Olympic Dreams Grounded on True Hope<\/b><\/p>\n
When Daniel Michalski won an NCAA Division II national title in steeplechase in 2017, many would have considered that a fitting close to an outstanding college athletics career. But the Lord, and Dan, a 2018 Cedarville alumnus, had other challenges to jump, hurdle, and climb.<\/span><\/p>\n Daniel took his last year of college eligibility with him to Indiana University as a graduate student, where he had an outstanding year of competition, including being runner-up in the 3000M steeplechase at the Big 10 Championships in 2019. And if not for his toe clipping a hurdle, Dan was headed for a national title at the NCAA Division I Men\u2019s Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Even with the stumble, Daniel had an All-American finish and came in seventh.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This year, Daniel has continued to soar in the event he loves. At one point this spring, he owned the top American time in the steeplechase and had the third-best time in the world. And on June 21, he will compete at the steeplechase prelims of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for a chance to represent the United States in Tokyo this summer. If he makes it, he will be the first Yellow Jacket to compete on the Olympic stage.<\/span><\/p>\n Even for all of Daniel\u2019s impressive athletic successes, his faith, and his newfound roles as a husband to Abby, a dad to Daley, and a college cross country and track & field coach, keep his feet on the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a just a runner,\u201d he shares during the podcast. \u201cI have more value than that. I know I\u2019m loved. As a son, a brother, now a husband and dad, and ultimately as a child of God, there is so much more to this story than one race.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n