All Photos Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics; above photo is Brandon Zimmerman
By Thamoda Haputhanthri
Susquehanna track athletes Brandon Zimmerman and Elliott Davis both participated in the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships this past weekend at Nazareth University in Rochester, New York.
Zimmerman punched his ticket to indoor nationals by scoring an impressive 4,861 points total at the Ithaca Bomber Invite. Zimmerman delved into the inspirations behind his successful performances, saying “I am a first-generation college student, so making my parents proud, both on the track and in the classroom, is the most important thing to me.”
Zimmerman, who experienced injury-riddled seasons in his first two years, including a kickball injury, exhibited determination and grit, which led him to receive ‘Track Athlete of the Year’. Zimmerman’s determination did not stop there.
“My personal goal every season is (to be an) All-American,” he said. “I also want to help bring the men’s team another (Landmark Conference) championship so the seniors can have eight rings on their fingers.”
Davis’s consistently impressive performances have landmarked him as a prominent figure in Susquehanna’s running dominance over the last couple of years.
Elliott Davis
Davis, who stated his most significant challenge this season was dealing with injury, opened up on the mental and physical effects behind these setbacks: “I had a few minor injuries this past year and the first meet back is always the most stressful. It really messed up my mental health because I knew I would be out for a couple meets but I wanted to be back as soon as possible to be ready for champs.”
The senior had many key performances this year, garnering Landmark track & field athlete of the week honors three different times, but one that stood out to Davis was at Boston University.
“Our goal was to break the outdoor record on an indoor track,” he said. “Even though we came up a few tenths of a second short, we were still happy with the time we ran”.
Davis reflected on what has been such a successful indoor season for SU, saying, “I’m hoping I can cap it off with All-American status. I’m incredibly blessed to be in the position that I am.”
The spring track & field season begins on March 29 with the Jim Taylor Duals at Stagg Field.