Salisbury senior Liz Tollett, this week’s Capital Athletic Conference INTRODUCING … featured student-athlete, is a leader.  She’s a standout in the Sea Gulls’ CAC and national championship field hockey program as well as a top distance runner on Salisbury’s track & field program.  She serves as the CAC representative on the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and will present national information at the Sept. 20 CAC SAAC meeting at Stevenson University.  She is also active in a number of other campus activities and hopes to be an influential role model when she graduates with a degree in physical education and a minor in health.

What is your background in the sport you play?   My parents were my biggest influence when it came to sports. They always supported me with whatever sport I was playing. In the third grade, my mom encouraged me to try field hockey and signed me up for a youth team in the area. My Dad was my biggest influence when it came to track.  He always encouraged me to train at the track and to “listen to the beat of my feet”. He was always willing to drive me to and from the track, and would always be ready to time me for any interval workout (even to this day he will!). Running is my passion and helps keep me sane!

What is your favorite spot on campus?  My favorite spot on campus is the front entrance of Holloway Hall.  The pillars in the front entrance are beautiful. To me they represent strength for the University, since they have been a part of Salisbury since 1925 when the college opened. 

Other than your teams, what organizations do you participate in?  I serve as the National SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee) representative for both the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) and the Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC).  Being a part of National SAAC has been one of the greatest opportunities and experiences. For both conferences I get to be the voice that represents student-athletes’ opinions and concerns with athletics. I also serve as the vice president of our student SAAC, the Physical Education majors club, and Phi Epsilon Kappa honor society for physical education, athletic training and exercise science majors. For the past two years I have worked on campus as the program assistant to Healthy U of Delmarva, a non-profit organization partnered with SU that is dedicated to the campus and surrounding community to promote healthier lifestyles.

Briefly describe the most memorable experience during your collegiate athletic career.  The most memorable experience during my collegiate athletic career was winning the 2009 Field Hockey National Championship. During the 2009 season our team was faced with many hardships including a series of illnesses and injuries. To overcome all of our trials with a championship made it the most memorable experience in my entire athletic career.

What is the most important societal issue facing college students?  With the state of the economy and job market, I feel many college students are nervous about finding a decent job after college.

If you could change any one item in the world (in your personal life, school, community, amateur or professional sports, national/international issue, etc.), what would it be, why, and how would you do it?
 If I could change one item in my community it would be that all residents had free access to local gyms and health care facilities in order for them to exercise and become educated on how to live healthier lives.

What is your major in college, and what is the most important thing you learned in that discipline?   My major is physical education with a minor in health. The most important thing I have learned is educators can be the most influential people in a child’s life and it is important that we adapt to our students needs in order to provide quality education.

Other than your family members, who was the most influential person in your life?  My high school track coach Skip Lee has been the most influential person in my life. He encouraged me to never give up and to always go 100 percent.  His encouragement helped me to break 5:40 in the mile. I will never forget the day it happened, during regionals, on my high school track when all I could hear was his voice saying, “Come on LIZARD”. His passion for both physical education and sport made me realize that I wanted to pursue my career in physical education.

If you could give one piece of advice to elementary school children, what would that advice be?  My advice for elementary school children would to be as involved as possible. Being a part of more than one extracurricular activity gives you the opportunity to meet new people and have new experiences.

What is your favorite form of entertainment?  My favorite form of entertainment is watching my field hockey team dance. Whether it’s before a game, team dinner, or on the bus; watching them dance makes me want to dance!

Outside of the Capital Athletic Conference, who or what is your favorite sports person or team?  My favorite sports person is Brett Farve. To be a 41 year old professional football player, one the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL, and wrangler jeans model – the man’s a legend.

Name three (3) people, real or fictional, living or dead, that you'd like to have dinner with?    I’d like to have dinner with (the late) Steve Prefontaine – one of the best 5,000-meter runners to ever live. His passion and dedication for running is known to runners across the world – to talk to him about his training and hardships would be an inspiration.
I’d like to have dinner with Lance Armstrong – after reading his book “It’s Not About the Bike”, his story is one of true inspiration. To meet an athlete who survived cancer and to still do what he loves would be encouragement for anyone.
And I’d like to have dinner with Cal Ripken – a Baltimore Orioles legend. I would love to hear his stories about being in Major League Baseball and his experiences with Baltimore.