Three events, one day. Saturday January 29th was one of the busiest athletic days of the year at Capital University's Capital Center and for one student-athlete, sophomore Amanda Hartman ; the day was more than 12 hours long.
Hartman, a member of the Capital cheerleading squad, was present for both basketball contests versus cross-town rival Otterbein College, including a thrilling double-overtime men’s victory, and competed later that same day in the Ohio Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Relays.
While it is common for a student-athlete at Capital to participate in more than one sport during the academic year, Hartman’s afternoon was unique.
“I knew going in that I was going to have a busy day," said Hartman, driving home Tuesday evening from a long day of athletics and studies at Capital. "I tried my best to get a good night's sleep because I knew I would need to be rested up."
The day began early for Hartman, arriving at The Capital Center to begin pre-game activities for cheerleading, a sport she has participated in since her first year at Capital in the fall of 2003.
“I got to the gym around 11:30 in the morning," quipped Hartman.
As the basketball game clock hit 00:00 in the Crusader women’s 80-67 set back to Otterbein, most people headed towards their cars for a night out with friends or dinner with family. Hartman, however, was headed in a different direction, to The Capital Center's fieldhouse just across the hall. It was 5:30 p.m., and while Hartman had just cheered and tumbled for over four hours, her day was not yet complete.
With basketball and cheering behind her, Hartman turned her focus to the track, competing as a runner, something she has also done since her freshman campaign.
“I was just trying to re-focus my attention and energy towards track," added Hartman. "I had to put cheering and the excitement of those games out of my mind and prepare myself for what was ahead."
As a past OAC track champion and a member of the school record-holding 4x200 meter relay team, Hartman is given some flexibility by head coach Fred Barends when it comes to missing meets, or arriving late, as was the case on Saturday.
“She wants to cheer," noted Barends. "For her to do that, she either does both or does not run. She will miss a couple of meets here and there because of cheerleading but she is in great shape and completes assigned workouts on her own at the times we (the coaching staff) want her to."
Hartman's long day had no adverse effect on her performance. True to form, she and her teammates placed second in the 4x200 meter race, while adding a fourth place finish in the 4x400 meter relay.
“It was a fun day, but I was ready to go home and go to bed after it was over. It was tiring.”
In addition to being a multi-sport athlete, Hartman also shines in the classroom, posting a 3.7 grade point average.
“Besides cheering and running, she also carries a heavy load as a biology major, with a pre-health concentration," noted Barends. "Sometimes she has to work track practice in around her busy schedule. When she has to cheer on a Wednesday night, she completes her practice after the game. On Tuesdays she has a lab and then returns to track to complete her practice at a different time from the rest of the team."
While Hartman is not scheduled to pull double or even triple-duty any more this season, she has no reservations about doing it again.
“I do not have any hesitation about it," Hartman added. "I would do it again in a heartbeat."