By Emily Coughlin
Staff Writer
Dahron Wells, a sophomore walk-on on the St. Bonaventure University cross country and track teams, considers running a vital part of his life and has found a purpose from it.
First inspired by his parents, who also ran track in high school, Wells decided in tenth grade that he could not attend college without running being a part of his life. The rest of high school, he ran with the determination to fulfill his plan of college level running, said Wells.
Though Wells planned on running in college, he did not start off his freshman year on the team.
“After turning down an offer to run at a small college in Albany, New York to attend St. Bonaventure, I slowly realized throughout the duration of my first semester at Bona’s that I wasn’t ‘me’ without running competitively,” said Wells.
Wells reached out to faculty members and head coach Bob MacFarlane to learn more about the start of the track team and the process of joining. They encouraged him to try the sport and were behind him the entire way, said Wells.
“I decided to take [their] advice because track and running are more to me than the physical activity, it is the team dynamic and the relief I feel after a team dinner, team practice, and/or meet that I cannot live without,” said Wells.
It wasn’t a hard decision for Wells to join the team. All that was required was some NCAA contracts and paperwork, but once he became acquainted with the team, he felt that he was right where he needed to be. Wells said the transition from high school to college-level running was difficult because it was a much more intense atmosphere, but also a much more compassionate one.
With the help of the coaches and teammates, it was not hard for Wells to adjust to a D1 level of running.
“My team and my coaches were always there supporting me through every race, every mile, every moment of every day,” said Wells.
Since joining the team, Wells has seen himself changing in his attitudes and capabilities in a positive way.
“Personally, I have become more confident in myself and in my abilities as an athlete, a teammate, a leader, a friend, and a person, and as a result of this, I have become more comfortable with myself,” said Wells.
The men’s cross country and track team have bonded over the past few seasons and are always there to boost each other up and cheer for each other no matter what the outcome of a meet is.
“We have grown close and become a family, which has changed the way we approach competition,” said Wells.
Whether it’s practices or the Atlantic 10 Championships, the team members are always there to encourage each other and inspire each other to work harder and run faster, said Wells.
“We depend on one another to push through a workout and during races, we push each other to do the best that we can, we support one another during the highs and the lows, and we allow for each other to grow through friendly competition,” said Wells. “This betters us as a team and allows for us to then take our newfound abilities to a meet and show the rest of the competition what it means to be a runner for the Bonnies!”
Wells gained friends, who have become family, and grown in his confidence as a runner and his appreciation for all the opportunities he has, since he made the decision to walk on to the team and continue running in college.
“It has given me a sense of purpose, it has allowed me to continue a small family legacy of collegiate athletes, and it has given me access to the resources necessary for me to enhance myself as an athlete and to become the man that I know I can and want to become,” said Wells.
The men’s track team will begin competition Saturday, April 1 at Geneseo.
coughleg16@bonaventure.edu
