Men's Track & Field Senior: Justin Linzy

Justin Linzy

By Tegan Ellis

What is your major, and how did you end up at ONU?
Well, I am a sports management major. I’m from Toledo and I wanted to provide myself with the best possible chance at a great education. ONU seemed like the right place to be, and it turns out I was right.

What are your plans after college?
Well, after graduation I want to go to graduate school and continue my education in sports administration.

Any plans to run in the future?
I will never stop running! I will go to master’s meets when I’m old and break all the records for senior citizens.

What is your favorite track event?
I love every event that I take part in. It’s hard to say which one I love the most. If I had to pick one, it would have to be the 4x100m relay.

What motivates you on the track?
Besides the fact that I want to win every race and get on the national list in any event that I can, getting to nationals and getting all-American pushes me the most.

What athlete do you admire most?
Tiger woods because no matter what happens on the course he is always focused on the goal at hand.

What will you miss most about running track at ONU?
I think my teammates will be the thing I miss the most. They have supported me every time I have gotten into the blocks.

What would your best track memory be?
Going to nationals as a sophomore and running the second fastest time in school history in the 4x100m relay.

How does it feel to hold an OAC title?
It feels really good. Anytime you work hard and it works out the way you want it to you feel a certain satisfaction that can’t be described.

How does it feel to hold records at ONU as a sophomore, junior and senior for setting records in the top 10 men’s indoor performances(6th in the 55 & 200 sophomore year, 4th in the 55 junior year & 5th in the 200 senior year) ?
It feels extremely good to be considered one of the fastest guys ever to come through Ohio Northern University. It says a lot for a kid who didn’t even get recruited for track and field.

As a senior, what responsibilities do you feel you hold to the team?
To always be positive and lead by example at practice and in the meets. With the addition of a new coach sometimes it can be easy to be negative, but I believe in the training and in my coach Ryan New. He does a great job with the program and the guys will be in good hands for a long time.

What are your personal goals for your final season?
10.75 At 100m and 21.6 in the 200m.  Also, qualifying for nationals in the 4x100m relay one more time.

What are your goals for the team?
Win the OAC, it’s just that simple.

How do you balance a busy class schedule and a demanding track schedule?
Well, track really is not that demanding. All you do is run for an hour and a half, lift for an hour, and compete on the weekends. This being my senior year, my class schedule is not that demanding due to the fact that I’m not taking that many credits.

What would you say your strengths are as a runner?
No matter how tired I am, I can stay smooth all the way through the race. Smooth is fast.

What, if any, trials, adversities, or injuries have you had to overcome during your track career?
Just last year at the outdoor conference meet I strained my quadriceps muscle in my leg. I still competed in the meet. When I was attempting my second jump for long jump I strained my groin muscle on the same leg. I was still able to break Wilmington College’s track record at 100m in 10.90 sec.

What will you miss most about running at ONU?
The competition is hard to let go. I will always come back and watch a meet and think to myself, man I can beat that guy if I was out there.