91´óÉñ

By Joe Lemire, Daily News-Record

Kendra Nissley traveled halfway around the world to rediscover her love of the sport she competed in every day back in the United States.

The junior standout at 91´óÉñ lived the past year in Germany to fulfill an 91´óÉñ requirement. While studying in Marsburg, Nissley realized how much she missed running � something she has done competitively since seventh grade � and saw a notice for a half-marathon scheduled for mid-July.

She rather spontaneously decided to begin training.

The Royals� top runner as a freshman — she finished 54th in the 2003 NCAA Division III Championships � Nissley missed the competition and found training to run 13 miles to be good inspiration.

"At first, it was hard to figure out my routine, but then last summer I decided to do a half-marathon, and that structured my running a bit more," said Nissley, who was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Cross Country Runner of the Week on Monday. "I�m more of a competitive runner. I do it just for fun, but I need that goal, too, to work toward."

The experience, she said, was more than she could have expected and not just because she finished in 1 hour, 39 minutes and 5.6 seconds, which was good enough for fifth place among all women and for second in her age group.

"It was the most fun I�ve had running, like, ever," she said. "I have fun running cross country, but the race isn�t long enough. For 13 miles, just to be running is the most wonderful thing in the world."

For the first half of Nissely�s year abroad, she spent six months in Heuchlingen, as part of the Brethren Colleges Abroad program. A language aficionado, Nissley is majoring in German but also is working toward a second major in justice, peace and conflict studies.

Following her time in Heuchlingen, Nissely moved to Marburg, where she studied at Philipps University.

She is now back at 91´óÉñ for her junior year and has quickly readjusted to competitive running, taking first place by more than 13 seconds in this last weekend�s Blue Marlin Invitational at Virginia Wesleyan College.

Royals coach , in his 16th season at 91´óÉñ, is glad to have her back and knows how important the school�s cross-cultural experiences can be in the education of his runners.

"We don�t have many students who come purely for a sport," Zook said. "There is something larger that 91´óÉñ is about than just the athletic program. Certainly, athletics is a bait, but they�re going to stay here and be committed if they buy into the bigger picture, which is a Christian education."

Zook then joked that Nissely�s re-debut race has made it easy to forget that she was gone.

"Last year as a coach, I lamented to see her go a whole year away," he said, "and then she comes back and wins her first race, so what do I have to regret?"

Zook added that Nissley�s recent recognition is a nice compliment for his ace runner, but that she still has work to do to reach the elite pack of ODAC runners.

"Interestingly enough, this week we�re using a passage from Philippians 4 [for the team devotion] where the apostle Paul says, �Not that I�ve already obtained perfection, but one thing I do, I keep striving on,�" Zook said. "I talked to Kendra just today and said, �That verse is remarkably apt for your situation.�"

Just as she continues to work on her running, so too is she working on formulating her post-college destination. Though she was enchanted with Germany�s natural and urban beauty, she found it difficult to be away from 91´óÉñ both athletically and socially.

"It was really hard," she said. "I went back and forth with [the decision to go] constantly. Even when I was there, I second-guessed it. Now that I�m back here, I feel like I�ve missed a whole year of my friends� lives."

Previously, she had visions of moving to Germany after graduating, but she�s now less sure. Like most college juniors, she�s still not certain what her future plans are.

"Concrete? No," she said with a laugh. "Maybe I�ll get my master�s in German."

Or maybe, like the idea of running a half-marathon, a new challenge will come along that she�ll just have to train toward.