SPORTS STORIES:
SPORTS INFORMATION—2009
SMALL FIGHTS THROUGH INJURIES TO RACE ON
CLEVELAND, OH (September 29, 2009) - Injures are never something easy to deal with for a student-athlete. For Case Western Reserve University junior cross country/track runner Abby Small (Madison, WI/Madison West), injures have been a constant and not the exception for two years.
“Most of my career at Case has consisted of me being hurt,” said Small. “The second time I got injured I was really upset and thought maybe I would never be able to run anymore.”
Small has managed not only to run, but to get back to top form. She is now a key member of a Spartan cross country team ranked in the top-15 in the nation in NCAA Division III.
Small’s big breakthrough came at the Calvin College Invitational this month. She ran a strong, career-best time of 19:31 and finished 42nd in the 14-team competition.
“This past race everyone kept telling me that I can run fast and be a big part of this team,” Small explained. “Some other girls on the team sent me e-mails saying I could run really well. We got in the race and it was going fast but we held back and then kept passing bigger and bigger groups of people and ended up finishing strong.”
This race wasn’t the only time Small has been pushed on by her teammates. After missing all of her freshman season with separate stress fractures in her pelvis and foot and part of her sophomore season with mono, she feels that the team’s support was a big part of her return to the course.
“I was still a part of the team though, even though I wasn’t running,” said Small. “My teammates were really great with making sure I still felt a part of the team.”
When Small was thinking of giving up racing after her second stress fracture, it was a special gesture by her teammates that kept her committed to running.
“All of the freshman and some of the upperclassman threw me a surprise tie-dye party,” Small explained. “It was their way of saying they still thought I could run with them and be a part of the team.”
So Small fought on and continued to run for Case Western Reserve in Cleveland Ohio. Cleveland, Ohio might not seem like a runner’s paradise to most, but for Small, it’s just like running back home.
“I love running in the cold; my favorite running is when it’s ten degrees out,” said the Wisconsin native. “I always look forward to cold weather events. It’s definitely an advantage for me.”
While not running or rehabbing these past two seasons, Small has excelled off the course as a chemical engineering major. Last season she earned University Athletic Association All-Academic honors.
Small is currently working on a Lake Erie water modeling research project with a Geology professor at the University. This past summer, she worked in a mercury contamination lab for the US Geological Survey Wisconsin Science Center. There she analyzed water samples for mercury content.
“Our lab would receive water samples from all over the country that people wanted low levels of mercury analyzed for,” told Small. “I realized I don’t want to be a classical engineer but I’m very interested in environmental science and particularly water quality stuff.”
Having time off from running allowed Small to work on another passion; cooking. She is now the unofficial team cook for many of the girls on the team.
“I really like to cook and spend most of my time looking up new recipes,” said Small. “The entire team eats really well. We always joke that we never have a lot of junk around and are always eating vegetables. But we always eat a ton.”
One of Small’s favorite dishes to cook is lentil soup. The recipe is above.
However, cooking still can’t compare to Small’s first love; running.
“Once I started running again, every day I could run was awesome and every race was that much more fun,” said Small. “So now I’m not upset about doing any of the workouts. I definitely learned to appreciate being able to run.”
Small and the Spartans will run next on Saturday, October 2, at the All-Ohio Championships hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University.
ABOUT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY … Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826 and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research, service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.