Haley Vermillion, a Freshman from Walkerton, IN and John Glenn HS has had a very successful fall campaign that has led to a school record and a NJCAA National Championship meet berth.  We were able to sit down and talk about the transition from high school to college, academic goals, the cross country culture, and her goals for the future.

Haley set a school record on September 30th at the OCC Raiders Invitational with a time of 25:18.  Her time beat the previous school record by one second.  When asked about her feelings on setting the school record, Haley expressed surprise and also satisfaction.  Haley said, "To be honest, I did not know what the school record was.  I just wanted to run my personal record for the season and I was feeling really good at the starting line.  After the meet, Coach Mat went through the list of runners who set their PR that day, which happened to be the whole team!  He did not mention my name so I was a little confused.  He then stopped and said that I set a new school record.  My teammates were really excited for me and I was in a bit of shock."

Haley was able to build on the momentum of setting the school record as she prepared for the NJCAA Region XII Championships which took place on Saturday and was hosted by Muskegon CC.  Haley ran a great race, finishing with a time of 25:33 which was good enough to qualify her for the NJCAA Nationals which will take place on November 12th.  Reaching the national meet has been a big target for Haley this year.  When asked about the biggest difference between high school and college, Haley was quick to point out a few things.  "The competition level is very high at the college level, obviously the courses are new to me compared to the ones I ran on in high school, and the training schedule is a lot different.  It is also harder as I get older to maintain the same times that I ran in high school which can be hard mentally but also challenges me to focus on what I am capable of now and set high standards for myself."

Haley is a very strong student who is focused on her academic pursuits.  She will be working towards earning her Associates Degree in Vet Nursing with the long-term goal of working in a vet clinic where she can help small animals.  She said that MU Ancilla's small class sizes and helpful professors are making her academic pursuits very enjoyable.  Haley stated that she has loved animals for as long as she can remember and has had cats and dogs in her home growing up.

When asked about the Cross Country program and its' impact on her college experience, Haley was really excited to share about her team.  "The Cross Country team quickly turned to a great group of friends which has since turned in to a family.  Coach Mat does a great job creating a culture where we rely on each other.  I love how I can trust my teammates and they can trust me to talk about school, sports, and our outside lives.  Being a part of this team has helped me adjust to college much easier than I could have hoped for.  I would encourage any high school runner out there to look at our program and for all college students to find a team or campus organization to be a part of."

In addition to being a member of the Cross Country team, Haley is going to be a manager for the Cheerleading team and also is looking forward to getting a part-time job at the nursing home on campus.  

Stay tuned for Haley's results from the NJCAA National Championships on November 12th!