Runners ready for season
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon’s Logan St. John Kletter (right) enjoys a joke and a jog with Duquesne University runner Mara Whalen after attending a P3R clinic.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Pittsbutgh Marathon winner Margo Malone (second from right) paces a group of Mt. Lebanon harriers during a jog around the track after participating in a P3R Running Clinic.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Mara Whalen
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Amy Scheuneman, the director of youth programming, explains what P3R has to offer the scholastic athlete during a running clinic held at Mt. Lebanon High School.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Trevor Paschall
NIL a new world When Trevor Paschall decided to run track at North Carolina, he became an employee of the Tar Heels. “Whether D1 or JUCO,” he said. “Being a scholarship athlete, it’s a job, Paschall, who was a panelist during a recent P3R event held at Mt. Lebanon, told how collegiate student athletes are required to make the grades in the classroom and perform the tasks requested by their bosses. “Show up every day and listen to your coach,” he said. “You need to be able to manage your time. You need to be ready in advance for everything that happens because you are getting paid to be there.” Thanks to NIL (name, image and likeness), the student athletes now have some financial leverage. They are able to market their brand and profit from this. Paschall and Duquesne University runner Mara Whalen are both P3R NIL athletes. Paschall said he had no idea what NIL was until he read about the subject in the NC handbook. “This will never happen (to me),” Paschall reacted. It can occur if an athlete pursues an agreement. “You can reach out to people and tell them, ‘hey, I’m an athlete. I can make your brand better. You are going to want this.’ They will go for it,” Paschall said. “You have to make yourself available to the people and they are usually very open for it.” Whalen agreed. It’s up to the athlete. “You have to make yourself known,” she said. “It may seem like a stressful process but just communicate to the people who you want to be a Name, Image and Likeness athlete for.” She also recommended reading through all the paperwork, know exactly what the rules are and inform college administrators because an agreement could impact eligibility. “It’s scary from the outside looking in,” agreed Paschall. “It’s a big thing and it’s different.” Paschall has an advisor at North Carolina, specifically dedicated to NIL that guides him and makes sure no rules are being violated. “It’s nice to have people in your corner. People you can reach out to,” he said. “Know who you need to talk to.” Because NIL has come to the high school athlete, Whalen and Paschall advise to watch postings on social media. Grow a social media following but be cautious. “Be positive,” Whalen said. “No foul language.” “Everything is a paper trail,” Paschall said. “Everything will and can make its way back to you whether it was 10 years or 10 weeks ago. If you said something, people can find out about it.” The scholastic world is still discovering NIL. “It is a new frontier,” said Mt. Lebanon coach Oscar Shutt. “We are still learning how it’s going to work at the high school level. Over the next couple of years, we’ll find out whether it’s good thing.” {related_content_uuid}c39dcc60-ff59-447d-aa77-d341cfd8aa93{/related_content_uuid}
August 14 may signal the start of the scholastic cross country season but harriers have been running throughout the summer months and training better thanks to P3R.
The engine behind Pittsburgh’s greatest races and runs, P3R offered several programs in June and July that offered tips and advice to the teenage athlete.
Director of youth programming Amy Scheuneman noted that P3R offers many events in which adults participate and the organization does a great job of bringing youth and families together but it was missing the teenage segment. She said that is why P3R introduced Run Varsity. She added that the initiative is a natural progression from P3R’s award-winning Kids of Steel program.
“We started Run Varsity to create interaction and engagement with teenage athletes to keep them connected and motivated as well as supporting them through encouragement, scholarships, grants and a summer running series,” Scheuneman. “We’ve provided an opportunity for them to run together and also educate through workshops.”
P3R is coming off sponsoring a two-day run clinic held at its track complex at RMU Island Sports Center. The group also conducted a series of three free events at White Oak, Hartwood Acres and Mt. Lebanon.
The clinic at Mt. Lebanon featured professional runners as well as two collegiate athletes, who have NIL deals with P3R. They dispensed running tips as well as advice about negotiating training sessions, collegiate recruiting and remaining motivated. They also participated in a “shake-out” run with the teenage athletes on the stadium track.
“P3R has been great getting the word out and having organized events this summer to bring the western Pennsylvania running community together,” said Mt. Lebanon cross country coach Oscar Shutt. “It’s really valuable so that we aren’t all just off on our own island but have a chance to collaborate with different teams and learn different things from other people.”
Shutt was particularly pleased with the session Mt. Lebanon hosted along with P3R.
“Anytime the high school athlete can learn from elite runners about how they train, how they think, is going to be valuable in their approach,” he said.
Guest speakers at the Mt. Lebanon session featured: Ben Blankenship, who was a 2016 Olympian and a two-time Fleet Feet Liberty Mile winner; Margo Malone, who won this year’s Pittsburgh Marathon; Mara Whalen, who runs track at Duquesne University and Trevor Paschall, a sprinter at the University of North Carolina.
While they shared what they liked most about Pittsburgh – the Steelers, the changing seasons, the people and the racing – as well as their musical likes, favorite running memories, foods and activities, the foursome exchanged their successful training secrets with an attentive audience.
Consistency and accountability proved a common thread.
“Sometimes in the summer on hot days and without school, it is hard to hold yourself accountable so make sure you have a friend that is meeting you for practice,” advised Malone
An Olympic Trail qualifier, Malone was a multiple WPIAL and PIAA champion at North Hills High School before winning an ACC championship in the 10,000 meters while at Syracuse University.
“Setting goals is important too,” Malone added. “In the summer, write down what you want to do.”
Malone continued that consistency, like accountability, is also key. “Being able to show up and doing the best you can is important but don’t take the highs too high or the lows too low,” she said. “Show up and be consistent.”
Finding consistency requires motivation said Blankenship and Whalen.
“Everybody hates running. I hate running,” Blankenship noted because of the extreme weather conditions such as rain, heat and cold. “Get out and do it though. If you have a friend or a training partner that will hold you accountable. Otherwise you’ll sleep in and not do it. The trick is motivating yourself.”
For Whalen, motivation is knowing there is her refreshing Dunkin drink waiting for her at the end of a workout. She doesn’t let herself have it until she gets her run in.
“Having a schedule is important,” Whalen said.
A Washington native, Whalen attended Fort Cherry High School, where she was WPIAL champion in the 400 meters in 2019. She also anchored two relay teams to victory that spring. She earned two fourth-place medals in the 800 and 400 at the PIAA state championships in 2021.
“Running keeps me mentally in a state that is stable,” Whalen added. “That helps with all I do later but I do little things that are fun, too. So if you like to eat ice cream, treat yourself. Remember school comes first but run and have fun. Find that balance.”
Malone and Paschall discovered when things are going well in the athletic arena they go better in the classroom, too. Both said they enjoyed school.
“Running makes you better at school or work and vice versa,” said Malone, who is currently a senior analyst with UPMC Enterprises. “You can be better at running when you work hard. Time management is the key.
Malone advised doing the hardest task first. “What is hard to get done, you should put that first. The day flows better because you have a plan to get things done.”
By showing up, Paschall says the battle is almost won.
“Getting to the track or getting out of bed is the hardest part,” he said. “Once you are there, then you are going to do it. You don’t have to kill (the workout) but if you show up and do some sort of workout, it’s going to be beneficial. Show up, be there, be accountable.
Same with school, he added. He said education is important to him.
“If I am getting the grades I want to get, I am running fast and when I’m running fast, I am getting the grades. It goes hand in hand. It goes with the schedule. I know I have to study here and I know I have to run there.”
Paschall ran at North Catholic High School. He swept the three sprinting events and anchored the 4×100 relay to victory during the 2021 WPIAL championships. He won a PIAA title in the 200 meters before matriculating to North Carolina.
Paschal is currently taking a summer course at Pitt to lighten his load for this track season. It’s a sacrifice.
“Right now, I don’t want to take a summer class but it’s one course and it will make my life easier so then I can focus on track,” he said.
While the scholastic athletes are prepping for their seasons, many are also embarking on the recruiting process and evaluating commitments to college programs. The P3R panel offered plenty of helpful advice. With the explosion of social media, they recommended utilizing those methods to reach out to coaches. Paschall noted he crafted a generic email that he sent to 50 different coaches.
“You can be a top 50 athlete but if you don’t reach out they may think you are committed or you are not interested. Let them know you are interested. Put yourself on their radar and do what you have to do to get yourself noticed,” he said.
Whalen agreed. “Don’t be afraid to reach out to coaches. Sent letters and videos and most of all visit the school so you get a good vibe on the program. Make sure you are not going to school because of the coach,” she added. “Coaches leave. You never know how that is going to go.”
Asking questions is also important, says Malone. Know what you want out of a team and out of teammates, she recommended. “Makes sure the environment is right for you. There are a lot of different ways to run in college. Figure out what works best for you. Know the standards to be on that team and what it takes to get there.”
Once the graduate arrives on campus as an incoming freshman, the student athlete faces a big hurdle. Adjustments are necessary but the athletes should not lose faith in their abilities.
“You might be the best in high school but when you get to college there are so many just like you or better. So, be ready to be humbled,” Malone said. “Continue to work each year though and you will see improvement.”
Whalen agreed. “It’s going to be different,” she said. “You are going to go from being the top dog to where most people are just like you. It will be a slap in the face and you’ll be thinking, ‘I guess I am not as good as I thought I was.’ You are,” she assured. “You just have to adjust You are going to get better because with better competition comes better times. Focus on that.”
Don’t forget to have fun. That is Blankenship’s advice, particularly during the scholastic years.
“One thing I learned in this long journey in the sport is that you really have to enjoy it. There were a lot of times in my career where I said this race has to go well. You always build up these pressures inside these races, not matter what you are gearing up for, conference or regional meets, states. if I win this, I’ll get a scholarship and really why not got out there and have fun. I have been trying to have fun every race. I wish I told myself that long ago. Enjoy it because it goes so quick.”
When Trevor Paschall decided to run track at North Carolina, he became an employee of the Tar Heels.
“Whether D1 or JUCO,” he said. “Being a scholarship athlete, it’s a job,
Paschall, who was a panelist during a recent P3R event held at Mt. Lebanon, told how collegiate student athletes are required to make the grades in the classroom and perform the tasks requested by their bosses.
“Show up every day and listen to your coach,” he said. “You need to be able to manage your time. You need to be ready in advance for everything that happens because you are getting paid to be there.”
Thanks to NIL (name, image and likeness), the student athletes now have some financial leverage. They are able to market their brand and profit from this.
Paschall and Duquesne University runner Mara Whalen are both P3R NIL athletes.
Paschall said he had no idea what NIL was until he read about the subject in the NC handbook.
“This will never happen (to me),” Paschall reacted.
It can occur if an athlete pursues an agreement.
“You can reach out to people and tell them, ‘hey, I’m an athlete. I can make your brand better. You are going to want this.’ They will go for it,” Paschall said. “You have to make yourself available to the people and they are usually very open for it.”
Whalen agreed. It’s up to the athlete.
“You have to make yourself known,” she said. “It may seem like a stressful process but just communicate to the people who you want to be a Name, Image and Likeness athlete for.”
She also recommended reading through all the paperwork, know exactly what the rules are and inform college administrators because an agreement could impact eligibility.
“It’s scary from the outside looking in,” agreed Paschall. “It’s a big thing and it’s different.”
Paschall has an advisor at North Carolina, specifically dedicated to NIL that guides him and makes sure no rules are being violated.
“It’s nice to have people in your corner. People you can reach out to,” he said. “Know who you need to talk to.”
Because NIL has come to the high school athlete, Whalen and Paschall advise to watch postings on social media. Grow a social media following but be cautious.
“Be positive,” Whalen said. “No foul language.”
“Everything is a paper trail,” Paschall said. “Everything will and can make its way back to you whether it was 10 years or 10 weeks ago. If you said something, people can find out about it.”
The scholastic world is still discovering NIL.
“It is a new frontier,” said Mt. Lebanon coach Oscar Shutt. “We are still learning how it’s going to work at the high school level. Over the next couple of years, we’ll find out whether it’s good thing.”