“What pasta shape do you identify most with?”: Iris Archer asks 22 ridiculous questions to the St. Bonaventure cross country team

By Iris Archer
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The 2021 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Championships take place Sat. Oct. 30 in Cedarville, Ohio, starting at 10 a.m.

On a rainy afternoon last week, I had the privilege of interviewing some of my wonderful teammates on the St. Bonaventure cross country team. I wanted to give some of my teammates, friends, an opportunity to introduce themselves to the campus community. Both the men’s and women’s teams have been extremely successful this year, setting top ten program times in nearly every race. You can obviously attribute our success on the course to hard work, but we also have a positive team atmosphere that factors in. One of the best things about my team is that we are very serious about our sport, but also know when to have fun. That leads to our fantastic team chemistry. The questions that follow are not the typical interview questions that my teammates were expecting when I asked them if I could interview them. The questions start normal and then become increasingly chaotic. My goal here was to allow you to get a deeper and more in-depth understanding of who these people are beyond just stats and times.

Though the rain had stopped by the time we started the interview in the comfortable environment of Café La Verna, the storm of ridiculous questions was yet to begin.

The lucky interviewees for the women: Amber Robertson, senior; Lindsey Lytle, senior; Emilie Weinbeck, sophomore; Lauren McGee, sophomore; and Olivia Ippolito, freshman.

For the men: John Pullano, senior; Hayden Barry, junior; Zach Buckner, freshman; Thomas Dachik, freshman; and Ryan Lewis, freshman.

Question 1: What is your favorite running event?

Though we are technically in cross country mode right now, many of us prefer track events. Hayden and Ryan are both fans of running a mile on the outdoor track, while Lindsey, Lauren and Olivia would rather stick to a 5K on grass.

Question 2: Would you rather run a 5K on the track or on a cross-country course?

Everyone agreed that cross-country 5Ks are better than track 5Ks. Well, almost everyone. Zach advocated for the superiority of the track 5K but convinced absolutely no one that 12-and-a-half laps is better than a nice, open field.

Question 3: Ideal running conditions?

Fall weather (50s-60s with a slight breeze) was the most popular answer here. This raised an interesting sub-question: how do you feel about running in the rain? Rainy running gathered mixed reviews. Except from Emilie, who was very passionate about her dislike for it.

Question 4: Running role model, sports role model or favorite athlete in general?

Amber answered Josh Allen because of her Bills loyalty. Plus, as track runners, who would be a better example of proper hurdling form?

John answered that his running role model is teammate, Hayden. How wholesome! Was this because Hayden was sitting right next to him? Perhaps, but I’d like to suspend my disbelief.

Question 5: If you could have a walk-up song for cross country, what would yours be?

Lauren and Amber wanted anything made by Taylor Swift. I wholeheartedly agree with this.

Zach quickly answered with “Kickstart my Heart” by Motley Crue, which caused Thomas to freak out (because that’s exactly what he was going to say).

Question 6: If you could do another sport besides cross country what would it be?

Lindsey and John both answered basketball. Maybe they can help the Bonnies this upcoming season?

Question 7: You are on a deserted island: What are three things you would bring?

Hayden: “A box of tools, a lighter and a volleyball.” Name that movie.

Question 8: You are on a deserted island: You can only bring 3 artists’ music. Who are they?

Post Malone and Taylor Swift appeared in four different answers.

Question 9: You are on a deserted island: You can only bring one person. Who is it?

Thomas would take this journey alone, while Olivia and Lauren would bring survivalist Bear Grylls. Is that cheating? Maybe.

John’s answer was, again, close to home, choosing teammate, Darion Gregory, who is an avid fisher.

Question 10: If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

Lindsey would buy a reliable car; either a Subaru Cross Trek or a Tesla—if she felt like splurging. Ryan would buy a nice 70s house, complete with funky rugs and groovy wallpaper. Thomas presented a well calculated answer and would donate 35% of the money (once again, so wholesome) and invest the remaining 65%.

Question 11: If you could switch lives with one person for a day, who would it be?

Olivia would swap with the Queen of England, while Hayden would swap with Jeff Bezos and, quote, “write a check to Hayden Barry for one billion dollars.”

Question 12: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Lauren and Ryan both would like to freeze time.

Question 13: If you had a time machine, would you travel to the past or future?

All but John and Zach chose the past.

Question 14: What is one ridiculous thing you believed as a kid?

Emilie: “That green Gatorade made you better at everything.” This caused confusion. Is there a green Gatorade? Green-apple flavor? This was news to some. It was news to me.

Question 15: Who is your go-to Mario kart character?

Emilie, Amber and Olivia ride or die with Princess Peach. Ryan rolls with Bowser.

Question 16: If you could be any animal what animal would you be?

Lindsey and Thomas would both like to be flying squirrels. This answer surprised me when Lindsey said it. It shocked me when Thomas said the same.

Question 17: What is something you can talk about for 10 uninterrupted minutes and still have more to say?

Amber and Lauren could both go on an extended rant about The Bachelor. With almost 300 episodes and failed proposal after failed proposal, I guess they never run out of things to talk about.

Question 18: If you could get rid of one state, which would it be and why?

Zach was quick to say Arkansas because he got stranded there on a road trip once when his car broke down. Apparently, Arkansas is nothing but an empty highway. It should go without saying, Zach will not be the spokesman for Arkansas anytime soon.

Hayden wanted to say New Jersey (I, the question asker, am a proud New Jerseyan), because it is “just a wannabe New York”, but he came to his senses—as he should—and selected Nebraska (I apologize to any Nebraskan readers out there; nothing personal). Emilie and Lindsey would both say goodbye to Florida.

Question 19: What pasta shape do you identify most with?

Olivia: “The thick round ones.” This resulted in confusion until a quick Google search revealed she was referring to macaroni noodles (specifically the ones in the Red Robin mac and cheese).

Question 20: If you had to eat the same thing every day what would it be?

Lauren went with a chicken-finger sub. I wanted to correct her terminology, because she obviously meant to call it a chicken-finger hoagie.

But I resisted the urge.

Question 21: You can only use 2 utensils for the rest of your life, what are they?

After a tight battle, spoon and fork win over knife and fork, 5-4.

Question 22: Lastly: Would you rather fight one horse-sized frog or 100 frog sized horses?

Thomas and Zach were the brave souls who decided to fight the large frog. Very courageous. But probably a little misguided.

I hope this interview was as exciting and fun to read as it was to moderate and witness. If nothing else, I hope you leave with some new (and definitely goofy) insight into some very talented and dedicated runners. And keep an eye out for some of the interviewees’ performances at the 2021 A-10 Cross Country Championships Sat. Oct. 30—spooky! Go Bona’s!

And smile!

(Iris Archer is a feature contributor to The Intrepid and a junior cross-country runner and track runner at St. Bonaventure University. She also enjoys asking ridiculous questions.)

Who are you?

I’m you, but stronger.

By Iris Archer
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The girl on the top has just fallen in love with running.

Even though she does not think she is good, she knows she gives her entire heart each time she steps onto the line and that she loves her sport. The girl on the top does not think she will run again after high school or that she is fast enough, experienced enough, strong enough or fit enough to do so.

The girl on the bottom is the same girl, but stronger, faster and now a collegiate student-athlete. The two girls look the same; the only difference is the school on their singlet. They have the same face, same form, same thumb-under-the-index-finger, same love for running and—of course—the same semi-relaxed look when they see the team photographer.

If only the girl on the top knew her capabilities and who she could become with a combination of hard work and persistence. The girl on the bottom is strong as ever, because the girl on the top motivates her. She remembers why she’s a runner; she remembers everything she’s endured to become who she is today. If only the girl on the bottom could tell the girl on the top that her smile and her some determination could take her anywhere she wanted to go.

The girl on the bottom is strong, but still has the same worries as the girl on the top once did: that she isn’t fast enough, experienced enough, strong enough or fit enough. But then she remembers that she is enough. She never runs alone; the girl on the top is always with her and cheers her on with every step she takes. No matter what the clock says, in the end, the girl on the top watches, in amazement and awe that she made it to the starting line in the first place.

“Success isn’t how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”
Steve Prefontaine

When I first saw the bottom image from my race at the Watts Invitational in Edinboro, PA, I immediately thought of one of my favorite pictures from running in high school. When I looked at these images, I couldn’t help but reflect on how different a person I am today, yet my passion remains, as do my worries. I started running cross country my senior year in high school, the year of the first picture. Girls surrounded me who had ran since childhood, as well as girls relatively new to the sport but with seemingly natural talent. I couldn’t help comparing myself to those girls. But one of the greatest lessons I have learned since is that running is about your personal progress. Each runner has a different journey. I’m still shocked I’m on a team at all; the fact that I am now running more than 12 minutes faster than the first race I ever ran shows that I am doing something right.

Am I the best? No. But I am doing my best, and that IS good enough.

I’ll never become a record-breaking runner who makes headlines or one who makes people say, wow, she’s fast. But I am better than before, and I know I can become even better. What’s more, I do it all with a smile on my face; my smile keeps me going. In a sport like cross country, it is incredibly difficult not to compare yourself to others, because that is the nature of the sport. If you beat someone, that means you’re faster than them. Your time equals your performance and your speed on one given day, but it is important to not get caught up in what the clock says.

Because the clock doesn’t say how long I’ve been running, or how many miles I ran during the summer or how much I’ve cried over my sport. The clock doesn’t show the expectations that I’m afraid I won’t meet. The clock shows one thing: time. But that’s just one thing. I can’t let a number define me. A number does not define my self-worth: I do.

No matter what the clock says, the true measure of my performance and abilities IS how I feel about my own performance, which is something I’m still learning. The whole reason I started running in the first place was because I liked it and thought it was fun; I still run today for that reason, not for validation from a clock. Writing things like this helps remind me of why I make time for this sport day in, day out, and of what I can take from it long after I step to the line with “Bonnies” across my chest for the final time. I can bring these things to my job and hopefully show them to my future students and athletes when I am a teacher or a coach.

It is also important as an athlete to have an identity outside of the sport, because athletics do not last forever. I am not only a runner, but also a writer, reader, musician, dog lover, friend, daughter, sister, future teacher and lifelong learner. This is my first year writing for The Intrepid, and one thing I hope to gain from my experience is to learn more about myself while conveying my thoughts and feelings to others in a relatable way.

If you have made it this far, I sincerely appreciate your time, and I only hope you find something meaningful in my stream of consciousness.

Don’t forget to smile today.

(Iris Archer is a feature contributor to The Intrepid and a junior cross-country and track runner for St. Bonaventure University.)

Top photo courtesy RunningWorksPics 2018. Bottom photo courtesy GoBonnies 2021.

Men’s X-Country Looks to Continue Success at Notre Dame this Weekend

By Jeff Fasoldt, @Jeff_Fasoldt

The St. Bonaventure University men’s cross-country team is coming off a recent win and great team performance at the Seton Hill Classic, and will look to continue its success this weekend at Notre Dame for the National Catholic Championships.

Nick Masiello, a junior, finished fifth in the Seton Hill Classic.

Masiello wants to do even better this weekend.

“I’d like to set the school record individually for the men in the 8k,” said Masiello.

Masiello tied the school record his freshman year with a time of 26:46.5

“It’s something I’ve been trying to do (since then),” said Masiello.

Masiello would also like the team to continue their success in South Bend.

“I’d like us to do at least what we did last year and finish in the top-15 overall.” Masiello says.

This certainly is no easy goal with over 35 other cross-country programs competing.

Harley Thompson, a junior, doesn’t have an individual goal, but he has team ones.

“I think we’re (Nick and Harley) the best duo on the team when it comes to working together and pushing each other,” said Thompson. “I’d also like a top-15 team finish, and I think that’d be huge coming off that win last week.”

The dynamic duo stressed the importance of working hard in practice.

“We need to get a little bit stronger everyday, whether it’s running, hitting the weight room, or stretching…it’s the little things that can give you the advantages to work off of,” said Masiello

Not every runner gets to go to Notre Dame to compete.

Masiello actually has some family ties to the big meet today.

“It’s my dad’s alumni school, so I’ve always got to try and make my dad proud,” said Masiello. “Also, it’s nice to compete against some of the bigger schools, even though it’s not really competing, it’s more of a Notre Dame showcase. They always usually put most of their runners in the top 10.”

Thompson is also excited for the race.

“I look forward to it,” said Thompson. “It’s a whole different kind of racing style. I love competing against schools like that to push myself, and hopefully learn some new things, and run some good times.”

The men look to continue their success today at 5 p.m.

fasoldjc13@bonaventure.edu

Bonnies’ Aim To Surprise Little 3 Rivals

[Photo courtesy of gobonnies.com ]

By Tim Harfmann, Staff Writer, @Timharf

The St. Bonaventure men’s and women’s cross country teams start their season on Friday as they host rivals Niagara and Canisius in the Little 3 Invitational on the St. Bonaventure golf course.

The Bonnies have not had much success against their Little 3 opponents, but head coach Bob Macfarlane is confident that his team has the potential to change that this season.

“Canisius is going to be very good again. Obviously they’re the favorite, both the men and women. I think we have a legitimate shot to be with them in the mix of it,” said Macfarlane.

Canisius’ men’s team won last year’s Little 3 Invitational for the sixth consecutive year, while their women’s team won for the fifth consecutive year. Although the St. Bonaventure men’s team finished in last, the women’s team placed second for the first time in team history.

This year’s invitational will be different as the men will run a 5K race at 11 a.m. compared to a usual 8K race.

The 2012 men’s cross country team, without senior leadership, is made up of four freshmen, seven sophomores and three juniors, two of whom are out for the season due to injury.

“The men’s race will be very tough,” Macfarlane said, “but I think we have some freshmen that can step up and make a big difference.”

The women’s race is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. and will also be a 5K race, which is their normal distance.

Macfarlane, who is in his third year with the Brown and White, hopes to see the women improve from last year’s second-place finish and believes Kady Weisner, a junior transfer from Bucknell University, could make a huge impact in the race.

“Don’t be surprised if you see Kady Weisner win the race,” Macfarlane said, speaking highly of the Saint Marys, Pa. native, “I’m not taking anything away from the other girls, but we brought (Weisner) in to be our number one runner and she hasn’t disappointed me in that aspect. She’ll be very competitive.”

The 2012 women’s cross country team consists of four freshmen, five sophomores and one junior.

This year’s invitational, which St. Bonaventure hosts once every three years, will be held on the golf course compared to the athletic fields, where it has been held in previous years. Macfarlane does not believe the times in this year’s 5K races will be as fast as last year’s, due to Niagara’s flat course, but believes this year’s hilly course should not be a challenge for the Bonnies.

“During high school, the kids were so used to running on hilly courses. That’s all they ever ran on,” said Macfarlane.

Macfarlane said the goal is for each individual runner to have their best times at the Atlantic 10 Championship on Oct. 27 in Philadelphia. However, the 1977 St. Bonaventure alum believes that it should not stop them from being competitive on Friday.

“Let’s put it this way, if we come in last, I’ll be disappointed,” the head coach said.
After Friday’s Little 3 Invitational, the Bonnies will compete in five other races.

Both the men’s and women’s teams have been predicted to finish last in the Atlantic 10 Conference, according to this year’s preseason rankings.

Is Macfarlane surprised that both teams were predicted to finish in the “basement of the A-10”?

“Historically, we’ve never been out of the basement and when I got hired that was one of the goals, not to be the doormat for every team in the Atlantic 10,” said Macfarlane.

“I’m hoping that we will be able to move up a spot or two in the men’s and the women’s this year.”

Unlike previous seasons, both the men’s and women’s teams will compete on a biweekly basis. Macfarlane said the reason is for training purposes.

“We had a stretch last year where we had three meets in three weeks and by the time we got to the Paul Short Invitational, the team was tired,” said Macfarlane.

This year’s cross country schedule is filled with unfamiliar courses. In fact, the Bonnies have not ran on any courses this season.

“I wanted to check out new courses and the kids wanted to see different colleges,” Macfarlane said.

St. Bonaventure will compete for the National Catholic Championship at Notre Dame on Sept.14 and then travel to Leesburg, Va. for the Mason Invitational on Sept. 29.

“We’re going to see some A-10 schools at George Mason and it will be nice to see a few more A-10 schools that we normally don’t see,” said Macfarlane.

The Bonnies will have another two weeks off before heading to Gettysburg, Pa. on Oct. 13 for the Gettysburg Invitational.

On Oct. 27, both teams will compete in Philadelphia as Temple hosts this year’s Atlantic 10 Championship. Macfarlane said the top 10 runners from each team will compete and out of the top 10 from each team, the top seven will compete at the Northeast Regionals in Boston, Mass. on Nov. 9.

“It will become more of a competitive thing for the kids to strive for,” Macfarlane said.

harfmatp10@bonaventure.edu

A reflection on Ashley Sandau

Ashley Sandau ran cross country for St. Bonaventure University. [Image courtesy of gobonnies.com.]

Co-editor in chief Maddie Gionet attended Wednesday night’s memorial service for alumna Ashley Sandau. She reflects on the night and what she learned about who Ashley was.

By Maddie Gionet, Co-Editor in Chief/Features Editor, @MaddieGNA

I use words for a living. And more recently, I’ve used words to tell stories and paint pictures.

But I have come to find, after tonight, that sometimes words cannot tell a story or paint a picture the way I would like them to.

Last month, 2010 and 2011 St. Bonaventure University graduate Ashley Sandau passed away after being hit by a car in California.

The St. Bonaventure family remembered her Wednesday night at 7 with a memorial service in the University Chapel.

I had the intentions of writing a news story on the event, highlighting the celebration of her, but I found myself intimidated by this task.

How does one use words to paint a picture of Ashley?

How does one do her life and her character justice?

Josh Billings, a humor writer and lecturer, once said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

Perhaps the answer to the question comes from Billings’ quote – in short words.

Inviting.

As Rob DeFazio, director for Campus Activities, Recreation and Leadership, said at the memorial service, Ashley always greeted everyone with a simple smile, whether she knew them or not.

DeFazio went on to say she could always be counted on to do the right thing.

She touched more lives than she probably imagined, he said.

Loyal.

Stephen Ross, a 2011 St. Bonaventure graduate, wrote in a piece, read by Elizabeth Moran, that Ashley welcomed him to the cross country team the moment he arrived on campus as a freshman.

Ross wrote that he remembers running the most difficult race of his life and almost giving up, only finishing it because he saw Ashley cheering him on.

Selfless.

Bob Macfarlane, current coach of the cross country team, said although he only met Ashley a few times, her character stood out.

He remembered Ashley interviewing him before being hired, and she asked him what he would do to improve the team.

Macfarlane said he was impressed that Ashley was more worried about the team and others than herself.

Driven.

Teammates, peers and coaches alike, spoke of Ashley’s commitment to the cross country team even when injury made running difficult for her.

They spoke of her will to stay in shape during the off season and to keep working through any struggles she might have had.

Inspirational.

A student and advisee of Denny Wilkins, professor of journalism and mass communication, Ashley inspired him to be more respectful, patient, tolerant and humble, he said.

In the past weeks, while speaking with current students about Ashley, Wilkins said he was able to see who she was – someone we can all look up to.

I did not have the opportunity to know Ashley. I wish I had. Maybe that would have helped me decide which words best describe her and the life she lived.

But maybe there is not a single word that does Ashley and her life justice.

Or maybe there is.

Ashley.

gionetme09@bonaventure.edu