On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at a special news conference, Cheltenham senior Matt Gilmore signed a letter of intent to accept a track scholarship to Penn State University.
Despite battling a pulled right hamstring this season, Gilmore boasts the top state times in both the 200-meter and 400-meter. He ran the anchor leg in Cheltenham’s second place 4x400 relay team that posted a season-best time of 3:21.26 in the Championship of America relay at last weekend’s Penn Relays.
Matt Gilmore – Penn State University (Track)
Major: Business MarketingFinal list of colleges: Penn State, Florida State, Kentucky, Oregon
Reasons for choosing Penn State: “Penn State was actually the last school I visited. It was ironic. I was talking to the top universities in the country – Texas A&M, Tennessee. I talked to UCLA, I talked to Kentucky, Florida State and Oregon. I definitely wasn’t looking to stay close (to home) at all, but a little visit from Sunday to Monday right after a track meet – I fell in love.
“It just had everything I wanted. The business program was highly ranked in the country. The track program not only has our runner from last year – Bernard Bennett-Green, it also has the runner I ran against last year in high school, (Altoona’s) Brady Gehret. Not only is it going to help me academically, but as far as the track program is concerned – we’re going to be good.
“Their coach is very similar to Doc – he works you hard, and I like that. He’s always going to push me to be better. He’s never going to settle for less. It’s going to set me up for the right things in life.
“The process was really long. I kept getting new calls. When I got a call from Texas A&M, you start to wonder – let me wait it out. You really think you want to go far, but at the end of the day, as far as I’m concerned, everything I wanted was three hours away.”
What was the progression that led you to running at the collegiate level?
“I had a lot of problems academically early on, and this day didn’t look like it was possible as a sophomore. We brought a 4x400 team to states, and we had a big chance to win, but because I was academically ineligible, I had to sit and watch. Since that day, my grades have improved tremendously and running in college has been in the forefront. Watching the team finish second behind a team you know we could have beaten if I was in definitely changed my whole mindset.
“Doc’s never told me the goal is to win a state championship. His first goal that he’s been telling me since I was a sophomore has been – I want to see you graduate, so I had to prove myself in the classroom and school before I could prove myself on the track. “That’s something we talked about all summer going into junior year - how important junior year is, and we just kept working from there. Here I am today signing with Penn State, one of the top universities in the country. They took a huge gamble on me. You look at my resume you’d think I’m an academic liability, but they believe in me. They see what I could do my junior and senior years.
“Just remembering the hard work, the dedication, the commitment and just the willpower to continue to get better – I definitely reaped the benefits today.
“To come here today with my mom and brother, it means a lot. We have been through a lot. I still have a month left, and I have to finish out hard, but to have them here today sitting aside of me watching me sign means a lot to me. I’m truly blessed.”
What are your thoughts as you come down the home stretch of your final high school season? “This season taught me a lot of big things. With Brady Gehret leaving – last year I was number two behind him, and with him graduating, you would think I would have the forefront, but I have had to work really hard. With the injuries, it’s been kind of annoying, but it’s taught me a lot of things that I have to work on besides running.
“You think your senior year you’re going to have a really big year and then you get hurt and have to come back – it’s just the drive I have learned this season. I’m humbled and blessed, and I’m going to continue to work hard until states.”
Dr. Robert Beale – Cheltenham track coach – says: “This is a very significant time in Matt’s life. I’m just happy to have been a part of his life the last three years. I’m extremely proud of him, and I’m sure he’ll do very well at Penn State. I’m very happy for him because he’s overcome a lot of obstacles to get to this point.
“Matt has an extreme desire to compete and to be the best. He’s not complacent with his performances. He comes to practice, and he works very hard. He’s hard on himself, and he challenges his teammates also. It’s something you don’t coach. It’s just innate character in him that drives him to be better.
“This is what it’s all about. This is why myself and my assistant do this because we have an undying love for watching young men develop. We like to win. We’ve very competitive, but along with that, we try to stress the importance of academics in the classroom because ultimately when it’s all over and you can no longer run any more, your education and your profession – that’s what it’s all about. Also developing character in the process of preparing yourself for a great performance on the track – those are the things that are going to carry you when you have the dark days. We look at the whole picture. We love to win, but it is (about) the process.”
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