Get to Know Your Raiders: Joel Flott

A two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree, senior marketing major Joel Flott has been a valuable mid-distance runner on the men’s track & field team.

The Phoenixville native is a five-time PSAC place winner and was an indoor All-American last season while running the 800-meter leg of the distance medley relay squad that finished third at nationals (9:56.36).

This past weekend at the Gulden Invitational from Bucknell, Flott ran the third leg of the winning 4x400-meter relay team that clocked an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:20.24. In December, Flott began this season by establishing a new indoor PR in the 800 meters at the Bison Opener – also from Bucknell – with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:55.59

Get to know Joel Flott…

What is your favorite pre-meet ritual?

The night before each race I like to eat the fattiest food on the menu, especially when we are traveling. I have no rhyme or reason for this, it just happens. On race day, the first thing I always do is scope out a place to buy coffee. I absolutely have to have caffeine 2-3 hours before race time.

What part of Shippensburg, either the campus or the town, do you most enjoy?

My bedroom right above the Re/Max building, I have a sweet balcony that overlooks King St. It’s prime real estate for people and parade watching. I also enjoy reading a good book while sitting on the roof there.

What is the best class you've taken at Shippensburg?

If I had to nail it down to one class it would have to be Chemistry 103. The exams were the same as the homework and there was no final if you were satisfied with your grade. My favorite major class has been Personal Selling. We were given an excellent book to read and the professor really helped improve my presentation skills.

If you weren't majoring in marketing, what would your major be?

Social psychology. Marketing is a more applied form of social psychology and I really enjoy studying how people think and behave. Marketing happens to be more interesting because it is all about manipulating the general public.

What is your favorite day of the week, and why?

Saturday, because it is a day off of school and it’s normally a race day. It also means more times than not a chance to explore another college campus. The ability to travel around with a great group of people is very rewarding in itself.

Which are your favorite PSAC schools to compete against, and why?

All of them…bring it. Honestly, the more competition there is, the better. The best meet is PSACs. NCAAs is a great time, but the rivalry amongst the PSAC schools is very intense and we all have a certain level of respect for each other.

If we asked your teammates to say a few words about you, what do you think they would say?

It depends on who you ask. I feel as though most would say I am confident and poised. I’d like to believe that most would agree I am a strong leader and that I’m good at encouraging others to work toward their potential.

Which individual athletic accomplishment are you most proud of?

Probably running my first provisional qualifier for the NCAA meet in the 800 meters. I was suffering from a severe migraine and wasn’t sure if I was going to run because of it, but I stuck it out and ran a personal best by two seconds. It is still my personal best today (but hopefully not for long). It also helped me earn All-Academic honors, which has been a great resume staple.

What's the most difficult part of being a student-athlete?

The most difficult part about being a student-athlete is the increase in responsibility and avoiding the normal perils of college extracurriculars. We are expected to represent the university in a positive way at all times and there is always something going on to distract us from our studies and sport.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned being a student-athlete?

You need to find your balance. School always takes precedent over sport. If you can balance your school work with your training and social life, everything will work out. Coach [Steve] Spence always preaches about living the lifestyle. It’s easy to see who lives the lifestyle, for the most part.

What piece of advice stays with you at all times?

The greatest advice I’ve ever been given came from a motivational poster of all places. It read, “Give your best and God will do the rest.” I try and give my best in every race knowing that I will be satisfied no matter what the outcome is. John Wooden had a similar definition of success, “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

If you could talk to children who are just beginning to show an interest in running, what would you tell them they should focus on?

The most important thing is to develop a passion for the sport. You genuinely have to want to put in the hard work, otherwise you will always find an excuse to skip a workout or inevitably quit, which can be very tempting. The best runners have a hard time taking a day off because they really enjoy the benefits and rewards this sport has to offer.

What legacy do you hope to leave behind for future athletes at Shippensburg?

I want to leave Shippensburg better off than when I got here. Shippensburg has always typically been a powerhouse in track and field, but to me there is no reason not to want even more. The better Shippensburg competes on a national level, the better the recruits. We’ve been very fortunate to have an excellent coaching staff with the ability to turn recruits into top talents. My personal goals would be the continuing success for the mid-distance group. Our 800-meter group has been top-notch lately and we’ve really been able to push ourselves to new heights. I’d like to see that inner-team competition spread amongst the other training groups.