Connor Hull is a senior Accounting major on the Jewell track and field team. The Hilltop Monitor interviewed Hull as part of a series featuring senior athletes at Jewell.

THM: What was going through your head when you recently broke the 200 meter school record at CMU this past weekend?

So I was in line 8 and everyone in the heat was faster than me. So all I was thinking about was that I had to go because I was terrified that they were going to catch me on the curve and that would have been embarrassing because it was a short curve. But no, I just gave him my all. The track was giving out, so I felt a little divot in it, but you know, it was a fun race. 20.3 easy, so… happy to PR.

THM: What’s your main (favorite) event in track?

Sadly, my main event is the 400. I love it. I hate it. It’s the best and the worst at the same time. It’s always super tiring. It was always nerve-wracking, but it’s always good to run fast in it. I don’t know. I respect it the most.

THM: When you broke the 200m school record, how did it feel to run that PR? Is that something you had been working toward for a long time, or did it come naturally with your training?

It kind of came along. You know, I had a plateau, you know, for the past 2 years. That was always annoying. But, no, the new training, I guess, has been helping a lot. I mean, I PR half a second since last year in the 200. I mean, I was excited that I PR’d. I’m a little disappointed, you know, because I still lost by quite a bit. in the race. But, you know, also have, you know, next week to do better. So, you know, I’m so happy that I broke the record because I didn’t even know what the time was, so… It’s kind of neat when coach told me.

THM: During indoor season, you also ran a new PR in the 400 and broke the school record. What were your thoughts on that race?

That one was… Oh, where was that at? I’m trying to like picture it. Oh, it was Northwest. At that, what was it, a Thursday meeting? Yeah, and I was so pissed off that we had to go to a meet on Thursday. And I was like, you know, we’re just gonna run. not going to be good or anything. And I mean, I just got out there and started running and I PRd. I didn’t really have any hopes to run fast at all. I don’t know. I was more surprised that I ran that fast, so many things. I don’t know. I was just like, we had to go, so it’s just…I was just kind of disappointed. But, you know, I was happy to PR.

THM: After being named GLVC Freshman Athlete of the Year during indoor season, it seems like you’re having a strong comeback now—what changes have you made in your training, and what do you think has contributed to your recent record-breaking performances?

Part of it, you know, is like the training changes up, so I think I’m adapting to like how the training’s going. But the other part is I’m a senior. This is, like, the last time I’m gonna be competing in college, so if I don’t do good in that, it’s gonna stay like that forever. That’s one of those times, like, I don’t want to end off on a bad time or anything. I want it to look good. I want to leave. I don’t look like I, you know, I just, like, ran 48s all year, and, like, didn’t get better throughout my 4 years of college. So it’s kind of motivation to not be worse than my freshman year yourself.

THM: What keeps you motivated to keep pushing your limits on the track?

Honestly, to not let the coaches down. It’s always, you know, like, you get into, like, almost like a lull with some coaches, like Coach Walker, you know, you, like, kind of, like, stop pushing us as hard and everything. So like when you get a new coach, you know, you don’t want to disappoint them and everything. Yeah. So there’s always that in the back of your head. Like, you don’t want to, you know, do bad every week when they have high hopes for you, but, I mean, the other one, the motivation is just, you know, I just want to be better. I don’t want to lose to [first-years] anymore. We’ve got a month left of school and everything, and I just want to give it my all. You know, I’m not gonna be doing it as hard again for a while, so… It’s my last chance.

THM: What is one piece of advice you would give to other athletes at Jewell or elsewhere, and what advice would you give to your younger freshman self?

Just stay focused. It’s difficult to balance school and sports at the same time, but I don’t know. If you just love the sport that you do, it’s pretty easy. Just, you know, you just have to do everything that you’re supposed to, you know, go to practice on time, lift, do everything you’re supposed to do. Recover, get 8 hours of sleep, and all that. You know, because you if don’t get enough sleep, you know, you kind of look like you got bed head, and you do really bad. But yeah, uh, I don’t know. I guess the biggest thing is, uh, it’s not my coach is, uh, to stay hydrated and get sleep. Take care of your body.

THM: You heard it here. Connor Hull.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

This interview was edited for brevity and flow.

Luke Pierce came all the way from Floresville, a small town in Texas, to attend William Jewell College. Many members of his family also attended the College, making Jewell a second home for Pierce. 

Besides being a student-athlete on the track & field team – where he runs the 400m, 200m and 4×4 relay – Pierce is a member of Tri-Beta Honor Society, writes for The Hilltop Monitor and is enrolled in 20 credit hours this semester. A typical Monday for Pierce is as follows:

7 a.m.: Wake up, shower, eat a big breakfast and look over homework

9 a.m.: Organic Chemistry class

10:15 a.m.: The Hilltop Monitor meeting, eat lunch and do a bit of homework 

11:15 a.m.: Microbiology class

12:30 p.m.: Physiology class

1:45 p.m.: Ecology class

3 p.m.: Undergraduate research meeting 

3:30 p.m.: Track practice. Pierce is typically 15 minutes late due to his research meeting, so he misses warmups. 

5 p.m.: Shower, decompress and plan for the evening

5:30 p.m.: Cook and eat dinner

7 p.m.: Homework 

12 a.m.: Go to bed to wake up for weights on Tuesday at 4:30 a.m.

It is undeniably hard to balance 20 credit hours of classes on top of being a student-athlete, but Pierce says it’s all about balance for him. 

“I have this philosophy: mind, body and spirit… I got into body first, and then I got to college and started working with the mind and now I’m working on the spirit part. Basically those three aspects, I try to make that my foundation. If I have that then I’ll get through anything else,” Pierce said. “If you get stressed out with this kind of schedule, you’re going to fail. You can’t go into 20 credit hours and go to practice everyday and lift weights twice a week and still make it. You have to look for a way to do it and that’s how I do it.”

Pierce’s balance between academics and sports keeps him very disciplined, even down to the meals he eats. But he insists that he likes his academic routine and that his regimen for staying healthy helps him think more clearly.

Through overcoming the challenges that maintaining academics and sports bring, Pierce says he feels more prepared for the future. He plans to go to dental school after taking a gap year. 

“It’s really made me look at myself and how I do things… I’m always looking to do things better. [Finding balance is] probably one of the hardest things I’ve done. But I want to go to dental school and you take a lot of credit hours at once so this is a good test to see how that would feel,” Pierce said. “And so far, it’s not bad. I’m doing how I thought I’d do, how I wanted to do. Grade-wise, physical-wise, where I am with jobs and dental school and all that stuff.”

Track meets start Jan. 16 during Pierce’s final semester, as he readies himself for graduation and running in his final college sports season.

One of the most pivotal points in a young person’s life is leaving home and moving into a college dormitory. This marker on the timeline of life is one of the most memorable and fun experiences. When you move away from home to start your first year of college, you get a rush of excitement and independence. The anticipation of getting college life started is a life event worth hearing about. 

Noah Mayo is first-year at William Jewell College and comes from Plainfield, Illinois, where he attended Wheaton Academy. Plainfield is located in the suburbs of Chicago –  about 45 minutes outside of the city. He admits that “being far from home is hard.” Although Mayo misses home at times, he appreciates getting to experience living in a smaller city. I can relate to Mayo as I hail from south Texas. Noah, you will get used to it, man! 

Mayo was attracted to Jewell because he wanted to receive a liberal arts education. He is interested in the thought-provoking style that accompanies the liberal arts curriculum. Mayo seeks to view the world through a broad lens so that he can understand and appreciate it more. His eagerness to learn to think and not merely acquire information aligns with what Jewell stands for. 

Mayo is majoring in Oxbridge: Institutions and Policy – part of the Oxbridge Honors Program at Jewell. The Oxbridge Honors Program requires more commitment and thought than the traditional college major. 

“[I] knew that the Oxbridge Honors Program, especially the Institutions and Policy major, would give me the tools I needed to be successful for my future career,” Mayo said.

Mayo wants to eventually go to law school, and he knew this from the very start. He can already see that the Oxbridge Introductory Seminar –  the first Oxbridge-specific class in the four-year Oxbridge journey – prepares him to understand, speak and write about arguments with a critical eye. As a future lawyer, the skill-set of understanding the structure of an argument is an imperative one. So far, Mayo is delighted to see that what he thought he would get out of the Oxbridge Honors Program is coming to life. 

When Mayo is not studying, reading or writing, he runs as a sprinter on the Jewell track team  His featured event is the men’s 400-meter. Getting the opportunity to run college track was another influential component of Noah’s decision to come to Jewell. He is grateful for the chance to compete at a high-level as Jewell is part of the NCAA Great Lakes Valley Conference Division II. As Mayo’s daily training partner, I can attest that he is dedicated to competing at such a high-level. Noah is hopeful to speed-up his 400 time and enjoys living as a college student-athlete. 

Mayo’s favorite part about Jewell is the small class size.

“At a bigger school, it is easy to hide – but here, that’s not really an option!” said Mayo. 

Mayo understands that you cannot fake your way through understanding the content here at Jewell, because the professors will know. He appreciates what a small class setting will do for him as a future lawyer. Mainly, because in a small classroom, he is forced to speak up and voice his opinions. Noah recognizes the benefits that come with a smaller school, and he appreciates the uniqueness of how it can help a person grow as an individual. 

A fun fact about Mayo is that he loves soul music. Some of his favorite artists include Sam Cook, Marvin Gaye, The O’Jays and the Temptations. If you are into that genre of music, send a few tracks his way! 

Mayo comes from a place that is far from Jewell, but he is managing to adapt and is learning to live in a new environment. As a first-year at William Jewell College, he recognizes what this place is all about. Although Mayo began his inaugural college year during a global pandemic, he still finds a way to get the most from his education and time on campus.

Good luck during your first year in college, Noah, and don’t forget that there “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” 

Over the years, allegations of abuse and neglect have been brought forward by many female athletes. At 17, Mary Cain became one of the fastest females in track and field. She later joined Nike’s Elite Oregon Project and endured years of abuse, injury and body shame. Cain claims that the abuse was fueled by the fact that she was trained by an all-male coaching team, and that their training program drastically altered her body. 

Mary became unsafely thin and endured disrupted hormones due to her strict training. Her estrogen became so low that she broke five bones and did not have a menstrual cycle for three years.  She claims that her coach would berate her in front of teammates for her weight and conduct weigh-ins in front of the athletes in order to shame her. Mary’s coach attempted to put her diuretics and birth control pills that would cause her to lose water weight and get her period back.

She claims that she never took the pills, but her eating became more and more disordered. Eventually she hit rock bottom and became severely depressed and was self-harming. There should be more education provided in the athletic world about the damage that excessive amounts of exercise can have particularly on the female body.  

It has been found that those who exercise excessively are at increased risk of developing “permanent structural changes to heart muscles which scientists describe as cardiotoxic. Overexertion can also lead to a poor immune system, broken bones and mental health illness.” 

Cain’s story has raised questions in the sports world about female athletes and if similar abuse is occuring in other athletic programs across the country. As an athlete that joined a competitive tennis club in high school this story makes me reflect on not only the way that female athletes are treated but the body image standards that we are often forced to abide by. 

There is a difference between maintaining a healthy weight and being scrutinized for unrealistic body weight expectations. Much of the training that occurs in these competitive sports clubs is also run by men. Cain’s case demonstrates how overexertion and incorrect training for the female body can drastically alter female hormones and can be damaging to the body.