When Ohio State’s Michelle Thomas passed Ohio’s Juli Accurso in the 10,000-meter race at the All-Ohio Championships, Accurso looked at her for a second before deciding to turn the attention back on her watch. It wasn’t time yet to run faster.
In the meantime, Ohio distance coach Mitch Bentley was standing to the side of the Goldsberry Track, but didn’t tell the junior to pick up her pace.
“You rely on the runner to do the best they can and make choices themselves,” he said.
Bentley trusts Accurso, as she has made smart race choices throughout her collegiate career. Although she is just a junior, Accurso is already a three-time All-American and a two-time Mid-American Conference champion. Last fall, she also became the program’s first athlete to win the Great Lakes Regional race in cross-country.
Having received several academic and MAC athlete of the week awards, the running-standout needs a moment before remembering all of her titles.
“She is the best athlete I have ever coached,” Bentley said.
Despite her record-breaking cross-country season, the thought of Accurso not lacing her running shoes between seasons never crossed the athlete’s mind.
“I never came to the point where I am completely satisfied,” Accurso said. “(At the end of the season) your mind automatically looks ahead to the next season. It is part of a runner’s personality to work towards perfection. It’s the passion that keeps that fire to push hard.”
Pushing herself earned Accurso the No. 19 ranking in the 10,000-meters this season, after eliminating Ohio State’s Thomas’ 50-meter lead in less than two laps.
Three years ago, not many foresaw the Casstown, Ohio native ranking among the nation’s best, as she did not join the track and field team until her junior year of high school, which resulted in no colleges in the country placing her on a recruiting list.
It took a lot of practices to keep up with those being recruited.
“I run every day, and twice a day three times a week,” she said, adding that she also does three strengthening workouts.
Ohio coach Clay Calkins knows that her work ethic is a major factor of her success.
“Not many people are applying themselves to a level she applies herself to,” he said. “That’s what makes her so good.”
Accurso also tried to go beyond her limits outside of running.The junior studying linguistics and French skipped her sophomore outdoor track season to travel to France. Because she practiced by herself during the entire trip, she never regretted her decision.
“Being away for so long and meeting new people taught me to still have success if you roll with the punches and accept what happens,” she said. “That really helps my training.”
Bentley, however, is still searching for what makes her go beyond her limits.
“It’s always a mystery to where she draws her inspiration from,” he said.
Accurso only has one simple answer:
“I just want to be better. That keeps me going.”
am794811@ohiou.edu
