ETSU’s cross country runner, senior Matt Scarr (Wamberal, New South Wales, Australia) was looking forward to his senior year career like many others. Unfortunately, the world had other plans in mind. 

(Contributed/ ETSU)

With the global pandemic sweeping the globe, collegiate sports had been briefly shut down for safety reasons, including at ETSU. 

Scarr got into running at the age of 12, but he started to get serious with his career around the age of 16 when he joined his high school’s team.  

“I went to our high school regional, and I did well,” said Scarr. “I didn’t really train and then someone else got me involved with a coach. I didn’t actually run in high school; I ran outside with a coach. That got me involved. I went twice a week and I really enjoyed it, and from there I gradually increased my training and got to where I am now.” 

The fall season for cross country was canceled this year, as well as the spring season last year. 

“Last spring season track getting canceled was a bummer,” said Scarr. “This year getting canceled again, I kind of half-expected it because it was a build-up over the summer where we didn’t know what was going to happen, but we kind of could tell.”  

The team has been training, despite the inability to compete, with hopes that they will get a spring track season.  

Scarr was named to the Southern Conference Honor Roll and the Southern Conference Academic Team for 2019, representing himself not only as a great athlete but a great student as well.  

“I usually try to get a routine going throughout the day,” said Scarr. “I usually try to study in the mornings because I’m usually tired at night after practice, so I just try to get my classwork done during the day,” 

After graduation, Scarr is contemplating staying for a fifth year of eligibility to run or going back home to find work. 

“I’m majoring in accounting, so that’s the career I want to do,” said Scarr. “I really love it. Hopefully, I start a career as a [certified public accountant] in an accounting firm.”

In the case that cross country is not allowed to compete in the spring and Scarr goes home, his collegiate career would be over, but with lots of memories made. 

“I would miss the fact that I’d have like 10 guys to run with every day,” said Scarr. “The meets we go to are fantastic; the facilities here are great. I’d really miss that a lot.”