Alumni Spotlight: Jordan Wallace

Let’s start with a little background.  When did you graduate from North, and what was your high school career like (PRs, accomplishments, etc.)?

Graduating class of 2010
3 mile - 17:52
2 mile - 11:32
1 mile - 5:25
800 (relay split) - 2:29

I began my high school career at Lincoln Way East under Coach Wendy Hegarty. This is where I learned a lot of the basics of the sport (long runs, intervals, fartleks, etc). My junior and senior years I ran for Lincoln Way North under Coach Brooke Vesely and Kathleen Mertz. One of the greatest things that I learned from my experiences at LWN was the necessity to communicate with your coaches. Both Vesely and Mertz were incredibly knowledgeable of distance running and were welcoming to my ideas and questions. I remember a track meet specifically where I had finished my race and immediately began evaluating the next weeks training plan with Coach Mertz based on the areas of my race that needed improvement. Before graduating, I received Lincoln Way North's first ever Female Athlete of the Year award. I completed my high school career with three state cross country and two state track appearances. 

What was your experience like at St. Xavier?  How was the transition from North to running in college?

I was the only freshmen on the team and making the transition from high school to college running wasn't very difficult. Saint Xavier is located on the south side of Chicago and we would hold most of our cross country practices at the forest preserves in Palos, a familiar running trail I would frequent in high school. 
I was fortunate enough to compete at the NAIA National Championships three times in cross country, three times in indoor track, and three times in outdoor track. I was one of SXU's first ever steeplechasers and currently hold the school record.  My experience at SXU allowed me to learn a lot, I feel it is crucial that in order for a team to succeed, the athletes not only need to be physically fit but the environment in which they are training in must be conducive for success. This requires open communication, confidentiality when applicable, and ultimately trust in the training/program.


When looking at grad school, did running play a big factor in that decision knowing you had an indoor season left?

I chose Eastern Illinois University for their academics. I will attain a masters in Kinesiology and Sports Studies with a concentration in Sports Administration this May with the intention of becoming a collegiate coach. I knew I wanted to gain experience coaching at the D1 level. I got in contact with Coach Erin Howarth and met with her to discuss the possibility of me helping out with the team on a volunteer basis. After talking with her about my experiences in college athletics she learned that I was injured and didn't compete my junior year of indoor track. With that, Coach Howarth asked if I wanted to join the team. I would train with the cross country girls throughout the fall and then compete in the spring as a member of the indoor track team. This opportunity came as a very big surprise to me because I never thought that I would be a division 1 athlete. 


What have been some of the reasons for your recent success?

I attribute several things to my recent accomplishments this season but mostly I have the EIU staff to thank. Coach Howarth and Coach Bulter are invested in each of their athletes and that dedication is contagious. This fall I ran more miles and did faster/longer tempos than I ever could imagine myself doing. I am constantly asking them questions on why we do the workouts that we do and how they make certain coaching decisions. They have been so amazing in answering all of my questions and teaching me about running from both an athlete and coaches perspective. The athletic trainer Toshiro Hirano is an absolute miracle worker and the University is so lucky to have him. I spend hours in the training room each week doing preventative care, rehabilitation exercises, and receiving treatment. My body would not be able to handle the high mileage if I wasn't incorporating Toshiro's strength routines. It’s not very often you get a complete athletic staff that is personable, knowledgeable, and so highly respected by the athletes. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities they have given me. 

Setting the EIU school record in the 3K, were you aware that you were in shape to do it?  Did you know the time as you were running? 

Going into the Grand Valley meet I did have the goal of breaking the school record, which at the time was 9:51. This would require a 16+ second PR and a mile pace I was not sure if I was ready for. My racing style is to remain patient and conservative yet connected for the first half of the race. By doing this, I have been able to run even and sometimes negative split in all of my races this season. Coach Howarth told me to run with the middle pack for the first half of the race. Before the start, the official explained that the two rabbits would be leading the pack in a 5:05 mile pace. This being significantly faster than the original goal, I had to readjust my strategy and start further back. Thankfully we were competing on a 300m track with a running time clock right by the finish line. I knew I needed to run 59 second laps in order to finish with a 9:50. Each time I came around the track I would look at the clock to make sure I was on pace. Seeing that I was under pace helped me build confidence throughout the race. 
I was aware that I was in shape to PR and possibly come close to the school record and I think that made me more nervous. If I didn't meet my goal I knew it wouldn't be because I wasn't physically able to, it would be because I psyched myself out. Luckily, that was not the case.

Here is a video of Jordan’s race: http://www.eiurunning.com/videoplayer/?meet_id=8156&video_id=5349&type=0&date=&client_id=3


Congrats on the sub 5:00 mile as well, was that the first time breaking 5:00? Is that something that you have had as a goal?

Thank you! Yes that was my first time breaking 5. In my undergrad, my fastest mile was a 5:23 split in a DMR so I never thought I would come close. We had a time trial in early December where I ran a 5:14 and I was elated. I didn't think breaking 5:00 would be attainable until after I ran the 3k at Grand Valley. The race was at home and it wasn't as competitive of a meet as our previous ones. We went through the 400m at roughly a 5:07 pace which caused me to abandon my usual racing strategy and take the lead sooner than I am typically comfortable with. 

What are your plans after this indoor season?

Our conference meet is this weekend at home and as of right now I will be doubling the 5k and 3k. Once the season is over I will try to transition into more of a volunteer assistant coaching role. I hope to help with planning travel, meals, and other behind the scenes paperwork type stuff. While I can't physically recruit for the program I will be researching high school results and finding potential athletes for the coaches to recruit. I will also begin applying for collegiate assistant coaching jobs. It’s a competitive field so we will see if I am able to find any paid positions.

Any final thoughts for our current athletes?

If I could give any advice to the current athletes at LWN it would be that they practice imagery and routine throughout the week to improve their performance at meets. I do the same warm up and drills before workouts as I do for races. That familiarity takes some of the pressure off on the days of meets. I also practice imagery every day at practice with several different racing scenarios so that I am better able to make adjustments and remain confident. It is useless to prepare for a perfect race. There will be meets that you will feel sluggish on the warm up or tired early on. But chances are you have felt that way about a workout and still managed to hit all of your times. 

I spent way too much energy stressing out over races in high school. If kids were able to look at meets simply as opportunities to show off their hard work, I think they would have greater success.