Honors students are known for being highly motivated individuals who like to push themselves and succeed in all that they do. This most often applies in academics, but since there are several Honors students on the St. Norbert track and field team this year, we wanted to hear how their Honors involvement, combined with their track and field experiences, have helped to shape their college experience and develop themselves as individuals.
It makes sense that Honors students would find motivating the idea of looking for a challenge and seek to excel in both school and sports when deciding to join the Honors community and the track and field team. James Cullen ‘24, a double major in psychology education, who competes in the multi events, echoed this motive: “I’ve always been in sports, and I’ve always been up for a challenge in school so I wanted to push myself to be in both.”
Along the same lines, Eden Maranell ‘27, who is majoring in biomedical sciences and minoring in psychology, spanish, and chemistry, competed in the heptathlon at the Indoor Nationals track meet this year, explained, “I have always felt motivated to participate in a college sport because I want to try and find my full athletic potential, and joining the Honors program felt like a way to find my academic potential and challenge myself.“
Seeking to find a community straight into college was also a motivating factor. Faith Mertzig ‘24 who is majoring in elementary education and competes in distance events, stated, “I chose to join both a sports team and the honors program because I hoped that both would provide the opportunity to be involved in a close knit community and get to know others. I also knew that in pursuing my academic pursuits, I also wanted to continue to honor my personal health, especially through my passion for running. I also was inspired by members of the track team that I met while I was a recruit who spoke highly of their experiences in both honors and track and field.”
Since community was a central reason for choosing to participate in both the Honors program and track and field, it is no surprise that these students were able to lean on fellow Honors students or teammates for support if and when their course load became challenging or track became trying. Cullen explained that he found support from the other students on his floor his freshman year in Bergstrom, the Honors freshman year residence hall: “The guys on my floor were a great support system for one another whenever any of us was struggling with school, sports, or both. Many of us were on athletic teams at SNC, so we could give advice and relate to one another due to our similar experiences.”
Maranell described a similar cornerstone that she has found within both programs: “When I have gone through phases of feeling burnt out, I know I am always able to talk to my teammates in the Honors program for support, and it’s really helpful to express some frustration with them specifically because I know they are going through a similar schedule. Just chatting together and doing a short, fun activity unrelated to homework and track helps keep the mood light and our lives in a good balance.”
I, Brenna Cisler ‘24, am also a member of the Honors Program and compete on the track team and am majoring in psychology, minoring in physics, and compete in distance events. Regarding relying on fellow teammates and Honors students, I look to my teammates who came before me who I drew inspiration from: “I had really wonderful role models on the team as a freshman and sophomore who were in challenging majors and in the Honors program, all while being amazing athletes and people. They really set a precedence for what it looks like to succeed in all that they were doing and that it was possible to do so.”
Mertzig expressed how she found support in both the Honors program and the track and field team and also pointed to how she especially relied on this support during the covid pandemic during her freshman year when finding community is so important: “Whether track was tiring or our coursework was getting overwhelming, I was always well supported by both my teammates and my fellow honors students. I had a unique situation coming into college during 2020 when the pandemic was limiting our interactions and competition. While I was able to become integrated into track, I also had time to really get to know those I lived in community with in Bergstrom. I continued to live with these friends throughout my four years at SNC, and it was always nice to have friends in a variety of contexts. While many of us are studying different disciplines, we were able to see the beauty of each other’s work, and celebrate one another’s accomplishments. Many of my friends from honors came to cheer us on at meets, and offer their support even if we are around less often because of our track schedule. Shared suffering creates strong bonds, and as distance runners, we learn to suffer together in pursuit of a common goal, making ourselves and our team community stronger. We are united in this goal and support one another by sharing meals at the caf, listening to one another and talking out concerns on long runs.”
All of these life experiences, ranging from living in community with fellow Honors students freshman year in Bergstrom to spending hours together every Saturday at track meets, create many meaningful and lasting memories. Maranell shares her favorite memories from both programs thus far: “My best memory of the honors program is the Bergstrom Games that I organized throughout my freshman year for the residents of Bergstrom. It gave us a chance to get to know each other better and was something to look forward to throughout the week. My best memory of being on the track team is from the 2024 NACC Indoor Championships where the men’s team ran away with the conference title and I competed in my first heptathlon.”
Cullen recalled some of his greatest memories from J-term, the few weeks in January when the track team is on campus: “Some of my favorite Honors and track memories happened over J-Term, just the friendly environment in the dorm cooking some meals together and enjoying games and movies really brought us closer.”
Madison Crossman ‘27, who is majoring in business and minoring in both graphic design and sports marketing and competes in long sprints events, summed up her best memories thus far with: “I would have to say the best memory would be with the friendships I made through track and the honors program. Nothing says true team bonding like those 6 a.m. practices!”
Bonds are made strongly in both the Honors Program and athletics, and we were curious to see what these students thought of one another. We asked students to describe their teammates in three words or less. Mertzig said that she found her teammates “inspiring” and Cullen described them as “dedicated, kind, and supportive.” Crossman similarly replied “hard working individuals” and I simply said, “family.” Maranell went into detail and explained: “I would describe my teammates as being disciplined and tenacious. To be successful academically and athletically, it takes a lot of self control and a fierce attitude with the willingness to attack the task at hand, which I think is evident in the success experienced in the classroom and on the track.”
All of these qualities are developed and nourished by the support of the Honors Program and the rigor of the track and field team here and are beneficial to all that these student athletes engage in during their time here at St. Norbert College and in all of their endeavors after. Along this thought, Mertzig says she knows that “being on the track team and in the Honors Program will help me in future endeavors because of the numerous lessons I have learned. Most significantly, I have learned the value of community and joining together with others in pursuit of a common goal. Not only does this make the work more enjoyable, but it also makes us stronger and gives greater purpose to our trials.” Maranell is hoping that “the combination of being on the track team and in the Honors program develops my time management skills. I have already noticed that I have been more efficient with my time and I am hoping that I continue to grow in this way. I am also hoping to continue growing in my teamwork skills!” Crossman has found that “being a part of both has really pushed me and I think has made me stronger as a person.”
Honors students who also compete on the track and field team here have found community in both programs, support from their peers, and have learned meaningful lessons that they will carry with them far after their time here at St. Norbert College. Both programs provide experiences and opportunities that allow students and athletes to flourish and to work towards becoming the best versions of themselves that they can be all while going on the journey with others who share the same passion.
