TAYLOR MCDANIEL | Reporter

This week’s spotlight will highlight dual athlete Jerod Broadbooks, who runs for both cross country and track and field.

Bio

Name: Jerod Broadbooks

Nicknames: Broadpecs, Jerod Broadquads, the Quadfather

Age:21

From: Wildwood, Missouri

Grade: Senior

Major: Music Education

Sport: Cross Country/Track and Field

Q&A

Q: When did you start playing your sport?

A: “I started running when I was a freshman in high school. I was 14.”

Q: How did you get started in your sport?

A: “My dad was the one who really pushed me to run cross country. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it going into high school, but I had shown that I was a decent runner in middle school (I ran a 5:27 mile), so I listened to my dad and went out for cross country. After my first practice, I was instantly hooked because I was the best. I stuck with it for the rest of high school, and now I’m running as a senior in college.”

Q :What is your biggest strength in your sport?

A: “I think my biggest strength is that I am willing to look at the bigger picture and realize that it takes time to get good. Patience is the word I’m looking for, I guess. Especially for distance running, it takes resilience and mental toughness. You train all year round, running 10-15 miles a day, seven days a week, just to cut a few seconds off the time you ran last year. Success in distance running doesn’t come easily or quickly, and the sooner an athlete realizes that, the better.”

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment in your sport?

A: “One time my freshman year in high school I had to go to the bathroom really bad during a race, so once the race was over I kept running and went straight to a porta potty. It was kind of embarrassing, and the upperclassmen made fun of me at the time, but now I look back on it and laugh.”

Q: Why did you choose to play for Lindenwood?

A: “Because I liked the team and coaching staff, and because it was a good fit for me academically and financially.”

Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment in your sport?

A: “My greatest accomplishment would be my junior year at LU where I ended up placing second in the conference in the mile.”

Q: What do you like most about your sport?

A: “I like the mutual respect that distance runners have for each other. After races the first thing you see most distance runners do is congratulate their competitors. I think this speaks to the fact that athletes in our sport realize how difficult distance running is, so they have respect for anyone else who is a runner.”

Q: Do you have any game day rituals?

A: “Probably my only consistent ritual is that I always listen to music before races.”

Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

A: My favorite hobby is playing music. I guess I can’t really call it a hobby because it’s what I am studying, but playing music has always been something that I thoroughly enjoy and look to as a source of comfort and joy. Outside of that, I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing basketball or ultimate frisbee and playing video games (preferably RPGs).”

Q: Who is your favorite athlete?

A: “My favorite athlete is Haile Gebrselassie. Most normal people wouldn’t know who he is (in fact, most of my teammates don’t know who he is), but he is an Ethiopian distance runner who set multiple world records and won multiple distance events in the Olympics in the late 1990s and early 2000s.”

Q: Who do you look up to in your sport?

A: “Right now, I look up to Eliud Kipchoge. He is the best distance runner in the world currently, and he is a role model for hard work and dedication.”

Q: What is your favorite sports team?

A: “The St. Louis Cardinals.”

Q: What keeps you motivated?

A: “My team and coaches keep me motivated. Not necessarily that I rely on them to provide me with motivation, but the thought of succeeding for the betterment of the team is a big motivating factor for me.”

Q: What are three things you could not live without?

A: “I couldn’t live without peanut butter and honey sandwiches, coffee or Netflix. I consume copious amounts of PB&H sandwiches and coffee everyday, and I like watching Netflix before going to bed to help me wind down.”

Q: If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be?

A: “Jesus, Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln because they are three historical figures that I look up to.”

Q: What is your favorite quote?

A: “’If you die, you die’ – coach Randy Cole.”

Q: Do you have any advice for young athletes?

A: “Stay hungry and continue to work hard even if it feels like you aren’t progressing. Success will come your way if you work hard enough for long enough.”

Q: What are your plans for after college?

A: “I want to be a music teacher.”