Sophomore Emily Pifer may have been recruited by big-conference schools such as Vanderbilt and Cincinnati, but she decided to run at Ohio University because of the connection she felt to the Bobcats.
After only two years running as a Bobcat, Pifer qualified for the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville, Fla., which she will compete in this week.
“The coaches made me feel that I can be a great athlete if I came here,” Pifer said. “They weren’t trying to put on a big show like other schools, and I just felt comfortable when I visited.”
Pifer met her current teammate, roommate and best friend during her senior year of high school. Sophomore Melissa Thompson attended St. Francis DeSales in Columbus where she ran against Pifer.
At the last meet of their senior year, they ran against each other in the mile.
Pifer finished ahead of Thompson, and after the race, they met up and realized they were both becoming Bobcats.
“Emily has a lot more determination and hard work than a lot of runners,”
Thompson said. “An average runner is willing to put in 50 to 60 miles a week, but Emily really goes above and beyond, not just in the amount of miles she puts on the pavement but also in everything she does that involves running.”
Pifer’s love and dedication for the sport is apparent to all who know her. Her former running partner, her mom, used to be able to keep up but still remembers her daughter’s first 5k at 9 years old when she finished behind someone who looked at least 20 years old.
“Running was something fun we can do together, something we can share that was special,” Kelly Pifer said. “It was a great time where we can talk.”
What has changed, though, is Emily’s superstition with her pink tie-dyed socks in high school.
“For college, I have let go of all my superstitions because I realized the race is not going to be dependent on what socks you’re wearing or how you do your hair or what you eat for breakfast,” Pifer said. “Those distract you from the important part of the race.”
Tie-dyed socks on or not, Pifer has put in the miles. After recording a career-best 10,000-meter run time of 34 minutes, 55.33 seconds at the Hillsdale College “GINA” Relays, Pifer finished the season ranked 38th on the 2012 NCAA Division I East Qualifiers list.
And most recently, Pifer placed fourth in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 36:11.32 at the Mid-American Conference Championships. She said her biggest accomplishment was her more than two-minute improvement from last year’s 10,000-meter races.
Pifer also was the MAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week in January and earned a spot on the 2012 Women’s Indoor Track and Field Academic All-MAC Team. Upholding a 3.94 GPA, Pifer also runs for the cross-country team and is studying journalism and pursuing a minor in business administration and English. Her goal after college is not only to keep training and running marathons but also to attend law school.
“She’s very consistent in her training,” said distance coach Mitch Bentley. “Her mental toughness is right where it needs to be. She never skips workouts in her off time. Those are the key points that have made her improve from her freshman year to this year.”
Pifer has mentally and physically prepared herself as much as possible for Tuesday’s NCAA East Regional, the biggest race of her career. During the past week, she has run in the hottest temperatures of the day to physically prepare herself for the heat in Jacksonville.
“I have told myself there’s really no pressure for this race,” Pifer said. “I am just lucky to have made it and qualified to get this great opportunity to run against the fastest girls in the region. I keep telling myself that I belong in this race against them.”
nb155607@ohiou.edu
