Madilyn Elson (second from left) will run track and field at Ashland University now that she has graduated from Mount Gilead High School.
Courtesy Photo
After a successful track and field career at Mount Gilead High School that saw her run in sprint relay in the state meet both on the state runner-up 2021 girls’ team as a sophomore and also as a junior in 2022, Madilyn Elson will move on to collegiate athletics in that sport at Ashland University.
Elson, who is considering either sports management and education as her major, said that she has family ties to Ashland, which helped in her decision-making process.
“My mom went to Ashland and I really liked that it’s not too far away from home,” she said. “Also, I really like the team environment, so I’m really looking forward to going there.”
However, that didn’t mean it was easy for her to make her decision.
“I wish it worked out smooth and easy, but it definitely was a long process,” she said. “I made a pros and cons list for every single school that I was looking at and kind of decided from there. I’m pretty indecisive, so it took me a long time to decide. I had kind of narrowed it down to three, but they were three I was really, really interested in, so it was kind of tough to decide if I was making a mistake choosing one or choosing the other.”
Elson noted that she will be expecting a lot of competition now that she’s making the adjustment from a small division high school to Division II college athletics.
“It’s going to be weird to be on a team with so many other talented athletes,” she said. “It’s going to be from going from one of the better athletes on a team to being just kind of another kid on the team. I’m excited for it, but it’s going to definitely push me to better myself and push myself as an athlete.”
Elson is looking forward to a number of things about the college experience.
“Being away from home and kind of living on my own, so I’m excited to be an adult and just do new things,” she said.
She will miss her time at Mount Gilead, though, adding that she’s gained a lot in her time there.
“Definitely the community,” she said. “I love the people who live here and it’s a great place to grow up, so I’m definitely going to miss the school and just everybody that I’ve been with.”
Rob Hamilton can be reached at 419-946-3010, ext. 1807. Connect with him on Twitter at @SportsMCS
