Pieczynski excels on and off the track

Former Posen High School athlete Amanda Pieczynski put an exclamation point at the end of a comeback from a serious two-vehicle accident 11 months ago by running the best 200-meter sprint of her life and returning to perfect academic form. The Presque Isle resident, who is spending part of her summer working at Presque Isle Harbor, just completed her junior year at Lake Superior State University (LSSU). The humble young woman, who would make any parent proud, had the highest grade point average on the LSSU track team this past spring with a 3.918, which was bolstered by a 4.00 during the last semester of the 2008-09 school year. It was a semester where she completed 18 credits toward her major of exercise science.

In the process, Pieczynski received Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) all-academic honors. PIECZYNSKI?S EXCELS in the sprints with the 200-meter being her premier running event. It was during Pieczynski’s last 200-meter race of the season, at the GLIAC outdoor track and field event, she posted a personal best 26.16.

While a lot of college students are concerned about trimming that dreaded 15 pounds they gained as a freshman, if not more, Pieczynski is in the finest shape of her life and is focused on reducing her times. She is determined to continue training, which involves running and weight lifting, to get that time below the 26-second mark. It?s been said more than once in this column that when the local sports spotlight dims on top athletes, there is a bit of the magic that is lost.

More times than not, the extra work and time required of college athletes isn?t worth the extra pain. A lot of student/athletes fall back on their studies and there?s nothing wrong with that. When a co

llege athlete is successful in and out of the classroom it is truly an accomplishment. IN PIECZYNSKI?S case, even more so, as she came back from that July 2008 car accident. Along with injuring her left arm, she needed to take medication to accelerate the healing, and was forced to stay in the hospital a lot longer than she had expected. Pieczynski couldn?t do her normal training, especially lifting weights, so that was a set back. That brought about thoughts about red shirting her junior year and saving a year of eligibility. Instead, she pressed forward and got herself ready and had a tremendous season.

Her studies never suffered, as she returned to the 4.00 form enjoyed in her first year in college. Now, the focus is on her senior research project, along with more training. ?I want to keep on improving,? said Pieczynski, a young woman who not only sets goals, but fulfills them. Her self-determination should be an inspiration to us all.

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