Amy Salek is the quintessential student-athlete. A senior hailing from Wycoff, N.J., she excels on both the field as a runner and in the classroom as a student.
Throughout her four years at Elon University, Salek has not only won numerous awards on the track, but has also been recognized for her work in the classroom, a balancing act that isn’t always easy.
How does she do it?
“A lot of hard work and dedication,” Salek said. “I am very committed to performing well on the track and in the classroom. I knew coming in that I would have to make time throughout my day and get in a rhythm in order to get my work down with as minimal stress as possible. I force myself to get assignments done when I first get the assignment and I always try to get it done before practice.”
Coach Mark Elliston admires Salek’s dedication to her sport and her teammates.
“Amy has been a major force on this team from the first day of practice,” Elliston said. “Her work ethic and determination was evident to everyone immediately. She has been a leader for us ever since and especially now as a senior captain.”
Amy knows it’s her last season as a member of the Phoenix, so she has made it her mission to enjoy every minute of this year.
“Since this is my senior season, I am trying to make the most of it by having fun when I race and really taking in everything that happens,” Salek said. “I used to block out the cheers and the announcers because they used to make me nervous. But now, I have tried to take away all the pressure I put on myself and just run for fun and feed off of the crowd and the announcers, because when am I going to experience this again?”
Salek’s focus on having an enjoyable senior season has translated into numerous awards celebrating her running prowess, including the SoCon Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Month and several team awards.
Coach Elliston said he believes Amy’s success is a strong indication of his team’s overall devotion to becoming the finest in its sport.
“[Salek] has won several awards for her running abilities and her academics as well,” Elliston said. “It’s great to see not only Amy, but the team members being recognized for their efforts both on the track and in the classroom. I have a very amazing group of hard working and dedicated young ladies and Amy is a great example of how that dedication pays off.
For Amy, winning the Outdoor Track Athlete of the Month was a source of major satisfaction.
[quote]I knew coming in that I would have to make time throughout my day and get in a rhythm in order to get my work down with as minimal stress as possible. I force myself to get assignments done when I first get the assignment and I always try to get it done before practice. - Amy Salek, Elon senior track and field athlete[/quote]
“I was shocked,” Salek said. “I take a lot of pride in receiving this award because it meant that all of the work I have been putting in at practice was noticed and it was worth it. I am so proud to have won this award because I am bringing recognition to Elon.”
Salek also won the Student-Athlete of the Week award this year, an award she insists is important, but not as important to her as winning the Athlete of the Month honors.
“The Student-Athlete of the Week was awesome because it showed that I work hard both on the track and in the classroom,” Salek said. “But the Athlete of the Month was for the entire month of March and recognized me for all of my accomplishments on the track.”
She thinks the team can still have a successful season if they perform well at this year’s conference championships.
“I think our team can be extremely successful this year if we all rise to the challenge at the conference meet,” Salek said. “No matter what our individual rankings are, we all train as if someone is one step in front of us or throws or jumps one inch farther. We like to surprise the other teams and most of all we like to run, jump and throw our best because if we do that, I truly believe we can put up a hard fight for a top spot in the conference.”