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Athlete of the Week: Ryan Gioe

By Thomas ScavettaAthlete of the Week
Assistant Sports Editor

Ryan Gioe, a sophomore Engineering major from Huntington Station, N.Y., is a runner for the LIU Post Cross Country and Track & Field teams. Gioe is coming off a stellar first year with the Pioneers, performing very well in both the East Coast Conference Championships and the East Region Championships.

Q: Is there any significant difference between cross country and track?
A: Cross Country is ran more in the trails where there’s higher elevation. Track is more controlled and ran on an even surface.

Q: How can you build on your success from last year as a freshman?
A: Staying healthy is key. I also need to keep up my mileage. Core and lifting is important because it has helped me grow and succeed more. Knowing when to push myself and when to slow down is also beneficial to my game.

Q: What are your biggest goals this year?
A: First, I’d say coming first in our conference. Then, I want to make the first team All-Conference and then possibly try to make the All-Region team.

Q: Does your team have what it takes to win at the ECC Championships?
A: I definitely think so. Once we work on our higher mileage and have quicker workouts, we’ll be in very good shape moving forward. Roberts Wesleyan University is our biggest competition, so we need to prepare for them.

Q: When did you first start running track and cross country?
A: I started track in seventh grade and cross country in eighth grade. Overall, I’ve been running for about seven years.

Q: What influenced your decision to choose LIU Post over other schools?
A: Post has a very good Pre-Engineering program, which was a huge eye-opener. Also, the opportunity to run in college, and the atmosphere here is great.

Q: What is your favorite part about running?
A: Just letting everything go and how time slows down. My favorite part is morning runs.

Q: How do you prepare yourself for meets and invitationals?
A: I warm up for about 45 minutes by stretching and listening to music. I also run about one or two miles and take my mind off the race.

Q: Who do you most admire?
A: The people I most admire are middle and long distance runner, Steve Prefontaine, my older brother, and my mother because they all give 100 percent effort in everything they do.

Q: What goes through your mind prior to a race?
A: I like to joke around a little and stay relaxed. I tell myself to enjoy the race.

Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: I usually study for school and help out in recruitment for my fraternity, Theta Chi. I also enjoy listening to music.

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