By Amelia Kibbe
Editor in Chief
When Emily Izydorczak got injured 10 minutes before the gun went off at the New York State Cross Country Championships her senior year, forcing her to not compete, she couldn’t wait for the chance to prove herself in another cross country race.
And that opportunity came last Saturday at her first collegiate 5k, when the cross country team hosted the Little Three Invitational with Canisius College and Niagara University.
Not only did freshman Izydorczak run more than a minute faster than she ever had, she was the second-place finisher for the Bonnies, coming in behind only team leader and captain Kerry Caher.
According to Izydorczak, this early success has much to do with her summer work ethic.
“I worked my butt off this summer,” Izydorczak, who went to high school at Orchard Park, said. “I was so surprised with my result Saturday.”
Before Saturday, her personal best time for a 5k was just under 21 minutes, she said. Saturday, she crossed the line in 19:20.
“I was not expecting that,” she said of her time. “I thought it would be 20 minutes. I had a really positive attitude, though, and I was not super nervous because I knew the course like the back of my hand.”
She said having the name Emily helped her too.
“I like the name Emily,” she joked. “It comes in handy [because the name is common] when people are cheering. I always think it is for me.”
And a lot of the cheering was for Izydorczak, she said.
“I was super happy to have my family there,” she said. “They made signs and rang a cowbell, and that really helped.”
In fact, it was family that brought Izydorczak, an education major, to Bonaventure in the first place. Currently, three Izydorczaks attend Bonaventure: Emily and her cousins Erin, a junior, and Alex, a freshman.
“I came once to visit Erin,” she said. “I really liked it here, and then I came as a recruit for the team, and I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
Alexis Young, a junior sports studies major and teammate of Izydorczak, hosted Izydorczak on her first official visit.
“I am really glad she came here,” Young said. “Emily is a really positive team member. To have a PR (personal record) the first race is amazing. I think she has a lot of potential with the team.”
Izydorczak will race with the team tomorrow at the UB Stampede in Buffalo.
“I would like to finish around where I did Saturday,” she said, referring to her race time. “I mean, I always want a PR. The next thing is to break the 19-minute mark…”
And she wants to continue to impress Coach Bob MacFarlane, she said.
“He’s tough,” she said. “But I need that. I have never had a coach that like before.”
But for now, she is still excited about Saturday’s results.
“Right now, I am on cloud nine,” she said. “I try to think confidently. As soon as I tell myself that I can’t, then I can’t.”
