The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
DiCicco trying to stay motivated
Kent State runner, Mayfield grad getting creative with routes
At Kent State, all students were recently ordered out of their dormitories because of concerns about the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Freshman Nicole DiCicco, a runner for the Golden Flashes cross country and track and field teams, was back home on March 14. She and the rest of Ohio college students will finish the school year with online courses and tests.
The Mayfield graduate’s spring track and field season has also been canceled.
To stay in running shape, DiCicco has had to get creative to avoid monotony.
“Everyone’s like, ‘I see you running,’ “said DiCicco. “I’m always running on Mayfield Road and Lander (Road).”
Running has been DiCicco’s way of life as an athlete for a while. She enrolled at Kent State in the fall with some impressive credentials. At Mayfield, she was a two-time indoor state qualifier, a two-time regional outdoor regional qualifier, and a Western Reserve Conference champion and record holder in the 3,200 outdoor race.
On March 17, DiCicco returned to her old stomping grounds at Mayfield’s Wildcat Stadium hoping to run laps on the track but the stadium was locked. So she got creative.
“I’m running around the parking lot for a workout,” she said. “I have it measured out.”
One loop around Mayfield’s parking lot in front of its football stadium is a quarter-mile, said DiCicco. Beyond making her workouts different, DiCicco — like many athletes across the country — is battling another factor: motivation.
“I’m struggling to get out the door and run,” she said.
That’s because sports from high school, college to pros postponed or canceled, and there are more questions than answers about when normalcy will return.
The season is lost for DiCicco and her Golden Flashes track and field teammates, but she and others simply push through, and continue to train.
The NCAA has hinted players who missed out on the spring season might be eligible to retain that eventually, if they choose.
“I’m not sure I would stay a full fifth year,” said DiCicco, who runs about 35 miles per week. “Running does a lot to your body. After four years, I’ll probably be ready to go on and do something else.”
Until then, DiCicco will continue to do what she does best as athlete, and that’s continue to run.