When Georgia's Mike Swope gets the chance to race the Florida schools something stirs in him. Maybe it's the face that he opted for Georgia over FSU and Florida a few years back. It could be his memories of his days at Winter Park High when he qualified for the Footlocker National Cross Country Championships in Orlando. Swope swarmed onto the scene as a freshman, taking ninth in the SEC Championships, but then Mike just about hit rock bottom.
After his stock elevated to a new level – Swope's career hit a plateau. Athens was still appealing, but the culmination of injury, trial, and life wore on him. He redshirted indoor and outdoor, along with cross country the following season. After using up his redshirt years, Mike's fall brought about his turnaround. He learned what his body could take, and his coach adapted the training for him. "It took us a while to figure things out, but I hadn't always been really positive," recalls Swope. The combination of training adjustments and remising on days of running glory in high school – something stirred for Mike. "I wasn't running as well as I can. I kept thinking I want to run similar to guys like Zieminski, Parker, and Jefferson. I knew I could run with those guys."
This spring 10K breakout performance put him on the charts. He missed the cutoff for NCAA's, but the season was satisfying. After his third place showing at SEC's, Swope has found himself competing at the level he strives for. "I beat some guys who I haven't beat before," commented Swope on his SEC showing.
The friendly junior from Winter Park hasn't always had the easiest college life. "It's been a difficult struggle in college." He's realized that he needs a tighter grip on his life. Swope has leaned on the Lord and backed by a strong supportive Christian family, who have supported Mike's running career through it's highs and lows – he has grown through his time. "The Lord is obviously the most motivating factor for me especially during an injury," adds Swope. This summer, Mike will be in Athens along with a trip to Illinois to visit his girlfriend who also runs for Georgia. The economics major is laid back and with any SEC school, football games are "an absolute blast." The entire picture of Georgia makes things clear why Mike is enjoying his time as a Bulldog. "I spend most of my time with the guys and girls team. Athens has some of the better trails around. It's a fun school and I like the southern atmosphere here," explains Mike.
He plans to stay put for the summer with the guys. This season has been so much more than a mere Nationals berth. For Mike it means he's running more on the level he's capable of, but he's striving for more. It's been a long road, but worthwhile for the former Winter Park standout. Swope still cherishes Coach Hill after all the years. He won't forget those days. For now though he's enjoy the summer in Athens. "Hopefully, I'll be able to string together consistent training weeks. I want to gradually build up to 80-85 mile weeks. That's definitely the key," adds Swope on his summer training.
Although he will be a redshirt-junior in the fall, Swope has now learned the collegiate ropes and will continue to help aid the Bulldogs in their rise in the South Region in the fall.