By: Garrett Zatlin
The next runner in "The Commit" series is Lower Merion senior Matt D'Aquila! Matt is one of the top long-distance runners in the state who has made great improvements over the past few seasons. We can't thank Matt enough for his time and we hope you guys enjoy!
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Garrett: Before we begin talking about college, I
would like to take a step back and look at your past cross country season. You
had an outstanding fall where you placed 5th individually in
District 1 and then medaled at States by placing 20th. What did you
do in your training to get yourself to that next level of fitness?
Matt D'Aquila: Starting summer practices with the team in
late June, I knew I needed to start off slowly if I were to run my best in
October and November. To peak at the right time, I focused on building a base
in the summer and worrying about workouts when training camp came around.
Moreover, getting into the pool was essential, and I thank my coach for
facilitating this. Without the extra pounding, I was able to amass an extra 90
to 120 minutes of supplemental cardio a week. It was also very important that
my co-captains and I held 4 voluntary practices a week throughout June and July
to make sure guys were keeping up with their miles. These practices were great
for building team unity and camaraderie, which defines what LMXC is all about.
G: Staying with cross country, there was a lot
of debate surrounding which teams would make it out of District 1 (and Lower
Merion was in that discussion). What was the mindset for you and your teammates
as you toed the line at districts? What was the reaction from you and your
teammates when you found out that you guys had made it to states as a team?
MD: Making States as a team had been on our minds
since the 2015 XC District meet where we tied for 12th as a team. So
naturally we had established this as a top goal going into the season; and
let’s just say it was a goal we were all dead set on accomplishing. At
Districts this past year, the V-squad was all ready to have the races of our lives
and finish with “no regrets.” We were to stick with the race plan we had been
following all season. This was to go out smart and get into the passing lane in
the 2nd and 3rd miles of the race. At the finish, we knew
we had left it all out on the course. In the dreadful minutes that came between
the finish and hearing about our placement, Ethan Boyer, one of our more
spirited Varsity guys eagerly checked Penntrack non-stop for the results. When
he announced that we got 4th in the District it was surreal; all of
our hard work had finally paid off at the most pivotal meet of our careers.
G: Let’s move away from cross country and talk
about last year’s indoor track season. Last winter you put together a string of
solid 3k’s and eventually ended up with a PR of 9:00.00. Unfortunately, that
was a few spots off from indoor state qualifying. In the end, only 13 runners
ran the 3k at states*. Do you think the PTFCA should consider expanding the
number of state entries for the 3k field? If so, by how many?
*The
entry cutoff for the 3000 metes is 12 runners. However, both Henry Sappey and
Seth Slavin tied for the 12th spot with the same exact time.
MD: Yes. The 3k is a race that can accommodate
more runners than other, shorter races. Since every year PA sees a large number
of State qualifiers in this event, it’s doesn’t really make sense that there’d
be a qualifying time that keeps out top runners unless they rank in the top 12
in PA. We could definitely see an expansion to allow for up to 20 3k
qualifiers, the same number as the mile, all the while doing away with the time
standard altogether.
G: Later that spring, you were able to run 9:21
at the District 1 championships and earn the final spot to Shippensburg. Did
missing out on the 3k during indoors provide any extra motivation in the
spring?
MD: While it was definitely disappointing missing
out on the Indoor State Meet last year, I took some down time in my training so
that I could refocus my attention immediately to spring track. The end of my
indoor season certainly motivated me to do even better in the spring. Even though
the spring track season would be sort of touch- and- go due to nagging shin
pain, I stuck it out and made sure I’d get to Shippensburg. By the time the
District meet rolled along, I knew that I had done the training and would be
able to finally drop below the 9:30 mark in the 3200m race. Little did I know;
I’d be the last qualifier in a time 10 seconds faster than the SQS. I think
it’s pretty crazy that 12 guys hit the standard very convincingly and yet
District 1 is only allowed 8 total qualifiers. Perhaps this fact peeves me more
than the state qualification set up for the indoor 3k!
G: What can we expect from you and your
teammates for the rest of the current winter season?
MD: The LM squad is really using its XC momentum
to accomplish some pretty big relay goals this winter. Our top priority right
now is to qualify a DMR and 4x8 relay to States. I plan running in both of
those relays as we try to dip under the SQS in these two, always competitive
events. Our individual events have currently taken a back seat. I think the
team’s depth is our most pivotal asset right now. We have a lot of good mid
distance guys, who were not top 7 XC guys, being trained by LM alum Neal
Berman. This should help us with the faster legs of our relays. The ultimate
goal is to secure as many medals as possible at States, so we will focus on the
events that will be the most likely to get us to that goal.
G: Now that we have that covered, let’s move to
your college decision. Where will you be continuing your academic and athletic
career? Have you declared your major?
MD: I will be attending Middlebury College in
Vermont this fall and running XC, indoor and outdoor track. While I have not yet
declared a major I plan on studying International Relations and French.
G: What were some of the other schools that you
were considering? What made Middlebury stand out from the rest?
MD: This past Fall I took overnight visits to
Wesleyan, Tufts, Brown, Dartmouth and Middlebury. What stood out most to me at
Middlebury was the strong team culture and the academic balance. All of the
schools I visited were terrific, but I just knew deep down that Middlebury was
special. The fact that I will have the ability to craft an interesting double
major and be encouraged to take
rigorous courses in the humanities all really appealed to me. There is a lot of
opportunity to go far both academically and athletically. At Middlebury, on the
athletic side of things, there’s an awesome team environment, great coaches,
phenomenal running trails and a state of the art indoor track facility (all of
which made a difference as I was making my college decision). Furthermore, I
was really leaning towards the NESCAC (The New England Small College Athletic
Conference) schools from the get-go since the member institutions (Middlebury
included) all have stellar academic and athletic programs. NESCAC is always
competitive in track and XC nationally in D3 and I would really feel comfortable
competing against similar schools to Middlebury.
G: What was the hardest part about going
through the college selection process?
MD: There are so many great academic institutions
that also have fantastic track/XC programs, let alone in the liberal arts
realm, so culling a list was challenging. For any runners out there starting to
look at colleges, I recommend filling out “recruiting forms” on schools’ XC
webpages. I probably did this for over 10 schools to start out, which was very
helpful with getting in contact with coaches and learning more about the
running programs. While this sometimes prompts correspondence from coaches,
there are instances where it’s necessary to keep updating the recruiting forms
with new PRs and standardized test scores. Admittedly, these forms were a
little time consuming although they were definitely helpful in getting noticed
by coaches.
G: I noticed that Lower Merion alum Jon Perlman
is on the Middlebury roster. Did the Lower Merion connection with Perlman
influence your decision at all?
MD: The NESCAC schools were already on my radar,
and I have known for a long time about Middlebury’s stellar French program. Although
Jon represents well what it means to be a Middlebury student-athlete, this fact
didn’t influence my final college decision. He did however host me on my
recruiting visit and gave me good insight into the track/XC program. I could
easily relate to how Jon has transitioned to the college level having been part
of the same high school program. I definitely look forward for us to be
teammates again.
G: Have you talked to the coach at all about
what your future training might look like? What kind of changes can you expect
in terms of mileage?
MD: One thing that I really liked about the
Middlebury program was the individualized training plan that would help me
transition into my freshman year. Since the men’s XC and distance squad is
capped at just 25, coaches Wilkerson and Schilit have time to focus on each of
their runners individually, based on where they’ve come from in high school
training. My high school program’s mileage is in the 40 to 50-mile a week range.
Since I am not yet accustomed to a high-mileage program, I anticipate getting a
summer training plan that will steadily allow me to increase my mileage. I
wouldn’t be surprised if, by my senior year in college, my weekly mileage is
doubled.
G: Despite an undergraduate enrollment of just
2500 students, the Middlebury program has displayed some respectable depth and
has even made appearances in the Division 3 NCAA championships. Did this mix of
strong athletics at a smaller school appeal to you?
MD: Absolutely! I found that a small school with fantastic
athletic facilities like Middlebury’s were two very key components in my
decision. I was blown away on my visit by the quality of the indoor track
facility, along with the pool, weight room, and team locker room. Additionally,
the fact that Middlebury is in a rural environment with an abundance of trails
and mountains in every direction, means that I will have plenty of places to
train. Contrasting this with my current running environment at Lower Merion
High (which is in a dense area, with few soft surface running routes), being in
a rural area should lend itself well to higher mileage and better, more
consistent training.
G: What goals do you have for your collegiate
career? What is the legacy you would like to establish while at Middlebury?
MD: Middlebury has been consistent lately in
making the NCAA XC National Championship, and I want to do whatever I can to
continue this momentum and further improve the team. My dream goal is to be on
a national champion XC team by my senior year. On the track, I hope to run the
3k, 5k and 10k. Individually I would love to see how far I can get within the
NESCAC and maybe even becoming a D3 All-American. My main focus, by the end of
my career, is to do whatever I can to contribute to the success of the
Middlebury men’s program.
G: Any shoutouts?
MD: I’d like to give a huge shoutout to my
coaches at Lower Merion! Coaches David Van Houten (DVH) and Meg Capewell have
encouraged my growth from an out-of-shape freshman to a senior team captain.
Both have influenced me as a runner and as a person in different yet profound
ways. I appreciate that they saw potential in me, and have displayed a commitment
to the LM running program and the sport of running that can only be described
as inspirational. Also, a quick shoutout to Neal Berman (LM ’09) who has been
an awesome role-model and coach since he came onboard in 2016. We did a lot of
summer running together and I’m extremely grateful for all of his encouragement
along the way. Finally, shoutout to the senior varsity runners: fellow co-captains
Teddy Neckowicz and Evan Hassman, along with David Vonderheide and Ethan Boyer.
The team wouldn’t be what it is today without these guys’ leadership and hard
work.
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