Miami Ohio University Athletics
STRAIGHT A TEAM: Sophomore Distance Runner Kelsey McHugh
6/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
June 10, 2008
This is the fifth in a series of 16 features about Miami University's brightest student-athletes. Their exceptional academic performance during the recently completed spring semester earned them a spot on the roster of the RedHawks' exclusive Straight A Team. In addition to their rigorous schedules on the athletic fields, each of these individuals earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average this past semester. Overall, during the 2007-08 academic year, Miami's 500-plus student-athletes earned an impressive cumulative 3.0 GPA in the classroom.
Dedicated, determined, and devoted would be appropriate adjectives to describe Miami University sophomore Kelsey McHugh (Columbus, OH/Thomas Worthington). A distance runner on Miami's cross country and track and field teams, McHugh began her sophomore year by garnering all-MAC academic honors for cross country, and she finished the year by compiling a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester. However, once her running career is over, McHugh hopes to that people will use another "d" word to describe her: "Doctor."
A zoology major and one of only 16 Miami student-athletes to compile a perfect 4.0 GPA during the spring semester, McHugh has aspirations of attending medical school. McHugh has already begun working towards her goal, as she is getting firsthand experience this summer by working, shadowing, and volunteering at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH. The hospital is one of the finest in the nation and was recently ranked one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" by the 2008 U.S. News and World Report.
Judging by her approach to running and school, it appears that McHugh has the necessary characteristics and drive to get accepted to medical school and ultimately succeed as a doctor.
"I've learned that time management, goal setting, and discipline are crucial for success," said McHugh. "I plan out my days and write down what I want to accomplish, and at the end of the day, despite being tired or just wanting to relax, I force myself to complete my work. The way I act in my sport is the way I act in school. I dedicate daily time to school and athletics and work hard even on the days that I don't want to."
 Kelsey McHugh was an all-MAC academic selection during the 2007 cross country season  | |
After her standout cross country season, McHugh went on to finish ninth in the 5,000 meters at the 2008 MAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Miami earned a third-place finish at the indoor conference meet, which was the highest finish ever for the RedHawks at the indoor conference championships and one of McHugh's favorite athletic moments.
"The Indoor MAC Championships is my favorite Miami athletic memory," said McHugh. "We all competed our hearts out, and it was so exciting and such a great atmosphere."
Even though McHugh has successfully juggled her dual roles as student and athlete, she conceded that balancing the two has been a challenge.
"I chose to run because I have and always will love the sport, and it's something I enjoy," said Mchugh. "Academics are more of a necessity, and it's unavoidable that I have to do schoolwork. I don't have the same underlying love for academics that I do for running, which makes it more of a challenge to work at and complete."
Although McHugh is still a couple years away from entering medical school, it seems as though her passion for running, combined with her commitment to academics, has provided her with the perfect prescription for thriving at Miami.
STRAIGHT A TEAM BIO
Name: Kelsey McHugh
Hometown/HS: Columbus, Ohio/Thomas Worthington
Year: Sophomore
Major: Zoology
Spring Semester GPA: 4.0
Notables: Helped Miami finish third at the MAC Cross Country Championship and eighth in the Great Lakes Region ... placed 18th at the 2007 MAC Championship and 65th at the regional meet, both personal-bests ... was one of three Miamians named to the women's cross-country all-MAC academic team.
Players Mentioned
