Pennridge's Ryan to Compete in Track & Cross Country at Slippery Rock

On Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, Pennridge senior Juliet Ryan was recognized for committing to continue her track and cross country careers at Slippery Rock University. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.

Juliet Ryan – Slippery Rock University (Track/Cross Country)

Major:  Secondary Education

Final list of colleges:  Slippery Rock, East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg

Reasons for choosing Slippery Rock:  “I knew I wanted to go to a state school because it had everything I wanted – like a good education program. I knew they were all D2 schools, so I could still run and do what I love, but it wouldn’t be overwhelming. Overall, it had just what I really wanted, and it all worked out.”

What was the progression that led you to competing in track and cross country at the collegiate level?  “It started last year when I started thinking about college. I knew I loved running, and I could see myself doing it for four more years. When I decided on college, I realized it was something I wanted to be part of the next four years of my life.”

Coach Bill Smith says:  “She’s a very, very determined young lady. Probably the biggest change for her was at the end of her sophomore year she came up to me and said, ‘I’m no longer going to be playing soccer. I want to focus totally 100 percent on my running.’ My comment to her was ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ Because I will never have someone quit something that they really love to do. If your heart’s not totally in it, you’re not going to have success. She said, ‘This is what I want to do. I’m getting hurt playing soccer. I’m going to run cross country, and that’s going to prep me up to run my 800 open.’
“She started out being the number six runner on our cross country team her junior year, worked her way up to number two. She was all-league second team. In her senior year in cross country, she ended up making the state meet and just had a phenomenal performance. It was all heart and grit and determination. She has proved to be an outstanding 800 runner. She anchored our 4x800 and just missed last spring making the state meet by a couple of 10ths of a second. She has been one of the leaders of our team this year. Her work ethic has been phenomenal. She’s a very determined athlete. I’m very proud of her accomplishments. It just proves if you are very, very dedicated and determined how far you can go.”

About Juliet:
Favorite food: 
Grilled Salmon
Favorite movie:  The Painting
Favorite music:  Rap

6