Senior Salute - Olsen Pancoast
The Cobber "Senior Salute" series is a way to honor all the Concordia spring sports athletes who had their senior season come to an abrupt halt. We want to highlight one senior each day to thank them for all their hard work, dedication and Cobber spirit they have show over their careers in maroon and gold.
Cobber Senior Salute - Olsen Pancoast - Track and Field
What is one of the things you were looking forward to most for this year’s season?
One thing that I was really looking forward to was just competing. Last spring, I only competed in one outdoor meet because of both the weather as well as a stress fracture I had after the first meet. I was also looking forward to working towards qualifying for the MIAC meet. I've never qualified for an individual distance race during my previous time and after my cross country season and indoor season, I thought that I would have a pretty good chance of qualifying considering where my fitness was at.
What is one of the top things you will miss about being a Cobber athlete?
I think I will miss being with the team, especially being in DS after practice. These last couple of years the track team, especially the distance crew, has grown really close and one thing I loved about this team was the connectedness and hanging out after practice. The tradition of "shutting down DS" or being the last ones in DS and just talking and laughing with the team is one that I learned from the upperclassmen before me and a tradition that will hopefully continue
What is something you are going to miss about Concordia College – away from athletics?
I think I'll miss the community the most. It's impossible to walk across campus without seeing someone that you know. I will also miss spending time with Marv and Garrick. Their office is almost always open and I love going in and just sitting on their couch talking about whatever is going on.
What is one of your favorite highlights/memories from your time playing athletics/being with your team?
I have two that really stand out for me, and both happened at St. John's. The first was my first ever collegiate win in the mile. I ran the mile in 4:44, which was a PR as well. The last time I really won a race was in middle school and looking back at times that I was running my freshman and sophomore season, it's crazy how far I've come and winning that race was a moment to look at how much time and effort I've put in to improve from those first couple years. The other was the team's second-place conference finish at MIAC Indoor. This was also amazing to watch and document on the Concordia Instagram as the whole team rallied together, especially in the final couple of events.
What is one of your favorite memories from Concordia away from athletics?
I think it would be the trips that I have taken with my friends. We have gone skiing out in Montana the past couple of years and it's always a trip we look forward too.
What are your post-graduation plans?
I am going to be abroad for a year, either in Central Europe or Australia with the ELCA's Young Adults in Global Mission. This is something that is wildly out of my comfort zone but I am excited to really be able to experience something different and I think that Concordia has really prepared me to take this step to go out of my comfort zone.