Sunday Conversation

Today, I asked some questions to Connor Callahan (2009)

AP: What are you studying at Marquette?
CC: Physiological Sciences

AP: What is the best part of college?
CC: The best part is definitely all the new friends I made from my team and how there is so much more free time in the day.

AP: How difficult was the jump from high school to college running?
CC: Runningwise it was tough, I was pretty much thrown into the mix here from day one and it took a few races to get used to it. Academically it wasn't that bad as DeSmet actually does prepare you pretty well.

AP: What is your team like?
CC: My team is full of all kinds of people, from the cockiest people I've ever met to the most humble. I'd be lying if I said everyone on the team liked everyone else, as we have a pretty big roster. For the most part though we all get along and going on trips with the team as a whole is usually pretty fun.

AP: Where have you gotten to travel?
CC: I actually got back late last night from Syracuse, NY from the Big East XC Championships, there isn't much going on there though and flying there was a hassle. Last year Seattle and Spokane, WA, and San Francisco were some of the cooler places I got to go to. This upcoming spring, assuming I'm healthy, I'll be going back to San Francisco, and then LA and Philadelphia.

AP: What meets do you have coming up?
AP: After yesterday, we have the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Meet in Detroit in two weeks. If we are all on our A-game, there's a slight chance we could get into nationals, but it's a slim chance.

AP: What do you miss most about running at De Smet?
CC: The thing I miss the most about running at DeSmet is messing with T-bone everyday. I don't know he ever handled the combo of me and Jordan Nikolaisen or me and Zach Boyle.

AP: What did it mean to you to run at State?
CC: Running in the State meet was always a big deal to me, and I'm glad I got to run in 3 of them. Senior year the meet was a blast knowing that if it was the right day I had the chance to win it even though it didn't pan out the way. Placing well in the state meet is also one of the best ways to get noticed by college coaches.

AP: There has been plenty of talk about moving the state course. What do you think about the course and would you move it to springfield?
CC: I think the course should stay as is. The difficulty and uniqueness (if that's even a word) is what makes it so great. Springfield is just a flat course that really has nothing exciting or interesting to it (from what I've heard). Changing the course would ruin the history of the meet. If guys like Matt Tegenkamp can run 15:26 on it, then why can't everyone else give their best effort on it?

AP: What advice do you have about tackeling the course?
CC: The first mile is crazy and it goes out different every year. Just put yourself close to the position you'd like to finish in, and just take it from there. The second mile is the fastest mile of the course, and it can be a good time to mentally prepare yourself for the last mile that everyone has come to know and love.

AP: What does it say about T Bone for leading this team who had been beaten by almost every team in the sectional, to a third place finish when it counted?
CC: He knows what he's doing. There was never a meet in high school where I didn't feel ready. He knows that it matters to be on your A-game at the end of October and not at the beginning of September. I definitely attribute almost all of my success in high school to the way he coached me. I never felt burnt out at the end of a season because of the way we did things.

AP:What is the best way for guys that want to run in college to make that happen?
CC: Performing well at big meets like State is huge. It shows that you're not only physically strong, but mentally as well. Also, you need to recruit yourself as well, go online and fill out questionnaires, and email coaches of schools you're interested in. I was lucky enough that the schools I was interested in found me, but I also tried to recruit myself to a few stretch schools as well, and gave myself even more opportunities that way.