A First for His Last

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State senior mid-distance runner Brandon Rooney will be competing at the 2010 NCAA Track and Field Championships this weekend in Eugene, Ore. This will be the first time of his career Rooney has made it this far into the post-season. While this may be the last time Rooney laces up for the Cyclones, the bio-mechanics graduate student is thrilled for the opportunity and ready for the challenge.

"Making nationals was always a goal of mine coming into college," Rooney said. "I knew it was a going to be a tough goal, but it becoming a reality is a crazy and amazing feeling. I am just hoping to take advantage of it and make finals and keep making the next step."

Rooney, who graduated summa cum laude in 2008, will be competing in the 1,500-meter run at the 2010 NCAA Track and Field Championships. While competing at the NCAA meet is every collegiate student-athlete's dream, the path was not easy.

During the first week on-campus at ISU, Rooney sprained his ankle running on trails, and was out for a few training sessions. The next week a team-trip to Wyoming left the Tehachapi, Calif. native extremely ill, forcing him to return to Iowa alone. One-week later, Rooney had a stress fracture. While the first few weeks on campus were tough, Rooney found comfort in the recruiting process he went through to come to Iowa State.

"I didn't really decide that I wanted to run until my junior year (of high school)," Rooney said. "By then it was kind of late and I didn't really develop much until my senior year. Coach Ihmels was talking to me and he just seemed really interested in what I could do. His perspective on what I could do as an individual was really intriguing."

During his freshman year, Rooney found reassurance in his training partner David Rotich. Rotich was a solid performer for the Cyclones when he and then freshman Rooney began training together.

"Training with a guy at that level, and knowing that I can work out with him was great for me," Rooney said. "I attribute a lot to what he did for my perspective on training. It is important in our sport to have someone that you can depend on each day."

While Rooney was mentored by Rotich, Rooney also has earned a mentor for sophomore Rico Loy. The two roommates train together for the 1,500-meter run. For Rooney, a training partner is key.

"Our training group it is pretty amazing," Rooney said. "This indoor season we had Rico (Loy), Jory (Zunich) and Hillary (Bor), and everything was clicking. When the (Big 12 Indoor Championship) came around we all worked off of each other. We all started doing well because of the result that we trained together."

This season Rooney has been in top form at the perfect times. At the 2010 Big 12 Indoor Championships, Rooney finished third in the 1,000-meter run (2:27.91) and fourth in the mile (4:13.23). At the 2010 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, the senior finished third in the 1,500-meter run (3:44.62). While other seasons Rooney's training started earlier, he attributes his well-timed success due to a change in his training plan.

"This year we were more conservative starting training later after cross country with my stress fracture," Rooney said. "I didn't start working out until January. All of us hit pace really well and kept the correct pace. I think learning how to train has provided the later season success rather than in the past I have run well too early and when it matters I am too tired."

Injuries have always plagued Rooney's career, from the beginning of his career to his stress fracture last fall. While these injuries may have frustrated Rooney, he holds a true passion for understanding the physiological process of the body.

"My junior year (of high school) I started to read training books about physiology and the basics," Rooney said. "It is the reason I wanted to go into kinesiology and study human performance. I have always been really intrigued about adaptations and what improves my performance. It always helps me understand what improves how I run."

Rooney graduated from Iowa State with a degree in kinesiology, and is now in the graduate program in bio-mechanics with one year left to go. While his career path is right inline with his athletics, Rooney does not shun the idea of coaching in the future.

"We do a lot of lower leg injury stuff and we look a lot at shoes and the modeling but I am not opposed to coaching," Rooney said. "I actually considered it when I was younger. But my passion right now is doing something with bio-mechanics, developing shoes and that type of thing."

Rooney will run the 1,500-meters at the NCAA Championships on Thursday, June 10 at 6:46 p.m. (CST). Results will be posted on cyclones.com.

Players Mentioned

Rico Loy

Rico Loy

Brandon Rooney

Brandon Rooney

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