First Entry! :-D

Hi everyone!

My name is Jaime Wright. I'm 23. And I'm attending Clarion University of Pa. for graduated school in the Mass Media Arts and Journalism program. I'm also a former collegiate student-athlete. I competed all four years at Slippery Rock University (Clarion's rival in sports) in women's cross-country and track & field, and the pinnacle of my career came in 2008 when I earned All-American honors in women's cross-country (on my home cross-country course in snowy weather!).

I am currently the graduate assistant coach for Clarion University's women's track & field/cross-country program...it's interesting. I'm not sure if I really, really like it, but I really want to stay in the competitive running circuit and it's fun to explore this coaching thing.

What else would you like to know about me? Oh, I'm from Maryland...and it's weird whenever I have to explain that part because I am constantly meeting people from Pennsylvania..western Pa. I don't know if I ever get tired to explaining...but I LOVE meeting new people, so I think it's all good. 8-)

Besides my name, location, age, school and major...what else is there to know about me?

I was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis ("narrowing of pylorus muscle") when I was 18 days old. A rare medical condition that builds tissue in this "open-and-close" valve in the digestive system. Yes, I still have the scar above my bellybutton..to the right. Ha ha.

I chipped my front tooth, and a sliver of my other front tooth during 5th grade basketball practice...and I was calm about it all when I got home (except for my parents). Ha...uh, ha.

My parents separated in 2000, and got divorced in 2001. In the same year (2001) my parents got their divorce, my closest relative EVER, my grandmother Dotty Albaugh Wright (dad's mom) passed away from cancer...and at the funeral, at 14, I saw my dad cry for, nearly, the first time. She was an amazing woman. She went to church with my grandfather nearly every Sunday...taught Sunday School for 20-some years, and had strong church relations. I feel that her death somewhat contributed to my path and interest with the church (We're not Catholic, by the way...Protestant.) because I decided to go to service with my grandfather while he was coping with the loneliness.

I started competitively running at age 8. Before that, I did little league t-ball...and so did everyone's kid in Thurmont, Md. Other parents noticed how much I loved to run around the bases at practice, and mentioned it to my mom. Finally, in 2nd grade, my mom met my P.E. teacher after parent-teacher conferences outside in the parking lot, and suggested to take me to the local track club practices to try track. It kind of came together like it was meant to be.

I ran my first 5k (for fun) at Gettysburg Area High School at the first annual Jesse Martin Memorial Run Bench and Run 5k...and I can't remember what time I got, but some people were impressed. I was 10 years old at the time.

Since age 8, I have done everything on the track...well, not quite. The 100 meter dash, 200 meter, 400 meter, 800 meter, 1500 (at age 9/10), 3000 meter (college); 5,000 meter (college); 10,000 meter (college); long jump (age 8 - high school); triple jump (high school).

I was really good at the 400 and 800 meter at 10 years old, then I excelled at distance in high school thanks to a few ridiculous "coaches" in high school. High school track and cross-country was ridiculous...I was running with the boys with barely any girls...and those girls were ones I couldn't really train with. And those boys gave me the worse time in the world! They could have cared less about me, detering my self-esteem. But guess what? I didn't stop running just because they tormented me.

Coach Paul DuBois mentioned Slippery Rock for the first time at one of my senior high school practices, and I was curious to know what that was. I was hooked when he mentioned that he knew the coach. At that time, I was already going through many colleges, typically from Pennsylvania that were NCAA Division II. Why?

Shippensburg. I credit Shippensburg University and Coach Steve Spence for the help I received through track & field/cross-country camps and finding out about Division II athletics. They ignited the fire!

Somehow, I narrowed my college search down to Slippery Rock University, Shippensburg University and Clarion University. Clarion, unfortunately, was taken out because the head coach (at the time) retired, and a new coach stepped in...but how was I to know if he was going to be promising? Slippery Rock seemed like a great school to attend because the head coach had his feet planted and was not going anywhere, plus he had incredible credibility and a great sense of humor. The school itself was beautiful and everyone seemed happy...like a family I wanted to be a part of. Shippensburg was closer to home, but did I really want? After Slippery Rock mentioned a tuition break for out-of-state students who had 3.0 GPA or above, I had to ask Shippensburg's admissions people and Coach Spence, but they seemed clueless as to what I was asking about.

So, Slippery Rock it was! I had the best four years there of my life. I went to so many places across the country thanks to SRU Head Coach John Papa, and I wonder if I would have traveled to Alaska without Papa? (probably not)

Now, I'm back at Clarion University, and I want to help this women's track/cross-country program. I want to be the ladies' reliable and encouraging resource...but I'm learning that that is not the case. There is so much to realize to learn!

I'll let you know more in my next entry...Clarion University and Clarion, Pa. ...the what capital of the world, again? ;-) (autumn leaf, for your information)

- Jaime W.