Soderman Reflects on Pan-Am Games Experience Courtesy: Appalachian Sports Information Release: 09/16/2009 Photo Album Courtesy: SoCon Photos Over the summer, while most students were enjoying their break, Appalachian State University cross country and track and field athlete Sean Soderman was living his dream. A freshman during the 2008-09 academic year, Soderman had an immediate impact on both the Mountaineer cross country and track and field teams. At the 2009 Southern Conference Championships, the Charlotte native took home a fourth-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase, qualifying him for the ever-challenging USATF junior national championships in Eugene, Ore. Not to be forgotten, teammate Mason Campbell accomplished the same feat, as he earned all-Southern Conference honors in the event by notching a third place finish. With the two not on scholarship, both had to juggle their busy work schedules and summer training sessions in order to prepare for the prestigious event. “We chose to focus more on the quality of the workouts instead of the quantity,” head cross country and distance coach Michael Curcio said. “We tried to gear the workouts more towards race simulation so both Sean and Mason would be fully prepared. Both worked very hard on their own, running as much as possible to get ready for the championships.” In a town that most track and field elite fondly call Track Town, USA, Soderman hoped to find the same successes that former ASU standouts Mary Jayne Harrelson and Anthony Famiglietti had discovered there. Harrelson won both her NCAA National Championships in the 1500m in 1999 and 2001 in Eugene, while Famiglietti captured the 3000m steeplechase title at the 2008 US Olympic trials there. Eugene’s storied history is even greater as it has been the home to the United States Olympic Trials, and is the 2010 host of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Soderman found the success he had been looking for and carried on Appalachian’s strong name, as he did the unexpected by winning the championship. In just his fourth time ever running the race, Soderman won the USATF junior national crown with a personal best time of 9:05.82. He crushed his old personal best time by 22 seconds. His performance not only etched his name into Appalachian’s record books at fourth on the all-time list, but it also earned him a ticket to Trinidad and Tobago to compete at the 2009 Pan American Games. As for Soderman’s reaction after his win, he was surprised, to say the least. “Medaling, honestly, was not even on my radar. I just wanted to go out hard and stay with the top people, but I knew my fitness was there and I had the confidence to compete to the best of my ability.” Campbell finished the race on an impressive note as well, placing seventh overall and also recording a personal best time. As if becoming the first in ASU’s illustrious track and field history to win a USATF junior national championship wasn’t enough, Soderman got the opportunity to don the Red, White and Blue and represent the United States of America. After adjusting to a climate much different than that one of a Boone summer, including humidity and vast amounts of rain, Soderman used his newly found confidence and let it carry over into his performance at the Pan-Am Games. Soderman started the race off strong, taking the lead with five laps remaining, trying to stave off a tough Mattias Walter of Canada, but with 300m to go, he was unable to hold off the hard-charging Walter down the stretch. Soderman ended up capturing a silver medal with a time of 9:10.75, just five seconds behind the gold medalist.