9/23/2010
Conditioning for a cause
Reprinted with permission from The News Dispatch

Drew White
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Prior to the current season, Marquette girls soccer coach Bret Darrell was looking to add a twist to his team's normal conditioning regiment.

Darrell, who is an officer with the Michigan City Police Department, found just the thing in his e-mail inbox. This past weekend, the Blazers ran in the 1st Annual "Cops for a Cure" 5K Breast Cancer Run in Portage. The run was a benefit for Portage Police Officer Flora Ryan who was diagnosed with breast cancer in March.

"I came across an e-mail at work and presented it to the girls looking for something different us to do for our conditioning. It also gave us a goal rather than just running to run.

"They were excited about it. It was for a good cause and it gave us a goal."

The team spent time practicing for the run near Washington Park as well as at and near the Marquette Athletic Complex on Pahs Road and Darrell said he has definitely seen an improvement in the physical shape of his players.

"I think our conditioning has been a lot better this year," Darrell said. "There was a handful of the girls that took their own time on the weekends to run. With our time restraints, it's not always possible to fit in a three-mile run."

Four Blazers finished in the top three of their respective age groups with Madeline Wood and Hala Filipowicz both receiving second place finishes and Colleen Falk and Livy Haas with third place finishes.

Darrell himself ran with the team, completing the race.

"They were giving me a hard time and I was giving them a hard time for a majority of the time," Darrell said.

Anna Salyer, a 2010 graduate of Marquette and older sister of current Blazer Mary Salyer, came back for the weekend from Bloomington where she is currently a freshman at Indiana University. Anna and Mary's father, Darin, also ran with the team.

Being an officer himself, Darrell said that he was happy to be able to help another enforcement officer in their time of need.

"Any chance we get to support a fellow officer, we're going to take advantage of that opportunity" Darrell said. "There was a big turnout of law enforcement officers. When something happens to another officer, it hurts for us too."

Contact sports writer Drew White at dwhite@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.