| Three Eagles named Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year BY MIKE UNGER For the skilled athlete striving to reach a higher plane, there can be no shortcuts. Not one practice can be missed, not one sit-up skipped, not one dietary slip permitted. There’s no way around it: in the athletic arena, strict and unwavering self-discipline is the key to transforming common talent into exceptional achievement.
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| Cross country photos by Landon Medley
Keira Carlstrom, left, Steve Hallinan, and Maureen Daniel excelled both on the field and in the classroom. |
Belief in this philosophy helped catapult three American University athletes to the pinnacle of their sports this fall. In her final year, Maureen Daniel was named a second-team All-American while leading the field hockey team to its best-ever season. Keira Carlstrom wrapped up her cross country career by placing sixth at the NCAA Championships, the best finish by a Patriot League runner in the history of the conference, while her teammate, sophomore Steve Hallinan, took home the men’s individual league crown. But self-discipline for these remarkable student-athletes does not start and stop on the playing field. The trio, like so many of their compatriots at AU, apply the same principal to their academic lives, and the results are similarly impressive. Each recently was named a 2005 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year. During her four years at AU, Carlstrom rewrote the school’s cross country record book in spectacular fashion. She earned All-American status three times—an honor never before attained by a Patriot League runner—while amassing a 3.80 GPA. The math and computer science major from Oakton, Va., credits much of her success to prioritizing her time and sticking to a rigid schedule. She still has much to accomplish; the culmination of the indoor track season and a final outdoor campaign await. “It went by faster than I thought it would,” said Carlstrom, whose sights are set on the 2008 Olympic Games. “It seems like yesterday I was a freshman. I’ll remember doing well in the classroom, doing well on the track, and all the people I’ve met and experiences I’ve had.” Two-thousand five was a breakthrough season for Hallinan, who won the individual titles at the Navy Invitational and George Mason Invite. A business major from Drexel Hill, Pa., with a cumulative 3.6 GPA, it didn’t take him long to learn that late nights are counterproductive for all facets of his life. “Professors demand excellence,” he said. “The thing I’ve figured out is to budget my time. If I’m staying up to three or four in the morning before a workout, that doesn’t help me running-wise or academically.” Cross country coach Matt Centrowitz called Carlstrom’s and Hallinan’s achievements “fantastic.” “All the schools in the Patriot League put a high priority on academics,” he said. “We’re leading the way, so it’s a huge feather in our cap. It goes a long way in helping recruit and convincing parents to dig in their pockets and pay for this experience. “It also reflects great on Meredith,” Centrowitz said. “She does a million things that don’t get recognition.” Meredith is Meredith Basil, AU’s coordinator of academic support for student-athletes. She’s charged with ensuring that AU’s student-athletes live up to the first part of that moniker. “The common stereotype is that athletics hurts you academically,” Basil said. “But there’s another way to look at it. I think a lot of people would agree that when their schedule is tight they’re better at planning their time. AU takes a stand that these are students first and athletes second. Their academic responsibilities and lives are their top priority. What’s really neat about this group is that they’re doing both. I’m lucky to be working with such a great group.” Daniel’s 3.88 GPA was tops on a team that finished the season with a 20-2 record and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year ranks eighth all-time at AU in assists, ninth in points, and 10th in goals. “The entire program is extremely proud that Maureen has been recognized in the classroom and on the field for her incredible achievements,” field hockey coach Steve Jennings said. “Maureen is such an amazing player and person and student, I don’t think I could do her justice in a sentence or two.” A sociology major currently studying in Europe, Daniel will relish her field hockey memories forever. “The opportunity to work toward something that can only be achieved collectively and with extreme dedication is really indescribable,” she said. “It’s something for which I will always be thankful.” |
