Canes on Track with Greg Kaczka
By David Villavicencio
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Collegeathletes are some of the best in the country in their respective sports.
Most fans assume that these athletes are being rewarded fortheir superior athletic ability by receiving a scholarship to their chosenacademic institution. But not all athletic standouts are on scholarship. Justask Greg Kaczka, Miami’s record holder in the men’s indoor mile run.
“I am still awalk-on after four years,” Kaczka said.
The senior distance runner broke Miami’s men’s indoor milerecord by posting a time of 4:08.22 at the New Mexico Classic earlier thisseason.
“In our program we have not had much of a distance history,”Kaczka said. “We don’t put our scholarships as much toward the distance as wedo for hurdles and sprinting. I don’t know if it is surprising that I have therecord because I think anyone could beat the record, walk-on or scholarship.Records are made to be broken, so I wouldn’t be surprised if another walk-onbroke my record in the future.”
Kaczka credits his success this season to intense trainingin the off-season. The veteran has been working hard to prepare for his finalcollegiate season and he is pleased with his progress.
“This season we have had some really good training,” Kaczkasaid. “Over break, I had really good training. When your running well thingsare just clicking. I don’t think anything feels different about this mile asopposed to other miles. I have a lot of confidence now. Just being in the raceand competing at the front of the pack is a great feeling.”
Kaczka did not start running competitively until highschool, but the late start did not hinder him. He became an all-state performerin the indoor 1,000m run for Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, Va., andgarnered attention from various colleges around the country.
“I wasn’t a runner until high school, so I didn’t know untilmy junior year that I was even capable of running at the Division I level,”Kaczka said. “When I knew I could run at this level, I started looking atschools. Smaller schools started reaching out to me and then Miami reached outto me early in my junior year. Based on academics and environment, it was theright decision to come here.”
Miami is happy to have Kaczka competing in orange and green.His work ethic and leadership are two qualities that have made him successfuland Kaczka hopes the example he sets for his teammates has helped them improve,as well.
“I think my leadership style has always been leading byexample,” Kaczka said. “Being a good communicator is important, but I havealways set the example through my work ethic, also outside of school, doing theright things, sleeping and eating right. Always having that vision that this ismy ultimate goal and having the entire team buy into it.”
A finance major set to graduate in May, Kaczka is having hisrecord-setting season while finishing his final semester of college andinterviewing for potential jobs.
“It takes a lot of work to balance it all out evenly:athletics, academics and looking for jobs,” Kaczka said. “You just need tomanage your time. Everything I do, I try to do my best, so sometimes it is hardto balance all of them, but I think I do pretty well.
Kaczka’s desire to excel in everything he does makes hisbalancing act even more intricate. The senior wants to finish his academic career strong, earn a financialleadership position after graduation and finish his running career among thebest in the country.
“For ACC indoors, my goal is to make the finals,” Kaczkasaid. “Only 10 qualify for the indoor mile final and 12 for outdoor final, soyou have to be among the top runners to qualify. I’d love to score for my team. That would be huge and mightbe the first ever on the distance side to score for Miami. Also going intooutdoor track, I want to make it to the NCAA regional and making the Nationalswould be the biggest goal.”
Even if Kaczka falls short of some of his athletic goals, hehas no regrets about his time at Miami.
“It has been a great experience overall,” Kaczka said.”Coming here, I was a little out of my comfort zone. As a walk-on athlete,people view you a little different starting out because they are not sure whatyour capabilities are. It was always about working hard for me and it is reallystarting to pay off for my senior year. Right now, it is getting to the pointwhere I’m trying to make it to the ACC finals, set new records, and hopefullymake it to the NCAA regional in outdoor track.”
