SPRING 2008 Community College Magazine - Northampton ...

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Virginia Coleman
admissions offi cer
■ USA track and fi eld titles in the 2 lb. weight throw, 1988 & 1999
■ Set American record for 20 lb. weight throw in 1989
■ Six-time Big East Champion: won four straight titles in the
weight throw
■ Won the hammer throw and set records in Penn Relays in 1989
You were an Olympic-level athlete in a
track and field event. Did you try out
for the Olympics?
“When I was competing, hammer was in development stage for women.
After I graduated, it was a developmental event in the Olympics. Now
it’s a full-fledged Olympic event, but when I did it in ’89 and ‘90, it
hadn’t made the Olympics yet. … Now they’re throwing 250 some feet.
I was throwing 180 or so.”
Champions Among Us
Did you compete in any other fi eld
events?
I also threw the shotput and discus. I did pretty well but didn’t set records
in those.
How did you get into this event at a
time when it was fairly unknown in
college athletics?
“St. John’s happened to have a legendary former Olympian coach – Ken
Bantum. Coach Bantum scouted me as a high school track and field
participant, and recruited me for St. John’s. He encouraged me to train
and compete.”
Coleman was inducted into the St. John’s University hall of fame
for her athletic accomplishments. She was hired by St. John’s to the
admissions staff, and spent several years as a coach to the throwing
students She moved to the Pocono area in 2006 and was hired by NCC as
an admissions offi cer in July 2007.
Allison Carpenter
assistant professor, english
■ 1st place overall female at the Patriot’s Triathlon in Bath, 2006 – a sprint
distance event
■ 3rd place overall female at the Patriot’s Triathlon, 2007.
■ 1st place female masters (over age 40) 2007 and 2006 Lancaster YMCA
triathlon – an Olympic distance event
■ 2nd place age group Steelman Triathlon, Quakertown, 2007 – an Olympic
distance event
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An Olympic distance triathlon is a .9-mile swim, a 25-mile bike, and a 10k (6.2
mile) run. A sprint event is .4-mile swim, 15-mile bike, and 5k (3.1 mile) run.
What prompted you to enter your fi rst
triathlon competition?
“In my 20s and 30s, I had been a competitive runner and rower, having won a
gold medal in international competition. I switched to triathlon to help manage
and avoid injury.”
Why do you compete?
“I compete to give some purpose to my [exercise] routine. There are athletes who
train to compete. I compete just to spice things up a bit. If someone is exercising,
competing can add that extra push.”
What does it feel like — doing a triathlon?
“Triathlon is such a goofy event. All this moving from one event to the other. Get
on the bike as fast as you can, jump off and take your shoes off as fast as you
can … it’s like a big silly obstacle course … It feels wonderful, and it also feels
awful. I do well on swim, do well on bike, but I’m a slow runner. By the time I’m
running, I’m really hurting … I’m usually out front, but knowing the others are
going to come up and pass me, I feel like a sitting duck.”
Have you ever been doing something
completely unrelated to physical activity
when you notice a tie-in?
“Getting my Ph.D. It was such a long haul. Working on that doctoral dissertation
is kind of like running a marathon; no immediate gratification, but the payoff
is really big.” u
NCC ● SPRING 2008 LEFT-NCC STOCK/RIGHT DOUGLAS BENEDICT