Mount Gilead graduate Aaron Gannon (second from right) will run both track and field and cross country for Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
Courtesy Photo
After two strong years of cross country and track and field at Mount Gilead High School that saw him run in both sports’ state meets — including being part of a state champion cross country squad — Aaron Gannon will continue his career in those sports at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
Gannon noted that the school’s proximity to his home played a role in his decision.
“My first visit, I loved the energy of the coaches,” he said. “They seemed really passionate and made me excited to run. And then I liked the feel of the university. I like that it’s local. I’ll be able to support my brother and my teammates coming back here. It’s like a 30-minute drive. I just like being close to my family and close to my friends. I want to feel away from home, but I don’t want to be too far, so it’s kind of nice being close.”
Gannon, who intends to major in athletic training, did note that he took his time in searching for his new school.
“It took a little bit,” he said. “I took multiple visits to different colleges. I went to Cedarville, Ashland, different places and I liked them, but none of them really kind of gave me the feel of MVNU. I just really liked that one and chose it relatively fast.”
Having competed in a number of large meets with Mount Gilead, Gannon is hoping that experience will help him against what he figures to be tough competition in college.
“I think it will be pretty good,” he said. “I know MVNU has a lot of really fast runners in my event — the 800 — so I’ll have a lot of guys to compete with. Having these big events and big competitions, I think it will be pretty easy to transition because I’m used to the environment.”
While Gannon isn’t sure what events he’ll be looked upon to run in college, he noted that the 800 is his favorite. He competed in that event in the state meet this spring.
He is looking forward to the college experience.
“I’m looking forward to kind of being able to be independent and be myself,” he said. “Experience new things and new coaches, new people. Especially in a school, you learn maturity and I feel I’ve had a lot of maturity, so it’s now about kind of discovering what I’m able to do on my own.”
While Gannon was only a student at Mount Gilead for two years, he made a lot of friendships that he’ll miss now that he’s going to college.
“The biggest thing I’m going to miss here is just the friends and coaches,” he said. “I’ve built many strong relationships here that I never thought I would have. It feels like I’m a sophomore — feels like I should have two more years of high school. So I’m excited to graduate, but I’m going to miss the relationships and coaches that I didn’t get to have for a while.”
Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS
