University of Richmond Athletics
20 Questions with Kyle Ragan
02/01/2012 | Women's Track & Field
Editor's Note: Throughout the 2012 indoor and outdoor seasons, we will interview a Spider Track & Field athlete each week and have them answer a set of 20 questions about their lives both in and out of the sport. This week we sit down with junior Kyle Ragan.
RichmondSpiders.com (RS): What sets Richmond XC/Track & Field apart from other programs?
Kyle Ragan (KR): I feel that what separates our team from most other programs is the attitude and belief that we carry. Everyone in this program holds themselves to a very high standard both athletically and academically. We set extremely high goals, and we know that we can achieve them even if others outside the program do not. We are willing to make sacrifices that other people do not understand so that we can achieve goals that others do not think are possible.
RS: Of all your teammates, past and present, from whom have you learned the most and why?
KR: I feel that the teammate who has helped me out the most over my career was Garrett Graham. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and he offered a lot of help when I was having trouble making the transition to competing at the collegiate level. Garrett is a great guy and gave me the confidence to continue grinding it out so that eventually the performances would come.
RS: Which of the three running seasons do you enjoy most? Why?
KR: In the past I would have always said cross country. I love the team aspect. I find that it is more enjoyable to experience a team success rather than an individual accomplishment. While I still have a love for cross country, I have learned to enjoy the other seasons as well. Each season has its own special aspects. As I come closer to the end of my running career, I have been trying to enjoy each season for what it has to offer.
RS: What kinds of goals have you set for the indoor season, and how are you feeling about your progress towards those goals as the A-10 Championships draw near?
KR: I have some specific times that I am trying to run, but overall I am trying to improve my racing ability and focus on running more consistently. I would like to place well at the conference championship. I have been making progress towards my goals, but in this sport you are seldom satisfied with any performance. There are certainly some things that I need to continue working on to achieve my goals for the indoor and outdoor seasons.
RS: Do you have any pre-meet rituals?
KR: I eat oatmeal as my race day breakfast. Also, when I am putting my spikes on before a race, I always put my left one on first.
RS: What is the strangest thing that you've seen happen during a race?
KR: Well there is usually some pretty strange stuff that happens in cross country races, but one story sticks out. I was running a local road race back in high school and looked down the starting line to see a man smoking a cigarette while waiting for the race to start. That is definitely something that you don't expect to see at the start of a race.
RS: What is the greatest piece of advice you've ever received in the sport?
KR: Coach Taylor's philosophy of "running one step at a time". The only way that you can make it to the finish line is by taking the next step. It seems very simple and obvious, but I think that it is great advice for running and life in general. It is easy to get caught up and overwhelmed when trying to tackle obstacles all at once. If you worry about each step and doing what you need to each day to become a better athlete or person, then you will eventually accomplish the end goal.
RS: Who are your role models both in and out of the sport?
KR: Outside of sports, I would say my parents. They have been very supportive of all of my goals, and I admire what they have achieved in their own lives. In running it would be my eighth grade track coach, Sue Crowe, who was the first person to really believe that I could be successful and encouraged me to push my limits. She passed away during my freshmen year of high school, but I have no doubt that without her I would not be where I am today. She gave me the confidence to set my goals high and believe that I could achieve them.
RS: If your teammates gave you a superlative, what would it be?
KR: "Wittiest Sense of Humor" and "Best Looking"
RS: If you could go on a run with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Why?
KR: I would go running with Henry David Thoreau. I know he spent a lot of time outdoors, so I am sure that he ran some in his prime. I would love to hear his thoughts and ideas from his own mouth. It would make for some very interesting conversation and be very enlightening.
RS: What is your major and dream job?
KR: I am majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Innovation and Entrepreneurial Management. I also have a minor in Environmental Studies. My dream job would be to run an environmental consulting firm that would work with businesses to create environmentally sustainable business plans.
RS: What's been your favorite class on campus? Favorite professor?
KR: Principles of Marketing with Professor Raggio
RS: Where is your favorite spot on campus? Why?
KR: My favorite spot on campus is definitely the old library in Ryland Hall. Not many people know about it, so it is usually a good quiet place to go and study. It is also a really cool room with a huge vaulted ceiling and big glass window.
RS: Teammate Patrick Love listed you as his favorite athlete in his recent "20 Questions" feature. With the exception of him, who would you say is your favorite athlete?
KR: If we're taking Pat out of the competition, I would have to say 2008 Olympic marathoner Brian Sell. A fellow central Pennsylvania native, Brian has shown what tremendous work ethic and dedication can achieve. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go on a run with him this past summer while he was living in State College, which was a very cool experience.
RS: f you were stranded on a deserted island, what one person and thing would you like to have with you?
KR: I would bring along Wilson and a hammock.
RS: In the interests section of your bio, you mention enjoying camping and backpacking. Any entertaining stories from an outdoors trip you've taken?
KR: A couple of my close friends and I were going to spend a week backpacking through the backcountry of Glacier National Park. We had gotten a shuttle from the airport to a motel the night before we were going to begin our trek, but we still had to walk from the motel to the park headquarters so that we could get our backcountry permits and then take a park shuttle to the trailhead.
So, the first morning we started walking down the road that would take us to the entrance of the park (which was about 3-4 miles away). About ¾ of a mile down the road, we met an older lady stopped on the side of the road. After talking with her for a few minutes, she offered to take our packs and all of our other gear in her car so we could pick them up once we got into the park. She drove all of our stuff into the park and we began walking the rest of the way down the road. What we did not realize was that there was a security gate about a half-mile up the road.
Now at this point, all we had on us was the clothes we were wearing. No wallet, ID, cell phone or anything. The guard at the gate was very suspicious of our story, and we sat on the side of the road wondering what we would do stuck in the middle of Montana with only the clothes on our backs. Eventually my friend Alex, a high school cross country teammate of mine, and I decided that we would run to the park headquarters and see if we could find the lady and all of our stuff. Luckily, after a brief search we found her waiting in a parking lot. She laughed at our story and was able to drive back and pick up the other guys. It certainly made for an interesting start to a great trip.
RS: If you could be on any TV show or in any movie, what would it be? Why?
KR: I would choose the movie "Into the Wild". I love the outdoors, and you can really learn a lot from stepping away from the constraints of everyday life. I would choose to alter the ending so that I could make it out alive.
RS: If every day were a holiday, what would yours be?
KR: Groundhog Day
RS: Let's say you could have the perfect meal prepared for you. What would it be?
KR: A steak, twice-baked potatoes with blue cheese, some asparagus (I have to make sure that I get my vegetables in) and apple pie with an oatmeal crumb topping for dessert.
RS: What's something interesting about you that most people don't know?
KR: Growing up I played several different sports, including baseball, basketball, football and fencing. Eventually I decided on running.
