FC has had some impressive athletes pass through these halls, from records to all-stating. Some of these athletes have had the opportunity to go to a Division One college to continue their sport. We were able to catch up with a few of those players to ask them about their experiences and ask some advice. We talked to Kaitlyn Stewart, a cross country runner at Ohio University, Zen Michalski, a lineman at Ohio State University, Will Conway, a track runner at Oklahoma State University, and Weston Naville, a cross country runner at Miami (Ohio) University.
What is the biggest difference between high school and college sports?
Kaitlyn: “The training gets taken up a notch and everyone, coaches and teammates, take the sport more seriously. In college, the sport is basically a job, so you have to treat it as such.”
Zen: “College sports are just much faster, it’s a business depending on the level you are playing at and you have to find a good balance between school and sports because your coaches will be pulling you hard to your sport while you have to keep your grades.”
Will: “The biggest difference between high school and college sports is the environment. You are constantly surrounded by people with the goal of being great at their sport, no other motives. High school is a lot less serious and college is a lot more about reaching your potential.”
Weston: “The biggest difference between high school and Division One sports is the level of competition. You probably hear that a lot but it’s true and often the biggest difference. Going from competing with southern Indiana and the state as a whole, to practically the world is a big difference. The amount of international athletes is at a high right now and continues to go up. Meaning that the NCAA is made of the best talent in the world now.”
How did your time at Floyd prepare you for college?
Kaitlyn: “I had some amazing coaches while at Floyd. Jeff Liddle and Solomon Bennett did a great job preparing me for college. Jeff would give me curated workouts, and Bennett would go on runs with me. I’m very thankful for all of the support they gave me throughout my high school career.”
Zen: “Floyd Central provides a lot of our athletes in terms of opportunities to play better teams. I like what Coach Bragg is doing in terms of scheduling harder opponents.”
Will: “My time at Floyd taught me several lessons. I learned that it won’t always be easy and sometimes the best thing you can do is put your head down and get to work. It was at Floyd that I learned that nobody cares about your excuses, no matter if they’re valid or not. You have to find a way, not an excuse.”
Weston: “Floyd Central did a great job preparing me for college. The amount of dual credit and AP classes offered allowed me to get an early start on college curriculum, that let me start my first semester as a sophomore. The high level of athletics al
so did a good job preparing me for what it’s like to be a part of a team, and not just work for myself.”
What is some advice you would give to a high school athlete thinking about playing in college?
Kaitlyn: “Remember why you do your sport. If you genuinely love your sport, the higher intensity of college athletics will be exciting for you, but if you are just in it for the money, it will suck the fun out of your sport and make it more stressful. Make sure that you genuinely enjoy what you do!”
Zen: “ You have to have the grades, school is most important to get into every school. And putting yourself out there whether it’s camps or making a twitter for recruiting.”
Will: “My biggest advice for students wanting to play D1 is to not care about what anyone thinks of you and be yourself. Sometimes you’ll be called a “try hard” or people will think it’s weird that you care about your sport so much. You have to ignore them and keep focused on your goals and what type makes you happy, not popularity. Get the work in because you love it, you don’t need anyone else’s approval.”
Weston: “I think collegiate athletics is a great idea at all levels. It can be hard to balance with your academic load, but if you are capable there are all sorts of benefits. It’s not for everyone but if you are confident give it a shot.”
Ohio University recently got second place in the women’s Mid-American Conference championship, where Kaitlyn placed 19th individually. OSU recently beat #3 ranked Penn State, a game where Zen started. Miami (OH) placed second in the men’s MAC Championship as well, but Weston did not place. Will Conway has not run yet, as his season at OSU hasn’t started.
