On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, Neshaminy seniors Cheyenne Oswald and Dave Marrington were recognized at a special news conference for signing letters of intent to compete in track at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Cheyenne Oswald – Bowling Green University (Track)
Major: Communications
Final list of colleges: Bowling Green, Temple, Shippensburg
Reasons for choosing Bowling Green: “I finally get the experience to go away. The school is absolutely beautiful – I loved the coach and the girls. I basically fell in love with the school from the moment I stepped on the campus. It felt right.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in track at the collegiate level? “Around the end of my junior year when I broke my school record for the 400 meters, I finally realized I have the ability to do this. It was really exciting. It was probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I totally wasn’t expecting it. I only ran the 400 twice last year, and I broke the record.”
Coach Margie Stefan says: “Cheyenne was captain of the winter and spring track teams for the past two years because of her leadership abilities and work ethic. Cheyenne was a role model to her teammates because of her determination and perseverance. She always gave 100 percent to the workouts even when it seemed impossible. She has a very outgoing and friendly personality, which will take her far in college and her future. She is always singing, dancing, and putting smiles on the faces of people around her. We will miss her as part of the team next year.”
About Cheyenne:
Favorite food: Shrimp Alfredo
Favorite movie: Mama Mia
Favorite music: Nicki Minaj
Dave Marrington – Penn State University (Track)
Major: Business
Final list of colleges: Penn State, Iowa, Penn, Rhode Island, Cornell, Indiana University
Reasons for choosing Penn State: “It was closer to home. My sister actually goes there, and I have a family history there. I know the campus well. It has a strong alumni association and a good chance of getting a job out of college.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in track at the collegiate level? “It was always an idea, but it started to become a reality my junior year once I started going to the bigger meets and started getting letters from colleges then I really wanted to pursue it.”
Coach Syd White says: “The thing that made Dave great were his dedication and preparation. Dave gave up playing soccer and joined the cross country team as sophomore because he knew that the additional training would help him become a better track runner.
“Dave started preparing for this year's 300 Meter State Championship race last July by running cross country (even though he didn't really like running cross) because he new it would make him a better runner during the spring season (and he was also one of our top five XC runners).
“During the indoor season, Dave continued to run the hurdles, 200 and 400 as he had in the past, but he also moved up in distance to become our best 800 meter runner. I believe that running those very competitive 400 and 800 meter indoor races helped to make him an even better runner during the spring season.
“During all of this racing and training in his three senior seasons, Dave also continued to work on improving his starts and his already impressive hurdling technique.
“Dave also worked hard at helping his teammates become better runners. He routinely helped teach our younger hurdlers the basic hurdling technique. He also spent a lot of time and energy helping his teammates qualify for championship meets.”
About Dave:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: Step Brothers
Favorite music: Rap
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