Allison Schumann had one free weekend without a cross country race during the fall season. But rather than use it to rest and recover, the senior exercise science major opted to attend the Mid-Atlantic American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Conference in Harrisburg, Pa.
That’s because her research project on running efficiency earned a top-five distinction among all undergraduate proposals.
Oh, and just a week earlier, she earned all-conference honors by placing 11th at the SUNYAC Championships.
“Luckily it was an off week,” joked Allison, an aspiring physical therapist from North Salem, N.Y. “It was exhausting, but it was so much fun.”
She found a way to balance research and running by combining the two. Both required planning, progression and, of course, dedication.
Allison’s success was underscored by the results.
She posted personal-best times throughout her final cross country season. And before that, she spent the summer in Cortland as an undergraduate research fellow. The College’s Undergraduate Research Council presented 11 students with summer fellowship awards, which provide a $2,750 stipend and eight weeks of campus housing if needed.
Project topics represented a range of academic majors and topics — from stem cell research to the wage gap that exists between genders.
Allison tested runners’ efficiency on SUNY Cortland’s Alter G treadmill, a piece of equipment that can decrease body weight below the waist and aid rehabilitation from lower body injuries and chronic pain.
It’s also an incredibly valuable tool for physical therapists.
“Research really helps you read and figure out what you’re doing in your classes,” says Allison, who worked one-on-one over the summer with Associate Professor Jim Hokanson. “You learn how to do it in class, but getting to do your own project reinforces everything.”
Original, award-winning work is just one piece of her application for a Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. She’s observed many hours in clinical settings (at a private provider in Cortland and a nursing facility near her home), she’s earned impressive grades in the classroom and she continues to excel as a distance runner.
By all accounts, Allison put together a complete package in striking the perfect student-athlete balance.
“It wasn’t easy,” Allison says. “I was interested in something, I worked hard at it and I was fortunate that I had a good support system around me, especially on the team.
“When you find all of those things in one place, everything just clicks.”