SE runner finds balance between events, classes

Hannah Stuckenschneider has her sport, her academics and her life running smoothly.

A middle-distance runner at Southeast Missouri State University, Stuckenschneider has a first, a second and a third-place in the 400 meters and a first in the 600 meters in the Otahkians' first four indoor meets. She has also anchored the 1,600 relay team to two wins, a second and a fifth-place finish.

She'll be among the competitors vying for a top spot today when Southeast hosts Murray State and Samford in a three-team meet at 10 a.m. at the Student Rec Center.

"I feel really blessed to be a college athlete," Stuckenschneider said. "When you feel good about your running and your performance, you feel good about everything else, too."

Stuckenschneider's impact on the track is only part of her development.

"We're really proud of how she has progressed academically and as a team leader," Southeast track coach Joey Haines said.

Not only is she learning to excel on the track, but she's breaking new ground in the classroom. Stuckenschneider made the dean's list for the first time last semester.

"I never even made the honor roll before," she said. "I came to college just to run. I had no idea what I wanted to do. At one point I even thought about quitting and going to beauty school."

So what turned it around?

"Deciding what I really wanted to do has helped me focus," said Stuckenschneider, who recently declared a major in recreation. She will emphasize outdoor recreation, such as climbing, hiking, canoeing and rafting, with therapeutics.

Stuckenschneider came to Southeast as a highly recruited athlete from Helias High School in Jefferson City, Mo.

There, she won 16 medals at the state meet.

"Maybe someone has done as well," Haines said, "but no one has done any better than that."

Stuckenschneider is expected to be one of Southeast's top contenders after she won the 600 Saturday at the Indiana Relays. Jaret Willi's second-place finish in the pole vault led the men's team.

Gymnasts host No. 18 Iowa

Southeast's gymnasts host No. 18 Iowa at 7 p.m. today at Houck Field House.

The Otahkians are coming off a loss Saturday at Illinois-Chicago, although sophomore Ashley Godwin won her seventh individual title of the season by sharing the championship in bars. Sophomore Alexis Maday has led Iowa (2-2) in all four events and in the all-around.

Southeast leads the series 16-6, but lost last year 192.8-187.325 in Iowa City.