A Win-Win Situation

Cover Story:
Athletics for All The Right Reasons

The Record Breaker

By Victoria Kidd

Emily Lepley '07

Emily Lepley '07, of Lewistown, Pa., knows all about balancing academics and athletics. As an English and secondary education major, Lepley maintained a 3.23 cumulative grade-point average while becoming one of Susquehanna's most-decorated athletes.

Lepley attributes her success to perseverance, the greatest skill she learned from competing on the women's track and field team. "The last year of my college career was extremely difficult because I had to juggle academics and athletics. Things were especially arduous while I was student teaching. I loved both but I was completely exhausted. Perseverance was the key," Lepley says.

It is a trait Lepley acquired on the track and one she says will follow her into the classroom this fall when she embarks on her first teaching position at Lewistown Area High School. "At the end of a 400-meter hurdle race, it was almost impossible to keep moving, yet if you didn't, you lost. And I despise losing. I've carried this trait with me for as long as I can remember. In teaching, I want my students to succeed and their success depends on my perseverance as an accomplished, knowledgeable teacher," she says.

Lepley earned All-American honors eight times in her career. She was a three-time All-American in both the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division III Outdoor championships and was a two-time All-American in the 55-meter hurdles at the Division III Indoor championships. In addition, Lepley was a three-time MAC outdoor champion in both the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles, and was a three-time winner in the 55-meter hurdles and a two-time champion in the 400 meters at the MAC indoor championships. She was the MAC Athlete of the Year at the 2005 outdoor and 2007 indoor championships, and was recognized as the NCAA Mideast Regional Track Athlete of the Year in 2005 after winning the NCAA Division III championship in the 400-meter hurdles. In all, Lepley graduated holding five individual school records and three records as part of relay teams.

But perhaps the most rewarding aspects of her athletics career are the intangibles she carries with her into the classroom. "I've learned quite a bit through track and field that will be useful to me in the future. One thing that is extremely important is teamwork. I've also learned a lot about leadership. I think the difference between being a leader and being a dictator is extremely important. No one wants to feel belittled, and in being captain of a team, you have to embody that idea of leadership and liberty, not dictatorship and constraint. It's so much easier to work together that way. This will especially come in handy while teaching," Lepley says.