By Christopher Hunt
There is a myriad of things that go into choosing a college, and making life decisions that can clog a teenager's mind and sometimes start a early-life crisis. But sometimes, choosing a college is as simple as this:
“I just felt really comfortable,” Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake senior Sam Roecker said.
Roecker, who led BHBL to a state federation championship Saturday, became the second top-flight senior from New York this season to make an oral commitment to Providence College. She told head coach Ray Treacy earlier this month. Suffern’s Shelby Greany committed in September. The two have agreed to be roommates.
Roecker is the next in a line of New York’s best female distance runners heading to Rhode Island to join the team that won the NCAA Division I Northeast Regional championship Saturday. Freshmen Hannah Davidson, who ran for Saratoga Springs, and Mary Kate Champagne of Seton Catholic in Plattsburgh, both were part of the top five on the team that earned an automatic bid to the NCAA championships on November 24. In fact, Roecker had already become friends with Davidson, Champagne and Greany through competing against each other in high school which will make her transition into college life easier.
“I ran against Mary Kate and Hannah last year and we were around the same level and the fact that they went in around the same level as I will be just helps me a lot,” Roecker said. “Obviously, they’re getting better. It just gives me confidence that the same can happen for me.”
Roecker chose Providence over Boston College and Georgetown. Teammate Meghan Gregory, though, also made an oral commitment to Georgetown this month. For Roecker, she was almost already part of the team. She said she had been in constant contact with Champagne and Davidson, whether it be one of them wishing her luck on an upcoming race or Roecker sending a text message asking for guidance.
“Any little bugging questions in my mind I could just send Mary Kate a text message,” Roecker said. “She’s studying Biology and I think I want to major in Biology too so I could ask her how her major fit in with her other classes and with practice. I’m kind of living my freshman year through her freshman year.”
She admitted that decision wasn’t easy and she sat on it for weeks, even after Providence became the front-runner. In the end, she went with her instincts.
“It just felt right,” she said.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.