By Jeremy Castro
Contributing Writer
The lasts couple of weeks have been quite the experience for women’s cross country runner Emily Izydorczak. A combination of personal firsts and opportunities of a life time.
The junior picked up her first career individual win at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational in Rochester, was picked as the Female Athlete of the Week and was also selected to represent the Atlantic 10 Conference at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in November.
This recent success can be partially attributed to the fact that Izydorczak has been active in sports since a young age.
“I was very involved in sports when I was younger,” Izydorczak said. “I played field hockey from 7th to 11th grade and ran track in high school. My senior year, I decided that I might want the opportunity to run in college, so I switched from field hockey and started running cross country. I have always liked to run, but it was after my first cross country season when I truly fell in love with the sport.”
Izydorczak’s love for her sport is clear. Even from just answering a few short questions, her words were full of passion and positivity. Running has really become part of her life.
“Running makes me happy,” Izydorczak said. “I love the simplicity of an easy run as much as I love the adrenaline I feel during a race. Running has become a constant in my life. My favorite aspect [of the sport] is that I am provided the opportunity to do something I love every day.”
On Sept. 23rd, Izydorczak finished first in the Harry F. Anderson Invitational, pacing the field by over 13 seconds. This helped Bonaventure finish second overall in the Invitational.
“Honestly, it was unbelievable,” Izydorczak said. “I still feel like the whole experience was a dream.”
Later that week, it was announced that Izydorczak will represent St. Bonaventure and the entire Atlantic 10 Conference at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in November. The forum, which was created in 1997, “engages a diverse and dynamic representation of student athletes” and has been described as a “life-changing experience for more than 5,000 student athletes,” on the NCAA’s website.
“I feel very honored and thankful to have been both nominated and selected for the forum,” Izydorczak said. “I think it [the forum] will be a wonderful opportunity to network and serve my school. I hope to return with some new insight, where I might be able to make an impact across campus.”
Bob MacFarlane, who is entering his 17th year in charge of the men’s and women’s programs, described some of the qualities that makes Izydorczak so special.
“Personally, it doesn’t surprise me that she was chosen, said MacFarlane when talking about the selection.
“Emily is the true example of a student-athlete. She is very motivated, has a great attitude, self-disciplined, focused.”
However, for MacFarlane, it is Izydorczak’s determination that stands above all the others.
“She had a stress fracture last year during the middle of the cross country season,” MacFarlane said. “This had her out for the rest of the season and all of the winter as well. But, she knew what she had to do. She was in the pool every night to try and get better and to get stronger. She is dedicated and does not take anything for granted. She knows she has to work for everything, just like in the classroom.”
After last week’s achievements, it was not a shock that Izydorczak was named Female Athlete of the Week.
“Both winning the race and attending [the Forum] are once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” Izydorczak said. “I couldn’t feel more blessed and thankful to have those opportunities. I work really hard to strive for excellence in both my academics and my athletics, so I think that achieving these accomplishments means that my hard work is paying off.”
Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams will complete in the Gettysburg Invitational on Oct. 14th in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
castroja17@bonaventure.edu
