Mansfield University Athletic recently issued the following announcement
After using the fall cross country season to adjust to the collegiate level of competition and training, freshman Christian Tanner was primed for a breakout winter where he would battle against some of the top runners in all of Division II during the Indoor track and field season.
Tanner was not only able to adjust to the level to remain competitive, he found himself near the top of every race he took part in and by the end of the season found himself on the podium at the PSAC Indoor Championships with an All-Conference 3rd-place finish in the mile with a time of 4:22.99.
His efforts in the winter also made him the first freshman in over nine years to bring home Winter Male Athlete of the Year honors, since Joe Bell (men's basketball) did so in 2011-12.
Tanner (Music / Smethport, Pa. / Smethport) was the men's indoor track and field team's iron man, qualifying in multiple distance events for the PSAC Championship, competing in the 4x400, 300-meter run, mile and 800-meter run. Tanner didn't wait long to find his name in the men's record books, climbing up to fourth in the 800-meter run (1:55.27) and eighth in the mile (4:22.99).
Described by coaches as having one of the best late-run kicks since All-American Chris Cummings '08, Tanner finished the Indoor season with 11 top-10 finishes, while bringing home gold twice throughout the year.
The Smethport, Pa. native will look to follow in the footsteps of Cummings, who set the MU Athletics' record with seven Athlete of the Year honors. Tanner was also named Indoor Track and Field Team MVP.
Tanner had his outdoor seasons canceled, however, will return in 2021 and will without a doubt continue to improve on his breakthrough season.
Hear from the second-year runner as he touches on what running means to him, training during the pandemic, his favorite quote, message to the team and more.
What has track and field and cross country meant to you?
A: Track and Cross Country has become part of my world and something I think of all the time. It's like a brotherly love type of relationship where you may hate it at some points but at the end of the day when you visit it again you find that deep feeling of love, and the reason you did it in the first place. These sports have always been my go-to when things are hard or difficult. One run on a good day can make a whole week. One good race and the drive to take on the world is there and burning fiercer than before. They have always been there when I needed it the most.
How has sports helped you grow into the person you have become?
A: They have taught me discipline and drive. It has taught me how to fight for things I truly want and being independent. It really helps you learn how be able to block many of the world's distractions out and really focus on what the task at hand is.
How has not playing sports during these difficult times been for you?
A: With not being able to compete during these times it has been very hard. It really takes a hit mentally with the drive to train. Usually you have a race to focus on, but with races being so far away it takes a toll on your mind, and that's where you have to take hold of it just like in a race setting and shut everything down except the task at hand. Personally, not being able to race drives me insane and it feels like I'm not as primed in running as I was when there were races. There is no place to leave everything out on the line, no place to unload all the frustrations, anger, and pains of what is going on in the world.
What quote inspires you and is preparing you for a return-to-sports in your life?
A: In the world that we are all fighting through right now a quote from Mo Farah really stick out right now, "The race is won or lost far away from the witnesses behind the lines on the track and out there on the road long before I dance under those lights." This can't be any more perfect for what we are going through right now. We are a long way out from any type of competition, so we are stuck in a place of constant training. It's up to us as individuals to decide what we want when it is time to race. It's up to us to train hard now even though we are going through a hard time. We must see that long-term goal and never lose sight of I whilst we train. The race is won or lost in your mind before you even step on that track, and that is very true.
As a team leader, what message have you given to the team, especially the young players during this time?
A: As distance runners all out time spend out there training alone, we get into our won heads. We get into our heads before we race, during the race and post-race. We are built differently than anyone else as athletes. We are built to endure the hard times, to deal with the mental and physical stresses that are thrown at us. There is no one more capable to get through this difficult time that we are in but us. This is our job. To be able to be knocked down and to get back up and get knocked down again and still have the tough will power to pull ourselves back up and fight for what we set our sights to. To overcome the difficult and to persist. NOTHING will stand in our way, to knock us down, so we cannot make our goal.
Original source can be found here
Source: Mansfield University Athletic
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