Early in May, Don Rich sat down with distance icon Steve Spence. At this point in his talented daughter's career, Neely is definitely still simply Steve and Kirsten's daughter. Not the other way around.
But she is well on her way to eclipsing her famous father's stellar career. Steve is hoping for running success beyond his career which included a US championship in the Marathon, a Bronze Medal at the 1991 World Marathon champs in Tokyo, and an 12th place at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona (coming off a bout with the flu).
Steve was a volunteer coach at Shippensburg University for a few years while competing professionally. He eventually took over at Ship as head coach, before transitioning to XC and distance coach. Ship has enjoyed incredible success during his tenure.
The point is, Spence demonstrates that Division 2 is anything but just another stepping stone to excellence. In this four-part series, Steve offers his views on recruiting, coaching, and much more. Enjoy. If you think D2 is just D1 light, you are about to change your mind.