TicketsSept. 29, 2010
By Jeff Gentil
GoBEARCATS.com
Freshman year of college can be difficult for any student. For Oliver Book, to say it was difficult would be an understatement. Cincinnati isn't really the "Big City," but if you're from a Southern Indiana town so small the only way to describe the size of the area is to say "I think I was related to everyone," then Cincinnati might as well be New York City.
Life in the big city didn't begin the way the sophomore from Borden, Indiana planned. Upon arrival, Book was out of place, over his head, and thought about going home.
"I was definitely homesick," Book said. "The first two weeks were really bad. I didn't know anybody and there was no one on campus."
"He definitely had second thoughts about the big city," UC cross country coach Bill Schnier added. "But what are you going to do? Yes, he was homesick, but he weathered the storm and really embraced the university."
Those feelings quickly subsided once Book met his teammates. Life started slowing down, everything made more sense, and he knew he was going to be all right.
"I really got to know my teammates better," Book said. "The upperclassmen were really helpful. They just told me to keep moving forward and that's what I did."
In a perfect world (and Hollywood), Book would have gone on to have a sensational freshman year full of records and awards. Unfortunately, that isn't the way this story played out.
"It was more mental than physical," Book said. "I didn't know if I belonged."
The low point of his inaugural campaign may have come at the Pre-Nationals at Indiana State, the site of Book's high school state championship meet.
"I think there were just seven runners who finished behind him," Schnier said. "It was a real eye opener. Was it hopeless? No, but he really needed to do something."
"It was just one of those meets," Book added. "It was really bad, but I just kept moving forward."
Book, an architectural engineering technology major, decided it was time to be better. Was it that simple?
"No one has outworked Oliver since he simply decided to be good," Schnier said. "He has such great character. If he says he's going to do something, he does. He's long on follow through. He said he was going to be good and he acted on it."
Being good is something that comes from within, according to Book. "I did it on my own," he said. "I decided to be better. I was more focused on what I wanted and realized there were things I needed to do every workout."
Immediately, Book saw the dividends of a new mental and physical approach. In April, during track season, Book finished third overall at the All-Ohio Championships in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:49.
"It didn't come as a complete surprise," Book said. "I felt I had been running well before then."
And he's been running well since then. In the first two cross country meets of the fall, Book finished second on the team to junior Eric Finan, who is having an outstanding season in his own right. While challenging Finan for top runner is a goal, it's not his top priority.
"Certainly challenging Eric is one of my goals," he said. "I basically have just three main motivations. The BIG EAST Championships, Regionals, and Nationals."
"Eric is so good," Schnier added. "But Oliver has made nice strides. He has a wonderful work ethic. All of us could see he was ready to take his rightful place among the elite and he has done just that."