ATLANTA ? Mark Steeds has quickly made a name for himself with immediate success at Georgia State and in the Colonial Athletic Association, but now is looking to imprint his name into State's records book.
In his sophomore cross country season, Steeds earned Colonial Athletic Association All-Conference honors and NCAA South All-Region honors, in addition to the All-Conference and CAA Cross-Country Rookie of the Year awards he won his freshman year.
The Ontario, Canada native made marked improvements in his times and finishes from his freshman to sophomore year. Steeds placed 12th at the CAA Cross-Country Championships his freshman season, but improved to 3rd his sophomore year. He made parallel improvement at the NCAA South Regionals where he finished 39th in his first attempt, but jumped to an 11th place this past race on November 11.
“Last year, I was watching the lead guys run ahead in the front pack at Regionals. I fell behind and wasn't even competing with those guys,” said Steeds. “But, this year, I was just trying to stay in that pack and make all the effort I've put in worth it by doing the best I could. I would look around and I was right there with the top runner and teams. I felt like the race was definitely a success.”
At Regionals, the Panthers' top runner missed becoming the third runner in State history to qualify for the NCAA Championships by only a few spots. Yet, he made all those improvements and came so close while nursing a hip injury.
“By the time we got to Regionals, my hip was bothering me. However, you just put up with how your body feels. Once you get to the CAA Championship and the Regional, you have to give everything,” said Steeds. “Had I been 100 percent healthy, I believe I would have been even closer [to qualifying].”
Steeds ascent to the position of Georgia State's top distance runner is nothing short of remarkable considering the sophomore did not begin committed running preparation until his senior year of high school. Steeds played soccer at Highland Secondary School in Paris, Ontario where he was captain of his team, but showed immense potential as a runner and decided to focus on the sport for college.
“I felt like he had the potential to be our top runner and run in the top 10 in the region when I was recruiting him,” said Georgia State men's cross country coach John Rowland. “My goal is to make everybody the best runner they can be, and he has made as much improvement as any athlete I've ever had and we've only had him one full year now. Mark's been able to make that improvement because of a combination of things, but most notably, he works harder than anyone else. Physiologically, he's incredible. He's just a gifted athlete.”
Now, the Panther is dedicated to training as a distance runner, by covering more than 90 miles in an average week, and Steeds is aiming for the Georgia State record books and national recognition.
Steeds is seeking to break multiple records in the Georgia State record book as early as the 2007 track season. His goals include topping both the 5k and 10k outdoor records, which are currently held by Andrew Letherby. Letherby is the model of success for Panther runners after he qualified for the NCAA Nationals three times in cross country and once in track from 1995 to 1997.
Coach Rowland and Georgia State track coach Eric Campbell both believe Steeds is capable of breaking the records and qualifying for Nationals in the 5k. Letherby's current 5k record is 14:00.09. Steeds' 2007 goal is 14:00.00 after running a 14:23.39 his freshman year.
“I think he definitely has just as much potential as Letherby had,” added Rowland. “The times he is running definitely parallel what Andrew did. If he continues to improve, there isn't any reason he can't break Andrew's records.”
In addition to breaking State's records and qualifying for Nationals, Steeds' other goal is making the Canadian Senior National Team. The talented sophomore has already competed for Canada on the U-23 Canadian National Team, where he finished 3rd in the 5k, and at the Pan American Jr. Championships, where he placed 5th in the 10k.
But for now, Steeds will focus on breaking Georgia State's records as his attention moves from cross country to track with the changing of the seasons. His workouts will change slightly, from longer endurance-based training, to shorter, faster speed-based training. And Mark Steeds will continue to impress at Georgia State and in the CAA.
“He's amazing. His sole focus is being the best runner he can be. I'm looking forward to working with him the next few years and helping him reach his goals,” said coach Rowland.
