Life is all about finding balance, juggling various activities and desires. Long-distance running is much the same, as you need to learn how to pace yourself during the course of a race.
Duke junior Maddie McKeever seems to have both under control. The track and field star, recently named the 2007 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country, has recorded standout performances on the track while maintaining a stellar record in the classroom.
McKeever is the first recipient of this award, which will be given annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in each sport.
Excelling in both academics and athletics is nothing new for the Littleton, Co. native. In her senior year of high school, McKeever finished ninth at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships and won the Class 5A 1,600- and 3,200-meter state outdoor track titles, all while graduating second in her class and scoring a 1,560 on her SAT. She also won the Fred Steinmark High School Athlete of the Year Award, the most prestigious award for high school athletes in Colorado.
McKeever chose to attend Duke because it offered the right combination of academics and athletics, and she adjusted easily to the demands placed on her.
"I was fortunate that my teachers in high school helped me develop high expectations for myself," McKeever said. "When I got to Duke I was anticipating being held to that high standard."
McKeever's interests extend beyond her Biology major and her plans to enter medical school after graduation, as she lists history and writing courses as some of her favorite at Duke.
Like all student-athletes, though, one of McKeever's biggest challenges remains finding enough time in the day to study.
"I rarely have large chunks of time to study so I'm trying to adjust to getting things done in 30 minutes or an hour at a time," McKeever said. "This year I'm really trying to find a balance, and sometimes I have to make sacrifices that may hurt my training or my studying. I'm also trying to give myself mental time when I'm not doing either."
In addition to her running, McKeever is a Baldwin Scholar and volunteers at the Emily Krzyzewski Center and with the Red Cross for Kids program.
Whether she's taking organic chemistry or teaching third-graders first aid, McKeever's many academic and extracurricular commitments have not slowed her on the course. She has shown remarkable improvement throughout her career at Duke and has consistently lowered her times from season to season and year to year.
"She has the talent and all the different tools," head coach Kevin Jermyn said. "She's extremely coachable in that she really believes and trusts the people that give her advice."
McKeever has already earned All-American honors four times-twice for cross country and once each for indoor and outdoor track at the 5,000-meter distance. This past weekend she added another accolade to her many accomplishments, winning the 5000-meter at the ACC Indoor Championships in a time of 16:06.54.
The junior credits increased familiarity with the training system and learning to trust herself and her coach as reasons for her success.
"I'm learning to listen to my body and trust my coach even if my training doesn't seem ideal," McKeever said. "I'm learning how to manage high-volume training and maintain intensity and play with the limits."
McKeever runs 60 to 70 miles per week on average, balancing three core workouts with four days of recovery runs. Jermyn's scientific approach to training has helped her benefit the most from her workouts.
"When he tells me to do something, I know that he's put a lot of thought into it and that there's a good reason behind what he tells me both from a physical and a mental standpoint," McKeever said. "I don't actually have to put too much thought into racing because I just trust what he tells me to do."
The next big race for McKeever is the NCAA National Indoor Championships March 14-15, where she has qualified for both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter races. She will then transition to the outdoor track season and will run in the Olympic Trials at the end of June before returning to Duke for her senior year.
Although she anticipates taking a year off before beginning medical school, McKeever has not decided if she will run competitively after college. The one thing you can count on, however, is that she won't be caught off-balance.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.