For the past
three decades, our track and cross country coaching staff at Marist College has
had remarkable stability. Phil Kelly and I started coaching with the teams in
the 1990-1991 timeframe. Chuck Williams started as a student in 1995 and has
never left, remaining afterwards as a volunteer coach, then assistant coach and
then taking over Phil’s position at the head of our women’s program upon Phil’s
retirement in 2008, around the same time that Terry Horton hopped on board to
work with our non-distance athletes. You hear all the time about athletes who ran
for or played for multiple coaches in their college careers. Heck, I’m one of
them – I had three different coaches in four years as a student-athlete at
Marist.
For today’s
Pandemic Papers, Julie Hudak represents that microscopic segment of our program
over the past three decades that had to manage a coaching change. She was
recruited by Phil and coached by Phil her freshman year, 2007-2008. Unlike
other coaching changes, the transition from Phil to Chuck/Pete wasn’t all that
difficult. We all have slightly different styles and personalities, to be sure,
but our core philosophies are closely aligned, so basically it’s just a
different guy writing the workouts and driving the vans. Obviously, this is an
oversimplification and this is not to minimize Phil’s role – far from it! The
foundation of our great success athletically and academically, as well as our close-knit
family atmosphere on the women’s team, stems directly from his roots and have
grown exponentially under Chuck. Julie is one of the last branches on the tree
that Phil planted. Moving along with this arborist analogy, we are extremely
proud of Julie’s being a part of the Marist XC/Track “coaching tree” – after she
left Marist, among other pursuits Julie has become an awesome coach. She
started at her alma mater, Pearl River High School, and now she’s at
neighboring St. Thomas Aquinas College in Rockland County, where she met her
husband-to-be Drew Gangemi, who is now the head track/XC coach at the College
of Staten Island. Yes, during this pandemic, Julie and Drew have had “recruiting
wars” together (she mentions this and sends a cute picture to go with it).
Lest we bury the
lead, Julie is also a frontline worker during this crisis. She is a registered
nurse at an oncology unit in White Plains, which has been transformed into a
Covid-19 unit. So now, she’s garbed in full PPE and putting herself at risk of
catching the virus by virtue of simply going to work. We are so proud of Julie
and it’s exciting to be able to see her several times a year now at track
meets, since our paths cross with STAC quite a bit, especially during track.
One neat highlight has been spending time with Julie and Drew at the USTFCCCA Conventions over the past few years – in fact, seeing them right after they got
engaged at the convention. About a year from now, Julie and Drew are getting
married -- neat!. Here’s hoping PPE and social distancing will be a thing of the past
by then. And maybe, if I continue this interview series into 2021, by then the
name can be changed to the Post Pandemic Papers! For now, though, the Pandemic
Papers continues, and we thank Julie for taking the time to answer these
questions.
I know it's a long time ago, but how and why did you
get interested in Marist and how did you pick Marist over other schools?
The first I
heard of Marist was from Gilby (Marist Running Alum Gilby Hawkins). He
always spoke very highly of the school and the cross country/track
program. I applied to many colleges, probably about seven or so. I
liked the fact that Marist was semi-close to home; only about an hour and 15
minutes from my house. I started to look more into the college and the
program and I began to fall in love with what Marist had to offer. I went
on an official visit and met with Phil. Once I set foot on campus, I knew
it was for me. It was absolutely beautiful. Phil explained the daily
routine and how the program functioned. Marist competed at the Armory,
just like I had in high school. It made me feel at home and it was where I
was meant to be. I quickly realized how prestigious the school was and
immediately wanted to be a part of it. When I was on my way home from my
official visit with my parents, I told them, "This is where I want to
go." I never gave it a second thought.
Talk about your time as an athlete at Marist. You were
part of the transition from Phil to Chuck/me. How was that and what are some of
your best memories and highlights as an athlete at Marist?
Freshman year
running for Phil was great. As an incoming freshman, it is scary to go to
a new place and compete with a new team. But we were welcomed with open
arms and I couldn't have asked for a better team to join. Phil always
pushed us to be better and the workouts were designed to make us run
fast. I was sad when he announced his retirement, but knew he was leaving
us in good hands with you and Chuck. I saw how well the men ran under your
guidance and I was excited we were going to be working with you more. The
men continuously improved week after week and it was something I truly admired
about you. The memories I made at Marist I will cherish forever. The
bond you create with your teammates is unlike any other. Traveling
together on the weekends and having some of the toughest workouts and getting
through them together is a bond that becomes inseparable. One of the best
memories I have from Marist Cross Country is the MAAC Championship down in
Disney. There were so many laughs, so many new friendships made, and fast
times ran. Another great memory was church on Sundays with
teammates. Father LaMorte always made me feel at ease entering a new week
and being able to attend church with teammates made it even more
meaningful. Also, having dinner with your teammates in the cafeteria every
night of the week made Marist feel like home away from home. It's the
minor experiences that become the memorable ones.
What did you major in at Marist and how has it prepared
you for your careers?
As a freshman, I
was undecided but I declared a Biology major my sophomore year. I was
always interested in science, I just wasn't sure which path to take. I
have completed my Master's degree for Nutrition at the University of
Bridgeport. I then went onto graduate Nursing school at the College of
Mount Saint Vincent. Majoring in Biology and being a Division 1 student
athlete was challenging at times, but taught me time management skills, perseverance
and determination I never knew I had. It taught me to keep pushing
forward when I doubted my abilities to succeed.
Tell us about your career paths since you left Marist
-- you've done a lot of different things? And tell us what you are currently
doing (outside of coaching)?
After Marist, I
went for my Master's in Nutrition at the University of Bridgeport. When I
was a student athlete at Marist, we had a speaker for the athletes who spoke of
healthy nutrition habits for athletes. That was when I realized how
interesting and important it was for athletes to fuel their bodies with the
appropriate foods to aid in recovery. I was a Health and Wellness Coach
for about a year when I decided to take a different path. I decided to go
to Nursing school. I attended an Accelerated Nursing Program at the
College of Mount Saint Vincent and just recently graduated December of
2019. I currently am a Registered Nurse at White Plains Hospital in
Westchester County on the Oncology unit.
How and why did you get into coaching? We are very proud of you as
a collegiate coach. Tell us how that has gone for you and how it is going?
I first began
coaching at the high school I attended, Pearl River. I coached there for a
spring track season. I fell in love with it. It was amazing to be
coaching in an environment where I grew up and knew so well. It was a very
rewarding experience to be have the opportunity to coach alongside my coaches,
who taught me everything I knew. I was then offered a position as an
Assistant Cross Country and Track Coach at St. Thomas Aquinas College, a
Division II school located in Sparkill, New York. It has been a great
experience and every year is a new, exciting adventure. Every May it is
harder and harder to leave for the summer, but makes the fall season that much
more exciting. I wanted to be able to share everything I had learned in my
high school and collegiate career with current athletes. Running
competitively for almost 10 years was a major part of my life and some of the
best years of my life. The friendships I have made, and the experiences I
have had are something irreplaceable. I wanted the current student-athletes
to have those memories to look back on. I wanted to encourage them to be
the best possible version of themselves in the classroom and on the
track. Seeing the athletes transform from the first day of practice to
championship season is amazing to witness. I wanted to give them the
confidence they needed for them to realize they could compete with Division 1
athletes. Coaching is a career I want to continue for a long
time. It brings me pure joy when your athlete hits their PR they've been
working so hard for. There is nothing quite like coaching and I look
forward to what it brings in the future.
Tell us about your post-collegiate running, races, and what you
are currently doing with regard to training?
In my
post-collegiate running career, I have completed a half marathon, but have not
participated in a full marathon, although I would like to in the future.
I have run plenty of 5Ks locally. Currently, I am running about two to
three times a week with other exercise mixed in. We are officially under a
year to go until our wedding date, so Drew and I have turned our attention to
getting fit for our big day.
How are you and Drew managing the pandemic so
far?
Drew and I are
managing well. In the beginning, it was a tough adjustment as it was very
worrisome. The Oncology unit at work was converted in a COVID-19 unit in
about mid-March. It is currently still a COVID unit and as of right now,
it will remain that way until at least July, potentially later. It was
stressful because I knew I was in contact with positive patients every single
day. As any type of healthcare worker, you worry about coming home and
bringing it home to your loved ones. Plenty of questions run through your
head all day, every day. There are many thoughts keeping healthcare
workers up at night. Am I asymptomatic? Did I disinfect my belongings
well? Am I going to infect my loved ones? This is just a few of
those. These questions will linger for a while, but we just take it one
day at a time and make the best of the situation.
Drew is
currently working from home, his return to the office at the College of Staten
Island is still unknown. The days I have off we spend hours in our home office
recruiting against each other and preparing for our respective upcoming
seasons. We carve out a few hours each day to plan our wedding. We have plenty
to be grateful for and consider ourselves very fortunate during this
pandemic.
How have you handled the pandemic as a coach and with
your athletes? What has that been like and how are your athletes coping with
it?
As a coach, it
was devastating to break the news to the entire team, especially the seniors,
that their season had come to an end. Spring track was only getting
started. STAC was lucky enough to participate in one spring track meet
down in Florida. It was a great season opener and foreshadowed great
things. It was one of the hardest things we had to do as coaches. Seeing
their efforts day in and day out, through morning practices, afternoon lifts
and workouts, it is hard to watch their hard work be taken away. Knowing
they have given everything they have at practice for weeks to prepare for the
season made it hard for it to end so quickly. The athletes were hit hard
by it. Some cried, others fell silent but everyone was disappointed. As
a coach, you want to cry for your athletes, but they needed us to be strong for
them. They look up to us as someone to lean on during times like
these. It was definitely a shock but everyone is safe and that is all we
can ask for.
Looking into the future, what do envision (short-term
and long-term) with this and how do you think it will affect colleges and
college athletics?
This is
definitely something we think of every day. How will this affect cross
country? Will we have a cross country season? Will track meets be
more like high school dual meets where only a few teams can compete as opposed
to very large track meets? Will the entries be limited, causing us to
travel with less athletes? Will the Championship season be any
different? There are many questions which remain unanswered. College
athletics will experience a huge impact on years to come. Some colleges
may have a hybrid format where half of the class will be online and the other
half will meet in person. It is a topic which comes to mind multiple times
a day. Their goal is to limit a larger crowd while providing the best
education possible. I think with the online learning that has taken place
so far, it has helped the professors and students adjust to it, so if it were
to continue into the 2020 school year, it will be an easier
transition.
How have your senior athletes been managing with this
news and how have you interacted with them?
The seniors have
definitely taken the news hard. I put myself in their shoes and I can't
imagine my senior year at Marist being cut short. I would have been
completely devastated. We tried to make the best of the situation for the
seniors and reminded them of all their accomplishments. We showed them how
far they have come since the beginning of their journey, where they are today
and how they have grown as a student, athlete and a person. We continue to
stay in contact with our team, especially via GroupMe. We have all of the
athletes in one chat, which makes it really fun to stay in touch. We are
hoping to host some kind of ceremony for the seniors to honor them
properly. As of right now, nothing is planned but we want to recognize
them for all of their hard work when things become more "normal"
again.
As I ask in all of these interviews, what message can
you give to Marist's senior athletes, who have lost the last part of their
senior year?
For our seniors,
we have reminded them of how far they have come and the value they have brought
to our team. Without our seniors year after year, STAC track truly would
not be where it is today. Every year, the seniors step up, become great
leaders and lead the team to greatness. Losing part of senior year isn't
easy. It is OK to be in touch with your emotions and finding your own
personal ways to cope with the situation will help. Whether that is yoga,
meditation, exercising, whatever it is. Find your outlet, because it is a
stressful situation. Lean on each other, whether that is family, friends,
coworkers, or classmates. It is a new situation for everyone, and everyone
is scared. Scared of what the future holds and of the uncertain times we
are experiencing. Nobody should go through this alone, so it is important
to embrace those around you. The seniors also must be proud of themselves
for handling this situation. As a college senior going through a pandemic,
it is not an easy scenario. Online learning is a huge adjustment, but in
the end, they all made it through and graduated. Take the down time now to
enjoy time with your families and know a situation like this will make them
even stronger. They will now know they can conquer whatever curve ball
life throws at them.
What memories do you have of that time at Marist and
how would you recommend that they cope with the loss?
What message can you give to returning and incoming
(new) Marist students and Marist athletes?
I would want the
students and athletes to enjoy every moment. College is the best years of
life and seems to fly by. I remember the first day of preseason like it
was yesterday. The four years went by so fast, and now before you know it,
I am almost out for 10 years. Study like you've never studied before,
enjoy every moment Marist has to offer, appreciate the beautiful campus and
Hudson River views. Don't take anything for granted. Enjoy the
friendships you've made and cherish them. Marist is a great experience and
has a special place in my heart.
Anything else you'd like to add ...
I hope everyone stays safe during the
pandemic. I know it is tough not to see your loved ones, but when the time
comes and the guidelines are revised, hug everyone a little bit tighter and
enjoy every moment together.
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