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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Claire Norfleet, Student Sports Information Assistant)

Mar. 9, 2015 - After a rigorous 14 months filled with two knee surgeries, countless hours of rehab and intense training, North Central College senior track and field athlete Mark Vear made it a goal to come back stronger than ever and compete at the level he previously attained.

With a torn right Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) causing Vear to miss his entire sophomore football and track seasons, also played a significant role in his decision to walk away from football where the risk of re-injury was too high.

"It was rough," said Vear. "So rough that I stopped going to practices and didn't go to any games or meets because I couldn't stand to watch my teammates go out there and compete without me there by their sides."

The 2014 outdoor track and field season was all about getting back into shape for the possibility of making the final conference lineup. Four weeks before the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships, Vear approached head coach Frank Gramarosso and asked to compete in the decathlon.

"He told me he thought that it was a great idea and that coach Has (Kurt Hasenstein '88) would be very happy because he had been trying to get me to do it for years," said Vear. Hasenstein was a two time All-American at North Central College in the decathlon from 1985-1988 and is currently the head coach for the men's track and field team at Glenbrook South High School.

"By the time conference rolled around I felt like I was well-prepared given the circumstances, and managed to earn an All-Conference spot in my first ever decathlon," said Vear. "It was definitely a great decision because you don't have to be great at any one event in the decathlon, you just have to be decent at them all and you will do just fine."

Being surrounded by running since a very young age, Vear would tag along to track meets where his father was a coach, developing a love for the sport. It was not until the sixth grade that he was able to compete in his first organized track meet, finding the most success in the mile run.

"I just loved to run and used to be really skinny so I looked like a true distance runner," said Vear. "So it was only natural that I would run the longest event that was available to me at the time."

Having gone through the whole process of rehabbing a torn right ACL for the first time during senior year of high school, there were no surprises about how long it would take or the level of difficulty to return to competition.

Vear had to re-learn simple tasks such as walking and climbing stairs, which are basic concepts that people may take for granted until they are taken away. While it may have been frustrating, he managed to keep a positive outlook.

"I was always ready to go when it came time to rehab because I just wanted to get back on the track," said Vear. "I knew that I could make it back and I wanted to prove that I could overcome this again and return to competing at a high level."

Aside from his success in athletics, the Political Science major has plans to work as a paralegal for a few years to gain experience in the field before attending law school. Vear hopes to earn his Juris Doctor (J.D.) to practice law, and eventually teach and coach if the opportunity is available.

Without the support from family, friends and teammates, the road to recovery could have taken more time and been an even tougher process of rehab.

"I had a very strong drive to get back, but they all stayed on me and helped get me through the rough patches," said Vear. "And when it got tough, they were always there."