Student-Athlete Spotlight: Mason Storm

9/28/2020 10:30:00 AM

Throughout the fall semester, daemenwildcats.com will feature a Student-Athlete Spotlight series to introduce you to current student-athletes from the college's 17 varsity athletic teams. Today's featured student-athlete is sprinter Mason Storm of the men's track and field team.

QUICK BIO
Mason Storm (South Bristol, N.Y.) walked on to the Daemen men's track and field team last season following a successful prep career at Honeoye Central High School in New York State's Finger Lakes region. As a high school student, Storm earned varsity letters for indoor and outdoor track and field, as well as soccer and baseball, served as team captain, was inducted into the National Honor Society and elected president of the student council.

A physical therapy major, Storm appeared in all five meets during the 2019-20 indoor track and field season before the outdoor campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He competed in a variety of sprinting events ranging from 60 to 500 meters and earned top-10 finishes at the Brockport Season Opener (4x400 meter relay) and Highlander Invitational (300 meters).

storm

QUESTION & ANSWER
Q: What is the earliest memory you have playing your sport?
A: My earliest memory was my junior year of high school. I had just started running track and was preparing for my first meet at Houghton. I was running the 1,000 meters and was super nervous. I ended up taking third in the race and I qualified for sectionals, but I remember thinking that I have a lot to learn about how to race if I wanted to get any better.

Q; Excluding your parents, what person or persons has made the biggest impact on your life and how?
A: My twin brother, Merritt. He passed away when we were two years old and he's made such an impact on my life ever since. He's a reminder that life is precious and we shouldn't take that for granted. He's been an absolute inspiration and is the reason I treat everyday like it's my last, and take every opportunity that presents itself.

Q: At what moment did you know you were choosing to attend Daemen?
A: I knew Daemen was the place for me after I went on my second tour of campus. I really felt welcomed here and felt like I was wanted. I was choosing between Daemen and Nazareth, but after talking with some current students, I decided that Daemen would be the best fit for me.

Q: Who is the teammate you are closest with? What activities do you enjoy doing together?
A: I would say my closest teammates are Zach Brainard, Betty Jones, Dan Fogle, and AJ Amandazi. I live with AJ and Zach so naturally we do a lot of stuff together. Whether it be video games, watching a football game, movie, or going to the gym to workout. Betty and Dan are the reason I joined the team. They told me that they thought I'd be good fit for the team and they were just really inspiring and convincing.

Q: Who was your childhood idol and why?
A: My childhood idol has and always will be my dad. His life story and everything he's ever been through has been a source of continuous inspiration for me. He has always reminded me that life is what you make of it and that hard work always pays off. He has always been the man I measure myself against because he has always been my role model.

Q: What is the best advice you ever received and from who?
A: The best advice I have gotten is from my dad. He said, "Son, you have to be able to laugh at yourself and make others feel good about themselves."

Q: What professional sports teams or athletes do you root for?
A: I am an avid Buffalo Bills fan. I also root for the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and the Boston Bruins.

Q: What has been your favorite academic course at Daemen so far, and why?
A: My favorite academic course I've taken was Intro to Sports Management. Professor Niland does an amazing job with the course. Its the main course of major so I find it extremely interesting. Learning how the field and the world of sports is set up from a business standpoint is really amazing.

Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I have a black lab named Rocky.

Q: Where did you take your most memorable vacation? Where is a vacation destination that you haven't visited, but definitely plan to in the future?
A: My most memorable vacation was a two-week trip to Costa Rica. I traveled with my Spanish club in high school for an exchange program. I spent the time there living with a family and learning more about their culture. A place I really want to travel to is Dubai. I have heard that it is and amazing place to visit and that it is really beautiful.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your sport? What is your least favorite thing about your sport? Why?
A: My favorite thing about running track is the constant encouragement you get from everyone, whether it be teammates, coaches, or even my competitors. The thrill of wanting to get faster makes everything so much fun. My least favorite part is probably the day after a hard workout, when my entire body hurts from head to toe.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: In 10 years? Im not 100% sure where I want to be. I would like to be involved with a larger college athletic program or in the front office of a professional sports team. Wherever life takes me in 10 years, I'll still be the man I was raised to be and looking forward to the opportunities that come to me along the way.

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

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