When envisioning her college experience, sophomore Amy Kerst said she did not expect to be on the track team. She cannot believe the opportunity Hillsdale has given her.
Two weeks ago, Kerst, along with six other teammates, headed down south to Birmingham, Ala. for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. As a sophomore, she has already attended the indoor national championships twice.
“She was a diamond in the rough,” women’s track and field head coach Andrew Towne said. “I do not think many knew about her and I do not think we realized what we had at first.”
Kerst started to run in high school. Since she was home schooled she needed to complete some online and in-classroom classes before she could join her local public school team.
“My dad got me into running,” Kerst said. “I always played soccer, but he told me my senior year that I was a much better runner than a soccer player.”
Kerst said she did not think she could be a college athlete, and she started to look at club teams to continue being active. When she first accepted her admittance to Hillsdale, Kerst said the track coach was shocked she did not wait to see if she could be on the team first.
“Amy was one of four freshman (runners) last year,” senior Victoria McCaffrey said. “She was really quiet at first, and then she made a joke one day and I realized how hilarious she is.”
McCaffrey said Kerst has become much stronger physically since coming to Hillsdale, and that even though she had only run cross-country before her freshman year at Hillsdale, she has had a great attitude about track and field.
“Amy is a versatile runner, which makes her unique,” McCaffrey said.
Kerst said that an aspect of being on the track and field team she enjoys is that it gives her a break from academics.
“You cannot do homework all day long,” Kerst said. “I have three hours a day at practice where I do not have to think about academics and that helps me focus later in the day when I am studying.”
The 800-meter open is Kerst’s favorite race and Towne said this is an event she has excelled in.
“She is very fast for an 800-meter girl, but has a lot of room to continue to grow,” Towne said. “She is beginning to view herself as a top runner, which is a good thing.”
Kerst does not just do well on the track, but also excels in the classroom. Kerst said she wants to go into some form of engineering and that every once in awhile, she applies the concepts of physics that she learns in the classroom to her running.
“Running is one of those sports that once you get started you are never going to stop,” Kerst said.