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For Rivard, a sophomore majoring in Business Administration, the balancing act begins around 7 a.m. each morning when she wakes up and does a "short" three- to four-mile run or cross trains. From there, Rivard heads to class for a few hours, grabs some lunch and is off to practice, which usually starts around 2 p.m.

It is truly one of her favorite parts of her day. "I look forward to practice everyday because it is a time to relax and have fun with all the girls," she said. "I honestly don't know what I would do without the team." Practice usually lasts around three hours, but is longer when the team lifts weights, which they do three times a week. Rivard estimates that she puts in 12-15 hours training a week.

Following a hard practice, she will take an ice bath to help with the lactic acid in her legs. The rest of her night consists of grabbing some dinner and then doing homework until she heads off to bed around 11 p.m.

"A typical day is pretty busy, which I like," Rivard said.

She added, "If you want to compete in college you have to be completely dedicated and willing to spend countless hours training. You also have to be able to handle a heavy workload and to be able to balance athletics and classes."

That balancing act can be even trickier when the team is on the road, although not for Rivard who has her routine down. "It's usually pretty easy to do homework while we are traveling. When I'm stuck on a bus for hours at a time, there's not much else to do but homework," Rivard explained.

While Rivard seems to have settled into life as a student athlete, she has still faced her share of challenges this year, including the first serious injury of her career. "(During the indoor track season) I had to stop running due to stress reactions (which are the beginning of a stress fracture) in both of my feet," she explained. "Up until that point I had never been injured before so it was really hard for me to deal with not running and competing."

Freshman Sarah Squires, an Elementary Special Education major, knows all too well about the difficulty of not being able to compete. "The low point of the year for me was during the fall and winter when I struggled with some heart problems," Squires admitted. "It was frustrating to have so many unanswered questions and really hard for me to stop practicing and competing with the team for awhile."

Squires added, "It's really frustrating to have to sit out... when you know you could be making a difference for the team."

Aside from some health issues, the experience of going off to college has been a pretty typical one. "I think the biggest difference for me (from going to high school to college) was learning how to manage my time and taking responsibility for myself," she said. "It was tough getting used to my schedule the first couple of weeks and figuring out how to balance school and athletics."

"Participating in a college sport is a great experience and one I wouldn't trade for anything, but you have to be ready to make some sacrifices in order to be your best, physically and mentally," she added.

Those sacrifices include spending between two to four hours training every day.

Typically, Squires gets off to an early start at around 6:30 a.m. when she does a morning run or heads over to the Student Activity Center to cross train. Classes start at 8 a.m. for Squires and she'll spend about four hours in the classroom before grabbing some lunch and heading off to one more class.

From 1:45 pm. to 3:15 p.m. she sets aside some time for homework or a nap depending on "whatever is more important that day." From there it is three hours of practice, followed by dinner and from 7:30 p.m. on Squires will work on homework, hang out with friends, watch TV or spend time on the Internet before heading to bed.

Looking back at her first year as a student athlete, Squires relished the opportunities it has provided her. "I came to CMU not really knowing what to expect but I am very happy with the experience I have had. I think participating in a college sport has made me a lot more mature and responsible."

She added, "I also love having the opportunity to do what I love every day as part of a team."

For freshman Stephanie Byrne, a School Health major, the chance to compete has been her biggest thrill this year. "My highest point would probably just be competing. I am always in a good mood at track meets and having a good time," she explained.

She has also enjoyed the opportunity to face tougher athletes. "In college everyone is fast. You can't underestimate any of your competition ever," she pointed out.

While Byrne has excelled as part of a record-breaking relay team this year, much like Squires she has struggled at times to adjust to life away from home. "School-wise college is very different. Making classes is up to you," she explained. "You don't have mom and dad there to tell you what to do."

Byrne added, "You have to be very responsible and very independent."

"My biggest challenge since going to college would have to be balancing my studies, my training and my personal life."

Quite a difficult task when you consider her day includes at least two hours of training, as well as classes, study table and as Byrnes puts it, "whatever else I need to get done that night."

"(You have to) be ready to put in a lot of time. A college sport is more than just practice and competition," Byrne explained. "But if you love the sport that you are participating in enough, then (the extra) time (you put in) really doesn't matter though."

For Byrne, all the sacrifices have been worth it. "I couldn't imagine college without track and my teammates," she said.

As for her teammates from the Thumb, Byrne enjoys the relationship she shares with them. "We are very supportive of each other. We get along really well," she said. "It's nice to have a few teammates that are from your area."

Rivard agreed. "It kind of gives me a sense of home."

In the case of Squires, her two friends helped Mt. Pleasant to feel a little less intimidating. "(I thought) it was nice to have people I already felt comfortable around (when I first got here)," she said.

That should also be the case for high school senior Kylee Kubacki (Ubly), who will become the fourth female runner from the Thumb at Central this fall.