8 THE COLLEGIAN august 23, 2019 entertainment shines Alumni spotlight: at USATF National Championships doors, nine outdoors). is a key step to maintaining posi- Morris owns an Olympic silver tivity. (2016), world outdoor silver (2016) “There will always be people who and world indoor silver (2017). are not a fan of yours, talk badly Nageotte, Morris and Suhr will about you, and that’s okay. That all be competing at the 2019 IAAF doesn’t mean there’s anything World Championships in Doha, wrong with you, some people just Qatar from Sept. 7- Oct. 6. don’t mix. Instead of wasting your When not vaulting, Nageotte time wondering, why not use that writes in her personal blog. Al- energy towards appreciating the though fairly new (initial post ones that do.” made Apr. 24, 2019), the blog’s four posts offer up criticism of what she calls “social media coaches,” solu- tions to variables pole vaulters face, promotion and explanation of the sport of , and even how to negate anxiety and stress. According to Nageotte, “Sur- rounding yourself with good peo- ple who appreciate you for who you are, not what you do or look like” USATF Katie Nageotte pole vaulting at the 2018 USATF Indoor National Championships.

EVAN LAUX Ashland. I got to work with great Nageotte entered outdoor nation- Sports Editor coaches such as Denny Steele. It als with a jump of 4.82 meters or was the best thing for my career. 15’8”, being tied for the third best 28 year-old Katie Nageotte, a for- I’m not sure that, if I hadn’t trans- pole vaulter in the world at the mer Eagle, has been making waves ferred, I would be at this level.” time. in the world as she “It’s no wonder she got so good In the 2018 season, however, she has consistently been climbing the when she was being coached by made a personal best of 4.91 or ranks towards being the world’s Denny,” said AU sophomore pole 16’1.25” at the 2018 USATF In- best female pole vaulter. vaulter Adam Keller. “He really door Championships in Albuquer- Nageotte was born in Lakewood, focuses on each vaulter individu- que, New Mexico. 16’1.25” was her Ohio and raised in Olmsted Falls ally and makes sure everyone has final personal best after delivering where she graduated high school in something particular to work on two personal bests in a row in the the class of 2009. After two years and improve. It’s a lot easier to get pole vault. Her winning height of at the University of Dayton, she better as an athlete when you are 16’1.25” was a whole 7.25” higher transferred to Ashland University, forced to focus on one mechanic at than her former height. where she graduated in 2013. a time.” “She’s really kind of an inspira- She then trained in Knoxville, Most recently, Nageotte compet- tion to me,” said Keller. “To see Tennessee before moving to Wash- ed at the 2019 USA Track & Field someone from a small private D-II ington State in 2017 to train with Outdoor Championships on July college who has become one of the pole-vault sage Brad Walker, who 28 in Des Moines, Iowa. Nageotte best athletes in the world in their was the American record holder in was accompanied by four other event is pretty awesome.” 2007 and world champion in the current and former AU track and Since graduating, Nageotte has event. field athletes in junior-to-be Trevor improved her vault from 4.33 me- During her two years at AU, Na- Bassitt (men’s 110-meter hurdles ters to 4.91 meters, or an improve- geotte won two NCAA Division II and men’s 400-meter hurdles), ment of 1’10.8” over the course of national championships in the pole Myles Pringle (men’s 400-meter six years. vault in 2013 – one indoors and dash), Jordan Crayon and Danny In her 2018 Indoor Champion- one outdoors, and was a three-time Roberts (men’s hammer throw). ship performance Nageotte upset All-American under the coaching “Katie Nageotte was really the both of her American teammates of then-Eagle assistant coach Den- main attraction,” said AU head who had previously outclassed her, ny Steele. track and field coach Jud Logan. and . In a 2018 interview with Den- “She’s really been going crazy late- Suhr’s resume includes Olym- nis Manoloff of Cleveland-based ly and is one of the best in the world pic silver (2008) and Olympic “The Plain Dealer,” Nageotte was in her event. It’s always cool to see gold (2012), world indoor cham- AU ATHLETICS quoted with saying, “I struggled a former Eagle achieve something pion (2016), world silver (2013), and AU head track and field coach Jud Logan (left) poses with Nageotte at Dayton, so it ended up being a so great and to see her progress world indoor record holder (16’6”). (right) at USATF Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in blessing in disguise that I went to since graduation.” Suhr owns 15 national titles (six in- Des Moines, Iowa on July 28. Department chair spotlight: Dr. Hilary Donatini

CHRISTINE JENKINSON 2006, Donatini taught at a branch and the creative writing of their News Editor campus of the Wisconsin system classmates thoughtfully and re- for a year. spectfully, as our courses are de- The English department at Ash- “I saw an ad for a job at Ashland signed to foster community and land University is probably known and knew I was a good fit”, Donati- collaboration.” to non-majors as the department ni said. “I’m eternally grateful that One thing that the English de- that offers a number of core classes, my current and former colleagues partment teaches is how to use from Composition to Humanities. felt the same way.” writing as a tool to express original What they might not know is that Students in the English depart- ideas. This will help students pass they offer three majors: English, ment study and continue to sharp- classes, but this is also a tool that Creative Writing and Integrated en their writing skills as they study can be used well after graduation. Language Arts Education. and read literature (varying from Integrated Language Arts Edu- “The English department offers a Beowulf ...as well as film and glob- cation is the only major of the space for students to sharpen their al literatures in English). three that requires an internship of writing and reading skills, fall in Students have also studied nov- student teaching their senior year. ASHLAND.EDU love with language, and marvel at els in their African Literature English and Creative Writing ma- Dr. Hilary Donatini, Chair of the English department at AU. the power of words,” Dr. Hilary class, such as Chimamanda Ngozi jors are encouraged to complete an Donatini, Associate Professor of Adichie’s novel Americanah. internship, and nearly all do. ment faculty and continues to be their craft. Watch out for posters English, said. “They learn how to unlock the The English department hosts housed in the department. around campus about some excit- This will be Donatini’s seventh deeper meaning of texts through world renowned writers on campus “Take a class with us,” Donatini ing visitors this fall.” year as chair. She is originally from close, careful reading, as well as during every academic year and said. “We’d love to have you...we Students who are interested in Bucyrus, Ohio and close with her studying contexts that shed light the Ashland Poetry Press, which welcome you to our visiting writer majoring in the English depart- parents and four younger siblings. on the meanings of literary texts,” celebrated its fiftieth anniversary events where you can hear pub- ment can talk to Donatini in Bixler After finishing her PhD at the Uni- Donatini said. “Students learn to in continuous operation last year, lished authors read from their own 306. versity of Wisconsin-Madison in discuss both published literature was founded by English Depart- work and answer questions about If you have a story idea or want event coverage, you can email Zach Read at [email protected]