Captain Donovan Fiore, ‘20, led the Blue and White on the second day of the recent W&L Track Carnival meet. He captured a first-place finish in the 200 meter with a personal-best time of 22.29. He also placed second in the 400 meter and ran on the winning 100 meter relay team. Fiore, however, is not satisfied and is striving for faster times.

Ring-tum Phi: You had a great performance on the second day of the W&L Track Carnival. Can you talk about how you felt after your first and second place finishes this past weekend?

Donovan Fiore, ‘20: It’s funny actually; I was a little disappointed in my performances. While I placed well in the events, I was hoping for faster times, but due to weather conditions and where we are in our training cycle, those fast times I wanted were not happening. Coach Uhl is very wise and plans our training accordingly, so while I may not always see the big picture, he knows exactly how we should be running. It was, however, absolutely incredible to race at home, in front of all my friends and family, especially since my mom flew all the way from Arizona to watch! Races are fun to run and even more fun to win, but I keep pushing myself in hopes of achieving faster times.

Phi: How do you feel the outdoor season has been going so far?

DF: The outdoor season always flies by. It has gone well so far, but both of the previous meets have had unfortunate weather that has restricted our times from reflecting our full potential. Fortunately for us, none of these times matter going into conference, and I know we will do well when the time comes to peak.

Phi: Do you prefer the indoor or outdoor season? If you do have a preference, why?

DF: It’s always fun to open up our legs and run on a track with wider turns, and many of the freshmen coming in are significantly more familiar with an outdoor track. I personally had never run on an indoor track before college, so I feel much more at home on the wider turns of outdoor. The season is short, but we are gearing up for conference, and it has been a steady climb to reach our best in a few weeks.

Phi: How are you trying to serve as a leader for the younger athletes?

DF: I was blessed with the leadership role of captain this year, which I think is especially valuable as I am currently a sophomore and can reach the First Years more easily. I can relate to them and communicate with them well, which I feel has helped team dynamic. I try to always put others before myself and serve first before taking anything for myself, but the credit goes to the team. They have raised me up more times than I can count. They make it easy to be a leader and have been the best support system for me on campus.

Phi: With the time you have left this season, what is your goal?

DF: My goal is to continue serving the team as best I can, raising other teammates up when they need it. I hope to maintain the friendships and bonds I have with each team member and carry them over to next year. One of our team goals for this year was to keep every freshman on the team [meaning nobody drops track and field]. And I am happy to say we have achieved that goal. I personally also hope to break the outdoor 200 meter record, win all of my events at ODACs and qualify for Nationals, which I just missed out on in the indoor season.

Phi: What do you hope the team achieves as a whole?

DF: The [men’s] team’s main goal is to win ODACs for outdoor and complete the triple crown for the second year in a row: winning cross country, indoor and outdoor. Other team goals include maintaining a team GPA of 3.41 or higher and focusing efforts on welcoming new teammates next year.

Phi: How is being a student-athlete for you? How do you manage your time?

DF: Time management is always tough, especially considering the busy schedule of a student. Participating in athletics while managing other aspects of life requires constant planning, organization and foresight, and most of all, knowing how to rest. That is an area I especially struggle with, but knowing when and how to rest well is critical to success.

Phi: What is the most exciting part of every practice? What do you look forward to?

DF: I look forward to practice every day for one big reason: the team. Because of coach and my teammates, I find myself eagerly looking forward to practice even when it is raining or snowing or when we have a particularly brutal workout. The running and personal fitness is enjoyable but doesn’t hold a candle to the relationships I have with my teammates and coach, which is especially easy to see when practices are on our own over the summer. I love the workouts, and I love my team.

Phi: What do you like most about competing?

DF: Competition is fun, because it directly pits each competitor against the other. Especially in the 400 meter, the race is a test of will, and we all love pushing each other. I actually have great relationships with the runners from other schools in my events because we all love the thrill of competition and the comfort of trying our best. There is nothing quite like the anticipation of the pain you are about to endure in the 400 meter, but the thrill of pure competition makes up for it.