the women’s team, who has been my wife for the past 30 years! I owe a lot to Millersville track and cross country.
I can’t believe that Millersville would drop such a successful program, and in an Olympic sport at that! If track and X-C won’t be a choice for my daughter, then Millersville won’t be a choice for her for college, in spite of being a pretty good school. Sorry to say that.
Gary Hughes, Millersville Class of 1980
Posted 2/16
I am a freshman at Millersville University and have the privilege to say that I am a member of the Track and Field Team. I am not a member of a men's or women's team, simply a member of the track team. This team is comprised of men, women, coaches, parents, alumni, and other supporters. I have experienced only a few months with the men on this team but it is an experience that I would not trade for the world. They are funny, welcoming, determined, and just all around good people. These men are a huge part of the track family and it is devastating to every member of the Millersville Track/XC family that they are no longer going to be able to compete for the school that they love so much. Before becoming a member of the team I never imagined that within a few short months, I would become part of a family. A family that is being ripped apart. I do not want to think about returning next year to a team that doesn't involve the guys.
Entering college, I joined the track team not yet knowing how it felt to be an athlete. I did not know the power of a coach's words, all I knew was that I loved the sport and couldn't imagine not continuing. Coach Weiser and the rest of the coaching staff welcomed me onto the team, never having seen me throw. I am not the typical build for throwing but he encouraged me and told me little throwers don't mean little distances. This coming from an outstanding thrower, meant the world to me. Coach Weiser made me believe in myself and push myself to new limits. I have never competed so well in my life and I owe it to his coaching as well as the throwing coach. Coach Weiser is not just a coach to the team, but a member of the team. Always there for us, even now as he is experiencing a loss not only of his men's team but also of his entire team.
As a thrower, I had rarely ever had teammates watch me compete. I still remember in my first competition as a Millersville athlete, proudly wearing black and gold. I had multiple teammates inquire as to how I did that day. I also remember my teammates that came to watch me throw. It was new to me, and I felt so proud to be a part of a team that supported every member. No matter what event they did. Many of these fellow teammates who came to support and watch me were men. Seeing them supporting me not only at my first meet but at many others have given me a sense of team that I had never experienced before. I am thankful for their encouragement and support and hope that in the following season I can give them even a fraction of the support I feel they have given me.
Though I feel awful knowing that I will not have the same family experience as many of my teammates have, I truly feel awful for the men who now no longer are able to represent the school they love through the sport they not only love but are so good at. I have seen them running, sprinting, hurdling, and jumping at practice and in competition. They are amazing athletes and amazing people. They are worth fighting for, and I know as a team we will continue to fight. I am sad to know that my future as an athlete here currently does not involve a men's team. I am sad to know that so many dreams were ended by budget cuts. I am sad that I got to spend so little time with 30 guys that love this sport so dearly. The cutting of the Men's Track and Field/XC Team did not only affect 30 men. No, this cut affected 30 men, 30 women, their families, their friends, their supporters, and Millersville University as a whole. Tuesday, Feburary 14, 2012 Millersville University cut a team that embodies what true athletes are.
-Ann Kovacs
My name is Kylee Schuler, and I was a 2004 graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School. I competed in Track and Field/Cross Country for the University of Richmond (2004-2008). Although I have no direct connection with the Millersville University Track and Cross Country program, my father was on the teams in the mid 1980’s. If my dad had never run for Millersville University, who knows if he would have been the runner he is today or even if I would have the passion for running that I do to this day? My dad always spoke highly of the Millersville Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country programs and many of his friends today were his teammates then. Not only did the program support men’s student athletes, but as a high school and college student, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Millersville Cross Country camp (as an athlete and a counselor). I have been to many sport camps in my life, but this one was by far the most fun and most motivating. It was the highlight of my summer, as well as one of many others---it introduced new runners to the sport, as well as supported some of the top runners in the state of Pennsylvania.
As a collegiate and post collegiate runner myself, the news of the school administration wanting to cut this program was devastating. Collegiate track and field and cross country brings memories to last a lifetime, and without the opportunity, life really wouldn’t be the same. Some of the best student athletes come from Cross Country and Track and Field programs—if you don’t believe me, look at the GPA’s by sport in the NCAA. So is this really the best decision for the school? If this trend continues, where will collegiate Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country programs be in twenty years? You see, even though I was not directly affected by the decision, as runners, we are all part of a big family, a family that understands the importance that running collegiately can play in someone’s life. So as a fellow runner myself, I can only support the programs across the country and hope for brighter days ahead. Keep pushing on Marauders!
All of my best from Boulder, Colorado:
Kylee Schuler
CASHS Class of 2004
University of Richmond 08’
I am a current fifth year senior student-athlete and I run both cross country and track & field. On Tuesday, we got a text saying we had emergency meeting at 4pm. When we got there, from just the look on my coaches' faces I could tell something wasn't right. The VP of student affairs walked into the room and gave us the bad news. Our team was to be dropped by the end of the semester. She stated it was due mostly by budget cuts and Title IX. She went on to say that it would be saving the university 200,000 dollars. I felt betrayed, sad, and angry all at once. When you pour five years into a sport, this is the last thing you want to hear. Our team has met and talked it over, but we are still in shock. You can not imagine the emotion and pain that we expressed during that meeting.
Irony seems to be all around in this situation. In fact, we ran from Millersville to Harrisburg to voice our concern about the budget cuts that our university was receiving. Cross Country has also given this university its only national title in 1981. On Monday, the Cross Country team received the all-academic team award. 11 All-Americans, one of them being professional runner James Carney, have been developed by the XC program. Track & Field has been one of the most active sports in the community with the Adopt a Family program, Millersville Turkey Trot, and Summer
Track meets. Both programs have a great history and to just drop this program would be a shame. How can they turn their backs to us now.
We have many questions, and we hope we get many answers. I especially wonder how much can a cross country team really cost. As a team, we will keep fighting this until our season ends. As a senior this does not effect my future, but it affects my teammates and my teammates are my brothers. Our team's dedication and hard work on the track will be channeled into fighting this. The three sports they are cutting effect the same people. We are more than a team. We are a family. Our hearts, determination, and hard work is in this program. Here at Millersville University, they say "Seize the Opportunity". Where is our opportunity? I believe they have seized it from us.
Ben Morrison
Senior Cross Country/Track & Field Student-Athlete
I am a junior on the Millersville Cross Country and Track and Field team. I think some of my best memories come at the dinner table. In the dinning hall we would attempt to fit all of us at one or two tables. We'd get there around 5:30 on a good night and stay until 7:30 just laughing and talking about training. One time we played 20 questions for no good reason. The guys always knew how to cheer us up, or play a funny prank.
Speaking of Pranks...
During the camp week of my freshman year the guys and girls each were doing separate things to incorporate us newcomers, so the guys were out and we ladies decided it'd be funny to sneak into their apartment and plastic wrap the place (because they always kept their back door unlocked so all it took was a little manpower to get one girl to shimmy up the balcony and let the rest of us in)... and so we went up with plastic wrap, and wrapped up EVERYTHING! Beds, Couches, Cereal, Televisions, Books, Lamps, Shower Heads, Toilets, Toilet paper Rolls, and Scissors.. It was spontaneous and funny and afterwards we all ran back to the girls apartment and laughed our heads off. Of course, once the guys got back they were looking for revenge and most certainly got it... but these are the kinds of things that are irreplaceable. It was something that made me as a freshman feel so much a part of the team.
I think the thing that is hardest to wrap my head around is that future girls who will be part of this team won't have that. They won't get to go over to "the guy's place" and watch them goof off, or play their own pranks on them, or just watch a movie with their teammates, their family. They won't be fortunate enough to have the brothers I have personally come to know and love. The university isn't just taking away from all of us now, but away from our future.
There will be no talks to one of the guys about a race, no male teammate perspectives...
The team cheer won't be the same without the guys in the center howling for us to "be ready"....
The track will be emptied of cheers that might have spurred us on in our races...
Nothing will be same...
I know it's been said multiple times, but we are a track family, full of brothers and sisters. WE have endured and therefore we are closer than people might expect.
I know track as a sport can seem individual but I have personally experienced that it is not.
That I work with my fellow athletes.
That without them, there would have been many races that would have ended in disappointment instead of glory.
That this family has always managed to put a smile on my face, especially when I need it.
I will continue to fight for all of this to not be lost.
Michelle Blum, Millersville Class of 2013
I am a senior on the Millersville Track and Field Team. I have had a lot of experiences here during my four years but the most memorable are those times I’ve shared with my coaches and teammates. I am not the fastest sprinter nor do I make the most impact on the team, but my coaches and teammates sure made me feel that way. They were there for me when I was struggling and during my times of success. I can honestly say I would not be where I was today if it wasn’t for them and for track in general.
Track gives me a chance to get away from everything. To be able to come to practice and run and goof off with my teammates every day is something I cherish because no matter how stressful things can be, I know I will leave practice with a fresh outlook and a smile on my face. I can honestly say that I would not be in school today if it wasn’t for track. I have considered dropping out of school so many times but what kept me going was knowing that if I gave up, I would never get to run track again. This was something I couldn’t even think about doing. I know this situation is the same for many people on the team as well. People are working hard in the classroom just to be eligible and strengthen their chances to be able to run. This is really evident in our team GPA’s over that last couple of years. It was just recently announced that the Men’s cross country team had earned an All-Academic team award for earning a team GPA of 3.07. The fact that they can run between 50-100 miles a week and still earn this type of GPA doesn’t mean anything. These men are completely dedicated to their running along with their academics.
Not only do these men do well in the classroom, but for the community as well. Every year we sponsor a family for Christmas and this year we were able to raise enough to sponsor four. Many of them are also out in the community in places like Water Street Rescue Mission, Willow Valley Manor Nursing Home, and many other places in the community. They also made the run from Lancaster to Harrisburg to protest Corbett’s budget cut so things like this wouldn’t happen.
These men dedicate themselves to this university and create a great reputation for them. It’s just not fair for it to be thrown out the window so quickly. The man behind all of this, our head coach, is also being unfairly treated. We may have a girl’s team left, but what are we without our coach? The man who has dedicated so many hours to make us the best people we can be on and off the track.
I keep hearing “this is only going to affect 30 men” and “at least it’s not you who’s getting cut”. These just make me cringe because this is not just affecting these 30 men. These kids thrive on the feeling they get from running and competing and will not give that up on that which in turn is affecting their families who now have to go through the process of helping their children transfer to new schools. Although it is true the girl’s team is not getting cut, we might as well be. Without our head coach who has taught us so much, and without our teammates, our brothers, right there next to us, it won’t feel like much of a team anymore.
These men are so loyal us girls, the team, the school, and the community. They go through blood, sweat, tears, and injury every day just to be able do what they love. They have put so much into it just for it to be thrown away like it means nothing. Although I will not be on the team after this year, it disheartens me to know that some of the girls have to go on without these men and without a great coach, and it is such an awful feeling to watch my best friends have to go through this. We will always be one team, one family, no one can change that.
Mattie Conaboy, Millersville Class of 2012
My name is Abby Schneider and I am currently a junior here a Millersville University. In my three years on track team, I have experienced some of the highest and lowest points in my life. When I entered college my freshman year I was coming back from an ACL injury during my basketball season. This injury was devastating to me as an athlete because I did not have the opportunity to even participate in my last year of high school track and field. An injury like that makes you even question whether or not to continue in athletics, and in my case on Millersville's track team. I didn't even know if they would want a sprinter with a bum knee. Coaches Scott Weiser and Akil Stokes never even questioned me, they accepted me and my reconstructed knee and helped me strengthen myself. My coaches and my new teammates were there to support me and made my transition to college a great experience.
For any athlete, one knee injury is devastating enough. In January of my freshman year, while rehabilitating my knee, I tore my patella tendon in the same knee. This led me to yet another knee surgery and another 9 months of recovery. At this point, I was extremely discouraged and questioned a lot of things. At such a low and frustrating time in my life, I turned to my coaches and my team for support. Coach Weiser once again never questioned me and told me he would see me in the fall. This is a coach that had yet to see me perform in competition and still wanted me on the team. I can not even describe to you the emotional battle I faced that summer. At times I didn't think I was ever going to be an athlete again. This is when my teammates became my family. They encouraged me and made me believe in myself.
My coaches and team worked with me the next year and helped me into "track" shape. Anyone that knows anything about track knows the hard work and dedication that an athlete needs to commit to the sport. I know that I could not have done it without my track family. I finally was able to compete in the outdoor season of my sophomore year. It felt like nothing else in the world stepping out on the track in a Millersville uniform. I ended up running a personal best in the 100m dash that season and was beyond excited to return.
This past fall, my team and myself returned with high hopes. We knew we had the potential to do big things this year. In September during the preseason workouts, I had once again injured myself. Although this time it was to my abdomen and not my knee. An MRI concluded I had micro-tears in my lower right abdomen and I found myself back at the low place, frustrated, and discouraged. My track family was there more than ever to support me. I completed 3 months of physical therapy and returned in the spring semester to a team with open and welcome arms. Some people think I am totally crazy for keep coming back, but my coaches and my team deserve all the credit in the world for keeping me motivated and positive.
As I was looking forward to returning in uniform in the outdoor season, we found out that the men's team had been cut as well as Coach Weiser. I do not think the University understands at all what this track team is. We are not just a group of people that get together for hours everyday to run in a circle. We are a team, a unit, and a family. As a female member of this team, people may think I am relieved by having the opportunity to come back next year, but I am not. By getting rid of the men and my coach, you got rid of my family. This would be the same as telling the football team that next year all the defensive players are not returning or the defensive coaches, or telling the women's softball team that no outfielders are allowed back. These men that were eliminated are some of the most talented, dedicated, thoughtful, caring, and excellent young men I have ever met. I feel privileged to have called them my teammates and my friends. But, Millersville took away my privilege to call them teammates. Words can not describe the anger and hurt I have inside.
I have one year left at Millersville. With half of my team, who are my family, and a coach that has taught me so many things not only about track, but myself and life, I do not think I will return as a member of Millersville University's Track Team. This saddens me deeply because I did not have the opportunity to run my senior year of high school and I feel now that Millersville took away my hope of running my senior year in college.
Abby Schneider, Millersville Class of 2013
As a sophomore on the Millersville University Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams, you might expect I would feel relief that my own program wasn’t cut. That’s the furthest from the truth. I feel hurt and anger, disappointment and betrayal. The Men’s and Women’s teams may be listed as two different teams, but the program is made of one family.
When Millersville abruptly and unexpectedly announced on Tuesday that they were cutting the three varsity sports, they took away the opportunity our men had already seized, to be a collegiate athlete in the sport they love. They took away half of a whole that can never be replaced—our brothers.
Every day for over the past year and a half I have trained alongside my brothers and seen them exhibit their heart, persistence, and dedication to the sport and to the university. They are the men you see run by on campus, the “crazy” people who run 16, 18 miles on a lazy Sunday morning. They sacrifice weekends and Friday nights to compete, to wear the black and gold uniform and pour their heart into competition, into their sport, their life. They are on the track and in the weight room for hours each day, even as the sun sets and darkness descends.
Last year our team was the only one to stand up to the proposed budget cuts by running relay-style to Harrisburg and storming the capitol steps. We—men and women—represented Millersville in making our voice be heard. We would not stand idly by while our University suffered. President McNairy thanked the team for such a showing, as our efforts attracted media attention and made a large impact on the rally. One year later we receive our true thanks as half of our program is wiped out due to these very budget cuts.
The reasoning behind cutting the Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams may be fuzzy and imprecise, but the impact they have made on Millersville as a whole is clearly something worth fighting for. The team has a strong history of competitive success; Men’s Cross Country gave Millersville its only National title in 1981. The program has only gotten stronger in the short time I have been a part of it. They exemplify what it means to balance academics and athletics, as several of them have received All-Academic status. These are the student-athletes that represent the University best.
Perhaps the more important issue is the impact the men’s teams have made on their peers. They prove to people just what hard work and dedication can accomplish. They are our strength, our persistence. And most important of all in many regards, they are our laughter, our release from the daily stress of being a student-athlete. They’re with the women every step of the way, and complement the women’s teams in a way that can never be imitated or reproduced.
The thought of spending the next two years competing without my brothers beside me is unfathomable. Millersville’s administration has crippled the University. They can cut a program, but they can never eliminate a team, a family.
Sincerely,
Megan Meyer, Millersville Class of 2014
I competed for Millersville University Track and Field under Coach White. I enjoy reflecting back on the memories I had while competing and setting some personal best in my events. What I most enjoy now is being head coach at Gettysburg High Area High School and bring my daughters and team back to my old stomping grounds for the Invitationals. I would hate see the boys program be cut. There was alway a nice comradery with the boys and girls teams and encouragement for each other. I hope and pray this can be reversed. What a blow to the young men who chose Millersville University for the academics and athletic program.
Lizanne (McNally) Stephan
Head Girls' Track and Field Coach
Gettysburg Area High School
I am a sophomore at Millersville University. This is also only my first year competing here as I am a first year transfer. It's hard to think that I've only been here for a semester and yet I already have ample memories and a generous amount of friends. This team is one that welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home from the begining. The misconception is that we have two separate teams: a men's and a women's .. this is the furthest thing from the truth. The reality is that we travel to all of our meets together, compete in the very same meets, practice together, we are ALWAYS together, if anything, we are one. There are not two teams, as a matter of fact this isn't even a team, this is a family, these men and women together are my family. It breaks my heart to realize that this university fails to see just what our men have to offer.. This is something we will continue to fight for right until the end.
I ran for Shippensburg University during the early 2000’s. We had a great XC rivalry with Ville and an all around good friendship through competition. I remember pushing myself harder to beat Ville guys since they were a strong team. I immensely enjoyed the Millersville Metrics track meet. During my freshmen year it was raced on a warm spring night and they even played music during the 5000m! It is a shame and a setback to our sport to see a fine tradition and program be cut due to budget constraints.
Terry Lillicrapp
Girls’ Track and Field Coach
Garnet Valley High School