UNIVERSITY PARK, PA.—Junior Danae Rivers has been working hard all year long to battle her way to the top of each and every meet. Coming into this year, Rivers had a new mindset on her sport. She took on the challenge of being an upperclassmen and captain which increased her already intense passion for her sport.
Starting off with the cross country season, Rivers began her journey by building a strong and long-lasting base in the hopes of keeping her healthy throughout the spring.
"The season always starts in the summer. So basically, during that time we try and get a lot of mileage in. It's important to build a good base and that is one of the main reasons why I do cross country," Rivers said.
She took on the beginning months of training with a lot of aggression and determination to help with her focused mindset. Rivers emphasized the importance of staying mentally, as well as physically, healthy throughout track and field season.
"My freshman year I did not do cross country but as the seasons went on, I found out that I could run the mileage and that has really helped me physically. Mentally it has also helped me because it helps me hang with different girls and do different training methods," Rivers said.
As the season progressed, the team moved into the indoor facility and meets started to pick up. Rivers training was clearly paying off as she began her road to the top and was crossing the finish line in first place.
"Once the meets start, it is still a little relaxed because I don't like to stress about things in the future that I can't control. The first meet I ran the 1000m and then I started to break a ton of records," Rivers said.
As the indoor track season came to an end, Rivers placed first at the NCAA Indoor Championships becoming a national champion with a time of 2:03.69 in the 800-meter run. Not only was this a pinnacle in her career so far and a great start for moving to outdoor meets, but it was also the first time in Penn State women's track history the program had an indoor national champion.
"Standing on the podium was surreal. It flashed back a lot of memories and how far I have come in this sport. The training that I have had on the collegiate level has helped me and I have been taking it in strides," Rivers said.
Now that Rivers is number one, the competition is starting to rise and many of the other teams and athletes are looking to take on the best.
"I try not to let the pressure get to me. I always am thinking to myself how I can work on my form and other things that I can control to be a better athlete," Rivers said.
She plans to stay determined and concentrated so that her times can continue to improve. Rivers is looking to keep her indoor momentum going in the spring.
"I think that I just want to ride the momentum and still be focused. Ultimately in the end I want to know how I can still compete on the national level. That to me has been my goal and that has shaped the way I perform," Rivers said.
Rivers constantly talks about the support she gets from her teammates and how they are a huge aspect of her success. They have pushed her through trainings, cheered her on during races, and picked her up when things may have not gone her way.
"My teammates have really helped me. They are the best partners that I could have. We all push one another to the best of our abilities so that we know we have each other's backs," Rivers said.
Looking to return the favor of her teammates helping her, Rivers has taken many of the underclassmen under her wings to help them grow as individual athletes.
"I like to view myself as a person that is approachable. I like to portray myself as a humble person which makes it very interesting talking to the underclassmen. I like hearing their goals and what they want to accomplish," Rivers said.
Rivers feels that having people to look up to is so important because it gives the younger girls someone to strive to emulate. They all need to feel comfortable and welcomed so that they can perform to the best of their own abilities. Rivers believes that because of team bonding, they feel that they are like a family.
"One of my favorite parts of this team that brings us closer is we have this thing called Big Sister Little Sister. We basically split up the team and each upperclassman is assigned a younger athlete that may not be in their specific event group. Mine is Carena Nottoli who is a pole vaulter," Rivers said
Many of the younger athletes pressure themselves to perform well instantly. Because she doesn't want anyone to burnout, Rivers has tried to encourage the girls to maintain a balanced work ethic so that they can continue to grow and improve their personal records.
"I try to tell all the younger kids that no matter what goal you set as long as you work hard and if you keep working at it hopefully you will achieve it. It is always nice to work around them and uplift them," Rivers said.
Rivers is a big supporter of this team and although her personal goals matter to her, ultimately, she wants the entire program to be successful.
"I want us as a team to work with one another and support one another while also knowing how to deal with life changes. I just want us to know how to fluctuate and be adaptable as a team and to also put forward some great marks and times," Rivers said.
