MaineTrackXC caught up with Erzsebet Nagy this week to discuss her college decision and her future in college at Middlebury College. Nagy won the Class A XC title this fall. Last spring she ran sub 5 for 1600m, and broke the Maine all-time best for 800m in the spring, running 2:13.5
I know that you have D1 talent but early on you decided you wanted to go to a D3 school, can you talk about why?
I love to run, but I don’t want to go to school just to run. I have always been taught that education comes first, and if I were to run at a D1 school, I don’t think that I would be able to focus as much on my education. I am also passionate about biology and Spanish, and a D3 program, from what I know, provide a good balance of athletics and academics.
What other schools did you look at? And Why did you think Middlebury was the right choice in the end?
I toured Bowdoin, and did an overnight at Amherst because that is where my mom went. After my Amherst trip, I knew I had to make a decision because I wanted to apply early decision just to get that stress of college out of the way. Immediately after my stay, I knew I wanted to go to Middlebury. Everything about Midd seems right, the gorgeous rural location, the small class sizes, the academic rigor, as well as the talent of the cross country and track teams.
Middlebury has had a lot of success at the D3 level in both XC/Track, what event do you think you’ll focus on at the collegiate level?
I really want to try the steeple chase! It looks like a real challenge, and I am always up for a challenge. I think it all depends on how I adjust to college-intensity training. Maybe I have a dormant talent for the 10, 000 m (but let’s hope not).
What will you be studying at Middlebury?
Never have I been a history/ English person. I love science, biology in particular. After reading Born to Run, I realized that exercise physiology would be a relevant field to my life, and a background in biology at Middlebury would prepare me extremely well for grad school. Also, I love Spanish! One of my life goals is to become fluent, and Midd has a renowned language program. I am hoping to go abroad for at least one semester (and the coach is okay with this decision, actually encouraging it !).
I have seen over the time that often athletes who excel in XC/Track also achieve in the classroom, You are ranked #1 in your class, what lesson have you learned in athletics that you have carried over to the classroom or vice versa?
Well, in all aspects of my life, I give it my all. My friends criticize me at times for going to bed early, during the school week, but my body needs sleep for both class and running. I ask questions when I have them, whether it is an explanation of an interval workout or the citric acid cycle. Both parts of my life give me a sense of accomplishment, and in the end, the tasks that I have completed are what I can be proud of.
You don’t run indoor track, but swim instead in the winter. Do you think the from running helps you in the spring? Will you run year round at Middlebury?
I really do think the break helps me. I tend to get tired/ bored of things really fast, and I do not want to ruin the relationship that I have with running. Swimming is really good for the body because there is no pounding but still trains the aerobic system. My once-a-week run becomes something to look forward to immensely throughout the week. I am not planning on running indoor at Middlebury, and the coach know this. It is not so rare for an athlete to not run all seasons. Vermont has incredible mountains and trails, and I can’t wait for snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing!
Speaking of outdoor you ran 2:13.5 for 800m last spring, and under 4:57 in the 1600m. Have you thought ahead to your goal times you like to run this spring?
I have thought about this spring a lot; actually, just thinking about spring track gives me butterflies. My lifetime goal as a sophomore was to break 5 in the mile, and the first time I did last year, I felt like I could die happily. Now, any time that I can take off my times would just reassure me that I still have the capacity to run faster. College should be the time for big time drops, and I want to continue to improve.
