D3 Glory Days Podcast

An unofficial series is coming to D3 Glory Days called ‘The Lost Season.’ We’re going to be interviewing those who lost their senior track season due to COVID-19. While many want to forget that time, we want to be a place where people can share their thoughts and help in the process of moving on. The second guest in this series is Samuel Gerstenbacher from Elizabethtown.

Samuel’s approach to running is something we can all relate to: he wants to run for as along as he can. While the fast times and new PRs are fun to Samuel, the act of going for a run is most important. In the episode he said, “For me, running is an expression of who I am as a person at this point. And I think a lot of people get to that point when they do it long enough.”

After losing his season to COVID-19, Samuel took time away from running. On one hand he wanted to let some injuries heal, but the loss of the season destroyed his motivation. It took a few months but the realization of not having structured training a part of his routine was unsettling to him. He slowly built his mileage back up and got back into racing shape.

The 2022 track season was fruitful for Samuel. He posted PRs in the 1500, Steeple and 5k running 3:47, 8:38, 14:06 respectively. While he’ll eye road races this fall, he’s eager to get back onto the track to break some big time barriers.

Rate or Review D3 Glory Days!

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

Follow D3 Glory Days

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

3-Year Anniversary

3 Years ago today we released our first episode with Will Leer! It’s been a blast bringing more coverage to the division. If you enjoyed any piece of content we’ve shared article, podcast, or social media posts please consider making a $3 donation in light of the special occasion!  D3 Glory Days Venmo.

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patron of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

An unofficial series is coming to D3 Glory Days called ‘The Lost Season.’ We’re going to be interviewing those who lost their senior track season due to COVID-19. While many want to forget that time, we want to be a place where people can share their thoughts and help in the process of moving on. The first guest in this series is Genny Corcoran from SUNY Geneseo.

Corcoran comes from a competitive running family and she wanted to follow in her footsteps of her brother by going to SUNY G. She was also looking for a school that felt like a community and had the ability to contribute right away. She felt right at home at SUNY Geneseo as the positive culture was contagious.

Throughout her career, her main goal were to always have a fun. You’ll see the positive outlook she took with running which helped her progress throughout her college days. With everything clicking her senior year, her mantra was to run fearless which led her to a runner-up finish at the 2019 XC National Championships.

Then, COVID-19 took away her final season but she took a lot out of that time. While her relationship with running changed, she now runs because she truly enjoys it.  She brings a ton of perspective to this episode that many with resonate with.

Rate or Review D3 Glory Days!

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

Follow D3 Glory Days

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

3-Year Anniversary

3 Years ago today we released our first episode with Will Leer! It’s been a blast bringing more coverage to the division. If you enjoyed any piece of content we’ve shared article, podcast, or social media posts please consider making a $3 donation in light of the special occasion!  D3 Glory Days Venmo.

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patron of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

You asked some questions - we gave some answers. We'll do a full XC preview here soon. Stu is on Vacation (bad timing).

The video that got Noah and Stu Hyped - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijTwZNUBhcI

Rate or Review D3 Glory Days!

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

Follow D3 Glory Days

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

3-Year Anniversary

3 Years ago today we released our first episode with Will Leer! It’s been a blast bringing more coverage to the division. If you enjoyed any piece of content we’ve shared article, podcast, or social media posts please consider making a $3 donation in light of the special occasion!  D3 Glory Days Venmo.

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patron of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

On this week’s episode, we sat down with University of Rochester grad, Dr. Dave Moller. Rochester went through a series of transitions during Dave’s time which allowed him to be a D1, D2, and D3 All-American. The first season he ran XC, Rochester was a D2 school but transitioned mid year. After earning D2 All-American honors in fall, he won the 3 mile at D3 Outdoor Nationals in the spring.

In 1974, Dave Moller had one of the best post-seasons a D3 runner has ever had. The University of Rochester runner started the postseason by winning the IC4As, which is an invitational of schools in the Northeast including D1. A few days later he won the D3 National meet which earned him a spot at the D1 National starting line. Against a competitive field that included Olympian, Craig Virgin, Dave finished 19th. His season wasn’t done yet! Just a week after competing in two national championships, Dave flew to San Fransisco to compete in the AAU championships. He ran majority of the race with Olympic medalist, Frank Shorter and ended up finishing 22nd.

Dave’s drive as a runner fueled his success. His weekly mileage totals sky rocketed as he began doubling and saw how the increased mileage improved his performance. That 1974 season inspired him to see where he could take his running. While on a training trip with the Florida Track Club in Gainesville, FL, he suffered a hamstring injury that took away his post-collegiate running career. While he never got back to the fitness that would make him competitive, he is still a life long runner and still runs to this day.

Rate or Review D3 Glory Days!

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

Follow D3 Glory Days

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

3-Year Anniversary

3 Years ago today we released our first episode with Will Leer! It’s been a blast bringing more coverage to the division. If you enjoyed any piece of content we’ve shared article, podcast, or social media posts please consider making a $3 donation in light of the special occasion!  D3 Glory Days Venmo.

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patron of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

A gallon of milk, a pound of pasta and a pound of ground beef is what transformed Sean Donnelly. A self proclaimed uncoordinated kid, Sean took the untraditional route to the throws. He left the baseball team after being deemed the 4th string catcher.

Late in his high school career, he got introduced to the weight room and became invested in becoming a Strong Man. His diet from above led the charge from transforming himself from 180 pounds to 240 pounds. The time in the weight room caught the eye of the throws coach and convinced Donnelly to go out for track.

Donnelly took to the throws very quickly. His strength led him to strong marks in just one short season but was too late in the college recruiting process to get looks from big schools. He was in constant contact with Mount Union and could see himself at the school regardless of the track team.

From there, Donnelly experienced success early on as he finished 5th at Outdoor Nationals his freshman year. As time went on, he continued to improve.  By his senior year, Donnelly had won 4 national titles and had to make a decision about his future. He could stay at Mount Union for his last season or go to the University of Minnesota for a job opportunity while also being able to compete.

Donnelly made the decision to go to Minnesota which propelled him into his career today. He finished 4th at D1 Nationals and went onto finish 9th at the trials. In his career, he’s finished top 5 in the USA 7 times.

Check out Sean’s Company: Grip and Rip

Follow Sean on Instagram

3-Year Anniversary

3 Years ago today we released our first episode with Will Leer! It’s been a blast bringing more coverage to the division. If you enjoyed any piece of content we’ve shared article, podcast, or social media posts please consider making a $3 donation in light of the special occasion!  D3 Glory Days Venmo.

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patreon of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

How to Support D3 Glory Days

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

Read the Article we referenced in the episode here!

Although “national champions” and “Loras women’s track and field team” seem almost synonymous these days, all dynasties have a beginning. In this episode we sit down with Head Coach Matt Jones to learn the history of the women of Loras just won 4 straight national titles. He goes in-depth on the difficulties getting the culture to where he wanted it to be and how to sustain that culture.

This is a great story of perseverance and working towards a collective goal.

3-Year Anniversary

3 Years ago today we released our first episode with Will Leer! It’s been a blast bringing more coverage to the division. If you enjoyed any piece of content we’ve shared article, podcast, or social media posts please consider making a $3 donation in light of the special occasion!  D3 Glory Days Venmo.

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patreon of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

How to Support D3 Glory Days

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

“I think it was because I didn't have the right set up that I wondered what my potential is if everything was going wrong in college then what happens when everything goes right? It was curiosity that drove me to continue my post-collegiate career.”

On paper you see three national titles, 10 All-American and a team title so what could have gone wrong? Under the hood, Melanie’s experience wasn’t exactly what she was hoping for at Baldwin Wallace. The coach that recruited her left right before she stepped foot on campus, the school implemented a self ban from post season competition, and she felt disconnected from her teammates due to her bouncing around to other events.

Despite all of that, Melanie had a tremendous career. She didn’t receive many looks from D1 schools despite solid marks in the long jump and 100m hurdles. As a Cleveland native, staying close to home made things easier and she knew she would be contribute to the team right away.

After her final national meet, a message from a BW alumnus sparked her to continue competing today. He saw the potential in her to continue her track and field career. It’s been a grind for Melanie as she’s competed unattached for five years now but was finally able to rock USA across her chest at the Thorpe cup. She’s had several Top 8 finishes at USA championships and is coming off a big PR in the shot put.

She’ll be eyeing the Worlds team next year after placing 7th at USAs this year. You can follow her journey on her Instagram.

3-Year Anniversary

3 Years ago today we released our first episode with Will Leer! It’s been a blast bringing more coverage to the division. If you enjoyed any piece of content we’ve shared article, podcast, or social media posts please consider making a $3 donation in light of the special occasion!  D3 Glory Days Venmo.

Summer of Hayward

Don’t miss out on all the action at the World Championships.  Get your Summer of Hayward Tickets now!

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patreon of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

How to Support D3 Glory Days

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

“You don't know how many World Championships you go to. Hopefully a lot more after this. But the goal is to go in there and go to finals and compete for a medal.”

Being the youngest in a family of great pole vaulters, Luke Winder was destined to be great. After winning a state title like his brothers and father, Luke went on to North Central where was a 7x National Champion and one time runner-up. He almost ran the table with eight straight national titles. Seeing his brother compete post-collegiately and a loss at the 2018 Outdoor National Champions, Luke knew he wasn’t done with pole vault just yet.

Changing coaches during a Worlds year can be seen as a risky move. For Luke Winder, this change has helped his career tremendously and is a big reason why he’ll be pole vaulting at the World Championships. Why was this change so successful? He continued working with someone he trusts: his brother.

Growing up in the Winder household, pole vault was always present. One rule that Tim Winder made for his sons about pole vaulting was they had to explicitly ask him to be their coach. Tim never wanted to force Pole Vault onto his sons and Luke attributes his addiction to vaulting to that reason.

We touch on the mental fortitude needed to compete in pol vault and how Luke was able to work with his brother this year to make him mentally stronger to compete. The work paid off quickly after he went from no height at USAs indoors to qualifying for Worlds outdoors.

Luke will be competing on July 22nd for the qualification round and July 24th is the final.

Luke and his brother Jake took over their father’s Pole Vault facility. You can learn more about it here.

Summer of Hayward

Don’t miss out on all the action at the World Championships.  Get your Summer of Hayward Tickets now!

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

This past season was a great undertaking in our labor of love. We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patreon of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

How to Support D3 Glory Days

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

We launched a live D3 Track Show. Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss it.

If you would like to help support the podcast or say thanks to our writers, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs, hosting services, and help out our new writers.

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

“When I won my first title, I imagined what it would feel like to go to Nationals again and lose. And that just definitely wouldn't sit well with me.”

At USAs, Kyle Rollins placed 5th in the high jump with a new PB of 2.22m (7-3.1/4) but it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Kyle opened up the entire competition at his season best height! Talk about nerves. Rollins cleared his season best on his very first height to settle his nerves down and proved that he belonged.

As a competitive person, Kyle wants to get the best out of himself each time he competes. It’s one of the reasons he came into college as a multi athlete as he would rather compete in 10 events rather than just one. Unfortunately, a health issue forced to leave the Multi and focus on high jump.

Kyle saw success early as he went 4th, 5th, and 2nd in his first three national meets. The runner-up performance his sophomore year gave him the confidence he needed to win his first national title. He figured out what he needed to adjust and he never lost a high jump national title after that. He credits that to not settling and be happy with just one title.

Rollins has one more season of eligibility but is unsure when he’ll use it. With St. John Fisher hosting the national championships in 2023, there’s a small chance we see him compete one more time.

Enjoy this video fo Kyle dunking.

Summer of Hayward

Don’t miss out on all the action leading up to the World Championships. Hayward Field will host so many great events that you don’t want to miss. Get your Summer of Hayward Tickets now!

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

This past season was a great undertaking in our labor of love. We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patreon of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

How to Support D3 Glory Days

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

We launched a live D3 Track Show. Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss it.

If you would like to help support the podcast or say thanks to our writers, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs, hosting services, and help out our new writers.

If you want to rep D3 Glory Days on your next run, head to our Merch Store. And finally, follow us on social media! We’re on Instagram, Twitter and Strava.

“Competing at USAs is something that I'll talk about for the rest of my life. I'm sure the people around me are going to get sick of it, but I'm sorry, I’m going to keep talking about it!”

This week we sit down with Concordia Chicago duo, Simone Wilson and Kayla Armstrong! Fresh of their national titles in the 400mH and 400m, Simone and Kayla head to Eugene, Oregon to compete against the best athletes in the USA for a chance to compete at the World Championships next month.

Before they compete on the biggest stage, we learned how Simone and Kayla got to Concordia and what their progression looked like. They both are thrilled with the opportunities they received at a D3 school and cited they didn’t need a D1 school to achieve the success they’re having.

Simone came to Concordia without qualifying for the State meet. She was sold on the small school experience and the family atmospher the team presented. She quickly made an immediate impact while becoming an All-American her freshman year.

Kayla had a different approach to Concordia. She came in as a State champion with the option to potentially go to a Mid-Major D1. She saw the benefits Simone saw in the family atmosphere and felt more comfortable at Concordia.

Simone competes at 4:50pm PST and Kayla competes at 7:11pm PST .on Thursday

Kava Haus

Kava Haus is a family owned coffee shop in Wilmington, Ohio. In fact, there’s a special connection to D3 as it’s Simon Heys’ family store. They’re offering 10% off to D3 Glory Days Listeners when you use Kava22 at Checkout. Head to www.thekavahaus.com to get your morning started right.

Summer of Hayward

Don’t miss out on all the action leading up to the World Championships. Hayward Field will host so many great events that you don’t want to miss. Get your Summer of Hayward Tickets now!

D3 Glory Days Patreon

We launched a Patreon! As we said, we will never go behind a paywall - so any support is greatly appreciated.

This past season was a great undertaking in our labor of love. We enjoy bringing you this content and we realized we could do so much more with a little bit of backing. We want to ensure D3 gets the coverage it deserves and keeping this website paywall free! If you have enjoyed this podcast and the articles we have put, please consider becoming a Patreon of D3 Glory Days. In full disclosure, the money will go directly into the show: equipment, subscriptions we need, and most importantly, money to our writers. If you are able, we would appreciate your support.

How to Support D3 Glory Days

As always, we really appreciate your support of this podcast. If you’d like to help spread the word, share the podcast with a friend, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or leave a rating on Spotify!

We launched a live D3 Track Show. Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss it.

If you would like to help support the podcast or say thanks to our writers, please consider making a donation on the D3 Glory Days Venmo. This helps offset some costs, hosting services, and help out our new writers.