The Blueprint

Let me first introduce myself. My name is Wilkerson Given. I am from Birmingham, Alabama and I graduated from Furman. Growing up in the south, I have always loved the outdoors and Alabama football. I do not, however, eat most southern food, which is probably why I’m still alive. Although southern food is great and my mom has the best recipe for cheese grits in the world, I don’t eat it. I am also not a heart breaker.

            

My decision to want to pursue post collegiate running came midway through my senior season. After a hard working summer and fall cross country season under the direction of Coach Gary and Coach Neal, my appetite to compete and succeed grew tremendously. Although I have always had a competitive nature, seeing how consistent hard work in the right direction can pay off really made me want to continue and push to be the best I am able. Starting a new event my senior year also generated excitement and the possibility for big improvement. Thus after talking to Coach Gary and expressing my desire to go catch my dream (chasing implies you will never reach your goal), he kindly took me into the group. 

            

Alright, enough about me. Let’s talk Furman Elite and briefly about what is up with the FBS and FCS (Furman is in the FCS, otherwise no one cares). Furman elite is having a great year so far. Having recently moved into the heart of fall training after several weeks of buildup, the group is working hard and getting focused. With the increase in size of the group, the intensity and passion is undoubtedly more palpable. Every person (or dog, what’s up Brail) in the group brings something uniquely positive and when added together, great things are bound to happen. As they say, there is power in numbers. This year is looking to be unbelievably believable.

            

As for college football, things are looking up as well. Furman put up somewhat of a fight against LSU and Alabama is in their rightful place in the rankings. The second place position, however, is open for debate. FSU? Oregon? Ohio State? Doesn’t really matter but if it were based on band prowess, Ohio State would be a lock. That band is incredible. I am certainly hoping for an Alabama, Ohio State title game but everybody in the country loves Oregon so whatever. 

On to the next one,

Wilkerson 

"In This Great Future You Can't Forget Your Past"

When I look back on my collegiate running career at Michigan the word that comes to mind is tumultuous.  My first 3 years were injury riddled and marked by more failure than success.  Thankfully, as the Michigan program transitioned to coach Alex Gibby, I went through my own transformation.  With coach Gibby's help I returned to relevancy during my final 2 years of college.  With a final push in a Michigan singlet I resurrected my career and capped it off with a Big 10 title, an NCAA runner-up finish, and an Olympic Trials steeplechase final effort. Thanks to these performances it was an easy choice to continue running. 

Now it was time to decided where to continue running.  I could move back to my first love, New Jersey, but staying focused there is like being a kid in a candy store. So I took coach Gibby up on his offer for me to train under him in Ann Arbor.  This was not an easy choice seeing as I had never really felt at home at Michigan.  That being said, coach Gibby and I were really clicking and so I stayed and had a pretty good year on the professional circuit doing road and cross country races. During track I battled through injury to salvage an 8th place at USA's in the 3k steeple. In the end it was clear to me I had to find a happier home with more support and structure.

I decided to give a call to coach Robert Gary and coach Chris Neal to see if they were interested in having me be a part of Furman Elite.  After coming on a visit and hearing about all the great aspects of being a part of the group I was sold.  Now here I am living along side some supreme talent from across the country, and globe.  Furman Elite feels like the home I have been looking for all these years.  Being a post-collegiate runner is hard, but having people around me that are in the same situation has so many advantages.  I am confident we will all succeed here and that I will be happy for the long term.  I have great teammates, an insightful and motivated coach, as well as the support to live and train without a "real job."

I wouldn't have gotten this far without so many people believing what I am doing is meaningful.  And now I have Furman Elite to thank for this next phase in my career, one that will be lengen...wait for it....dary!

-Craig

I've got a good feeling about this.

As a collegian, nothing quite lived up to the feeling of my first ACC title. Crossing that finish line first not only validated all the hard work I'd put in- it raised the bar for the rest of my career. It made me truly believe that I was one of the best. It felt amazing. To make it even better, I won that race on my home track in front of our awesome fans at Virginia Tech's Rector Fieldhouse. My friends and teammates lined the outside of the track urging me on. My mom, though she nearly fainted, got to see my special moment up close. 

Two months later at the Virginia Tech Sports Banquet, a highlight video closed the ceremony. Included was a clip showing the last 50 meters of my ACC Mile title and my celebration with my coach afterward. I sat in a room with my fellow student-athletes, coaches, and faculty members watching the biggest win of my career on a giant projector screen. To say I was elated would be a strong understatement. It was truly an incredible moment I will cherish for the rest of my life. 

That moment, along with several other facets of collegiate athletics, made my decision to pursue professional track and field difficult. The thought of possibly never experiencing such jubilation made me view post-collegiate competition with less excitement than I had hoped. 

This past weekend, Furman President Dr. Carl Kohrt hosted Furman Elite, the Furman men's and women's cross country teams, and several contributors to the programs for dinner and a short presentation. At the conclusion of this wonderful evening, a video chronicling Furman Elite's journey to the U.S. Championships this summer played on the projector. As I watched my teammates have their hard work and accomplishments displayed for the audience, my thoughts drifted back to my time at Tech. I began to wonder if perhaps my doubt in post-collegiate athletics was misplaced- maybe that same excitement can be recreated, even one-upped. Perhaps this special environment here at Furman can produce that cohesiveness that filled college running with such wonder. And with that, I leaned back in my chair and smiled, content with where I was and ecstatic about the things to come. 

In the end, I know that this is insignificant. We're aiming for big things down here at Furman Elite. Certainly much bigger things than seeing ourselves on a big screen. But that night showed me that I'm in a truly special place. One where my accomplishments won't go unnoticed. Where I can step on the starting line and know I have a whole community urging me on. Where my efforts will be multiplied by my teammates to form a whole greater than the sum of its parts. And that's all pretty damn good. 

-Michael

Newbie Post #1

Furman Elite:

Furman Elite is back in action! After a summer of travel, adventure, and racing, the current 10-person roster is back in Greenville and gearing up for a jam-packed 2014 season. With six returners and 4 newbies, Furman Elite 2.0 is already hitting the trails and ready to roll!

The original Elite-- Nicole Bush, Heidi Gregson, Jeff See, Corey Leslie, Jack Bolas, and Lee Gilmer-- are joined by steeplechasers Wilkerson Given, Craig Forys, Stephanie Garcia, and 1500m stud Michael Hammond. Over the next few weeks, the new faces will introduce themselves to you (be prepared-- this blog is going to blow up with content!), but for now, a brief overview.

Wilkerson Given is a Furman University grad and known to the Elite as the blonde-haired, blue-eyed heart breaker. He's a strong, silent type, but under the Elite training, he's destined for steeplechase greatness. 

Craig Forys is a Michigan grad, a Georgia football fan, and owner of the cutest dimples you'll ever see. His quest for steeple success is going to thrive under Furman coach Robert Gary and alongside training partner Corey Leslie! 

Stephanie Garcia, 2011 University of Virginia grad and New Balance athlete comes to Furman ready to re-embrace the elite lifestyle. After a stint in Tennessee and in the Midwest, this wanna-be Southern belle is already thriving on South Carolina soil. The female triumvirate in Furman Elite is poised to take the world by storm!

And last, but certainly not least (although he's a Virginia Tech grad), Michael Hammond is already beloved in the Greenville commenty (he works at Fleet Feet-- swing by and say hello!). He comes to Furman with arguably the most potential of the new crop o'athletes, a sweetheart smile, and a championship attitude. 

The infusion of new blood into Furman Elite is exhilarating and exciting… from a newbie's perspective, at least. The prospect of creating one of the most dominant training groups in the country-- all thanks, of course, to the generosity of the University and its supporters and the prowess of Robert Gary-- is over-the-top thrilling and the prospect to send multiple members of the group to represent the USA in world championships and major competitions is surreal. We're all ready to put in the work, the hours, the passion, and the dedication to make Furman Elite the most successful group of post-collegiate athletes in the world… time to get to work! 

love,

stephanie marie