America
East believes that the student-athletes represent the best and
brightest of each of the conference's nine member universities . In
order to recognize the contributions these student-athletes make to
their classrooms, their campuses and their communities, America East
will highlight a different student-athlete each month over the course
of the 2008-09 school year in a "Best of U." feature.
April's installment of "Best of U."
focuses on Stony Brook University's Holly and Lucy Van Dalen, sophomores on the cross country and track & field teams. The identical twin sisters both recently broke separate school records in the 3,000 and 800 meter events last week at the Quinnipiac Quad Meet. Both were named to the Cross Country All-Academic Team last fall, while Lucy also earned the honor for the outdoor track season. The story was written by Stony Brook Athletic Communications Assistant Craig Schroeder.
Nine-thousand miles. Sounds like a long distance. But for
twin sisters Holly and Lucy Van Dalen, it’s all relative. If you are talking
about the distance from their hometown of Wanganui,
New Zealand to Stony Brook, N.Y.,
it can seem like a world away-- they have only been home three times since
arriving on campus in 2007. If you are talking about running, the sophomores
have already covered that distance since joining the Seawolves’ cross country
and track & field teams -- they each run anywhere between 50 and 70 miles a
week. But if you are talking about how far you would be willing to travel to pursue
your goals, for the Van Dalens, it’s been worth every mile.
“We love being at Stony Brook,” said Holly, “it suits our
needs, both academically and athletically, very well.”
The identical twins have chosen almost identical academic
paths, focusing their studies around sociology. Holly is a sociology and
English major with goals of becoming a high school teacher, while Lucy pairs
her sociology major with a minor in child and family studies, hoping to become
a social worker in the future.
When choosing their academic paths, the sisters decided to
follow their passions, according to Shannon Logan, Stony Brook’s academic
advisor for cross country and track & field. “They picked majors that they are
truly interested in. They want to have professions where they will make an
impact on people’s lives, and sociology will help them achieve that goal.”
In the mean time, the Van Dalens are having quite an impact
on the Stony Brook athletic department. It’s been less than two years since
their arrival and they already have five America East titles, three appearances
at the NCAA Nationals and eight school records between them. They have also had
a positive impact academically. Individually, they were two of only 76 female
student-athletes in all of Division I to be named to the USTFCCCA Cross Country
All-Academic team. They also led the Seawolves women’s team to a combined GPA
of 3.36 and a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honor.
“Naturally, we aren’t geniuses,” laughed Lucy, “but with some
work we do pretty well in class. Our parents have always been very supportive
and never put too much pressure on us. Also, the academic advisors here are
amazing. The support they give to the student-athletes is just insane. They
have really been accommodating of our passions for both running and academics.”
Balancing their passions for athletics and academics so
successfully is what impresses their academic advisor the most, who says they
are an excellent example for all student-athletes.
“They truly are making the most out of the opportunity given
to them,” said Logan.
“The way they have been able to succeed at such a high level in their sport
while also achieving in the classroom shows great balance and discipline.”
Self-discipline, a skill most college students struggle
with, comes naturally to the Van Dalens; a credit to their running background.
“We have a very structured schedule because of our running,”
said Holly. “For instance, sleep is very important for us, so we make sure we
get our work done during the day.”
“We aren’t putting our studies off and then trying to pull
all-nighters, because we can’t,” added Lucy.
Stony Brook’s head cross country and track& field coach,
Andy Ronan, sees their influence rubbing off on teammates, who are starting to
buy into the daily structure the Van Dalens use to keep their athletic and
academic schedules balanced. The results have been telling.
“The day they arrived on this campus was a turning point for
this program,” said Ronan. “We went from a regional program to a national one
because of the attitude and work ethic they bring to both practice and the
classroom.”
What may be most impressive about the Van Dalens is their
desire to improve. While they are pleased with what they have achieved to this
point, they are in no way satisfied and look forward to the challenges ahead.
“In running there is always a better time you can post or a
stronger race you can run,” started Lucy, “and in class there’s always a better
grade to aim for,” finished Holly. “We’ve found things we are passionate about
and a place that supports those passions which is helping us strive to be the
best in both.”