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TCNJ Magazine: Spring 18

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15 SPRING 2018 STEPHEN WEBSTER. FACING PAGE: BILL CARDONI > In middle school, I was a sprinter. Some of my cousins were pretty successful cross-country runners though, so going into high school, my mom convinced me to try it. I was hesitant at first, but once I did, I loved it. > A lot of people who run cross country will run distance in track and field too. That's what I do. I am always running: cross country is in the fall, indoor track is winter, and outdoor track is spring. Cross country is my favorite. > The distance is about the same — I run the 5K for track, and cross country is a 6K. But the sports are very different. In cross country you go out, disappear into the woods, go up and down hills, and run through trails. Whereas in track, you pretty much just run in circles. > They are different mentally too. In cross country, it's more a feeling, like "this pace feels good," and you keep going. In track, you can see every lap coming around; your pace is recorded so you know if you are slowing down or speeding up. It's a specific, more calculated type of running. > I always get pre-race nerves. But I love the feel of standing at the starting line with my spikes on. We only wear them for races in both sports, and it's more of a mental aspect, but they make me feel like I can run a bit faster. > This past season in cross country, I was an NCAA All-American, so that was exciting. I was one of the top 40 finishers at Nationals. > A lot of the time, I'll sing a song in my head. This year, my song has been "Sorry, Not Sorry" by Demi Lovato. I run between 21 and 22 minutes, so I just keep repeating that one song to myself over and over on a loop. > Washington Crossing is my favorite place to run, particularly the Pennsyl- vania side. The towpaths have such nice scenery — it's easy to get distracted. > I've loved my time at TCNJ. It's going way too quickly. I am in a house off campus with all of the girls on the team that are my year. There's seven of us. We do everything together. Surprisingly, we don't get sick of each other. > I plan to apply to physician-assistant schools. I have always had an interest in the medical field, and I've been doing a lot of volunteering and shadowing. I shadowed a PA at Virtua Hospital in Mount Holly. I did rounds, saw patients, and heard their backstories. > I will definitely continue to run after college but probably not in any compe- titive way. I would like to run a mara- thon. That's my goal. —as told to Kara Pothier UP CLOSE > How I Got Here NATALIE COOPER '19 On the track or in the woods, this junior is blazing trails. Lucky charms Lions dish their must-do, game-day rituals Sharon Pfluger '82, field hockey coach What started out as a team joke has turned into a tradition no one dares to break. Twenty-eight years ago, Jill Cosse '93 received purple tights with a skirt from her mom to wear on the field when it got cold. Now, each season, the purple "pants" are passed down to a senior who is chosen to wear them. Joe Cirillo '18, baseball pitcher Every inning I go out to the mound to pitch, I never grab the ball with my hand — I only use my glove to scoop it up. I do it to get into the same routine and get my mind focused. Christina Fabiano '18, field hockey I don't wash my jersey during the season no matter what. (Gross, I know!)

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