Steve Burwick
Reporter
October 22, 2004
Megan Lease is feeling the pressure as Milligan College’s up-and-coming women’s cross country talent. Her time of 17:49 in the 5k run at Saturday’s Disney Classic in Orlando, Fla., equaled the school record set last year by teammate Marta Zimon and ranked among the top 10 times in the U.S. this year.
“I knew the competition wasn’t going to be too steep,” she said. “Coach (Chris Layne)said I had a chance to be in the top 10. I knew I wasn’t going to be out of my league. Still, I was surprised at my time, definitely.
“Since I ran so fast, I guess I’m the underdog, the new kid in town,” she said. “People say, ‘Can she do it again?’”
Lease has been attracted to athletics from an early age. Growing up with two older brothers, she was a tomboy who played street hockey along with more traditional sports.
The 20-year-old junior from Elizabeth City, N.C., played softball, basketball, volleyball and ran track in high school. She joined the cross country team as a senior, and made the state’s top 20. She got an offer from one college, but had reservations.
“I wanted to go to a Christian college,” she said. “I wanted to have options for a major.”
She found out that Milligan had a cross country team, but wasn’t sure if she could get a scholarship.
“I felt awkward just asking for a scholarship so I asked my guidance counselor to call and let Coach know I was interested in running,” said Lease.
Once at Milligan, she chose history with a minor in chemistry. Being health-conscious, she intends to pursue a degree in osteopathic medicine. Osteopathy seeks to treat the whole person, emphasizing the interrelationship of the body’s nerves, muscles, bones and organs, according to the American Osteopathic Association’s Web site. That sounds like the topic of a cross country training video.
Lease has made changes in her diet in order to improve her performance.
“Basically I cut out dessert, especially ice cream,” she said. “I was really addicted to ice cream, had to have it every day. Now I eat a lot more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.”
She has noticed an improvement in her strength and endurance as a result.
“If you fill your body with processed sugars, they’re not good for you,” she said.
“During the summer, I’d quit the diet. I’d have a frappuccino at Starbucks, and the next day my legs were dead.”
Lease takes her running seriously.
“I’m glad I have this gift, and I thank God for it, especially when I don’t feel like running,” she said. When asked what is going through her mind during a race, she replied, “It depends on what kind of race. In a strategic race, I try to monitor how fast I’m going, whether to slow down or speed up.”
Lease said she gets along well with her teammates, including Zimon, the sophomore from Lodz, Poland, who shares the team record.
“We get along really well,” Lease says “She makes me laugh. She’s always pushing me.
Lease is “very quiet,” according to Zimon. “It took me a while to become close to her. I am a really talkative person. She would just answer my questions and nothing else. But when we would leave school in the summer, she would say, ‘Oh, Marta, I will miss you. Give me a hug!’ and that really surprised me.”
Lease said Jessica Carpenter “has really stepped up this year. All the girls have been encouraging.” Carpenter, a freshman from Elizabethton, set a personal record in finishing 32nd in the Disney race.
Lease also likes “hanging out” with the men’s team. “They’re really cool, she said.
She looks forward to the regional conference meet in Louisville, Ky. on Nov. 6. She believes Brevard College (N.C.) will be the biggest competition, but she is confident Milligan will do well.
“I think we have a solid chance of winning,” Lease said.