Contact: Ava Yurchison, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Nov. 15, 2016- North Central College senior men's cross country and track and field athlete Ethan Adlfinger knew from the moment he first met head coach Al Carius that he wanted to be a Cardinal.
 
The Quad Cities native met Carius while he was still in high school. He attended the 2009 Cross Country National Championships where Carius had a team competing and ended up winning in a record amount.
 
Adlfinger recalls it being an extremely awesome and powerful experience that will stick with him forever and helped the high schooler secure that he had found a home with Carius.
 
The bond that Adlfinger has built with Carius from that first encounter has grown significantly over Adlfinger's four years at North Central. "He is really like a second father I guess; definitely a role model figure in my life," explains Adlfinger. "I feel like I can turn to him for anything and he would do anything in the world to help me succeed in life."
 
Even as a senior, Adlfinger looks to Carius and the rest of the North Central College coaching staff for motivation and advice. "They really provide a great framework for us to work with. They have hundreds of years of experience between them all so, I always trust whatever they say," says Adlfinger.
 
When competing, Adlfinger thinks back to the teachings Caris has instilled in him.
 
"Al always talks about the four parts of our race. Right when the race starts, I will just worry about getting in a good position… finding a spot where you are not going to be tangled up with people. And from there, just kind of settle and relax as much as you can," explains Adlfinger.
 
Although he knows that at some point it is going to hurt, Adlfinger remembers to keep breathing and beat that feeling. Once the last mile approaches he works hard to gain momentum and beat as many people as he can.
 
Further, it is that competition and drive that keeps bringing Adlfinger back to running even in the face of adversity.
 
Adlfinger has competed for North Central at the men's cross country national championship, as well as, the men's track and field national championship in the steeplechase. Both times he fell while competing.
 
He remembers these moments distinctly.
 
Looking back, while competing at the cross country nationals, Adlfinger says that he got out and was in a good place. He was in a decent spot with the pack, setting and maintaining a comfortable pace. While looking ahead he recalls seeing people falling "like dominos." Adlfinger was racing towards the pile and knew that eventually he would have to react. He tried to hurdle the pile but was unsuccessful and succumbed to the pile.
 
Moreover, while competing at the track and field nationals, Adlfinger started the race in a similar shape. He placed himself in a good position for the 3,000-meter race. Adlfinger was about halfway through when the race took a turn over a barrier. Adlfinger did not clear the barrier and ended up clipping his knee and laying on the ground.
 
"At those moments, I just thought about getting up as fast as I can, it was all I could do," expresses Adlfinger. "Those were pretty big adversities mentally because it was a lot of disappointment."
 
Though these were tough moments in his career, Adlfinger claims the hardest physical adversity came after his junior year of cross country.
 
Early in that season Adlfinger recalls having some minor knee pain, though he did not think anything of it. Over the course of the season the pain never got better or worse, therefore he continued racing. Once the season ended, Adlfinger went to the doctor and found out that he had torn his meniscus and required surgery.
 
Adlfinger underwent surgery to remove his meniscus. He was not able to run for two months and instead filled his time with intense physical therapy daily. Adlfinger says the process was draining. "I just had to take it one day at a time and really use my team as a focal point to work my way back to getting healthy," says Adlfinger.
 
Returning to racing that spring, Adlfinger had a new attitude. He was ready to work hard and compete with the best runners on his team and in conference. His hard work paid off when Adlfinger set an outdoor personal best in the steeplechase at the CCIW outdoor tournament championship.
 
Adlfinger credits the tough times throughout his career to developing him as a leader. He says that through his experiences at practices, meets and moments with the team that he has developed into a leader for the younger guys on the team.
 
"I think that naturally in a way, I just fell into that position," explains Adlfinger. "I can offer advice to them with different issues, school, stress, or just different meets. If they need, or find themselves in different situations, I have probably been in that situation. I like to think that I have gone through some of the worst times, so I can kind of help them out in those low patches and help them find the higher points in life."

When he is not competing Adlfinger continues to be a leader. He works in the admissions office giving tours to incoming and prospective students, as well as a student intern for the men's cross country and track and field teams helping with recruiting and introducing a new program.
 
"We [Adlfinger and the coaches]  introduced the new strength program this year on our team for a little more supplemental work," says Adlfinger. "I have been kind of gearing that forward… putting everything down on paper so that future teams will have that to use."
 
As far as his own future, Adlfinger wants to remain a Cardinal. He plans on continuing his education and affiliation with North Central by becoming the Graduate Assistant for men's cross country and track and field. He looks forward to helping shape and develop a new set of athletes, in addition to remaining within the competitive racing world.
 
"I can't really imagine days not going to practice and competing," smiles Adlfinger. "I just love to compete and be around a team environment...I don't know what I would do with my myself, with all that free time if I wasn't at practice and stuff like that."
 
Adlfinger says that he has enjoyed his four years at North Central and that is goes by fast, and though he has faced some challenges throughout his journey that he would not change anything.
 
Adlfinger's final race of his cross-country career with North Central College will be this Saturday at the NCAA Division III National Championships.