Sarah Crockett is a junior thrower on SUNY Brockport women’s track and field team. Crockett played a variety of sports growing up but didn’t discover track until the seventh grade.
“When I was younger, I used to play a bunch of different sports. I played soccer, basketball and then softball, until one day when I just really wanted to do track,” Crockett said. “I took a test in the seventh grade to move up to the varsity level in soccer, and when I passed the test it also allowed me to do track at the high school level.”
As for why she stuck with track, Crockett says that it was all about her teammates and the difference in routine compared to the other sports.
“I really felt at ease with track, and I really liked the atmosphere,” Crockett said. “The people I was competing with were the same people I was competing with in basketball and soccer, but we also got to meet other people and go to different events, so it wasn’t always the same routine.”
Another thing that Crockett enjoyed about track is it allowed her to lift weights, something she says she couldn’t do while playing basketball and soccer.
Crockett is an only child from Rome, New York. She was raised by her mother, aunt and grandfather before losing him a few years ago to cancer. Crockett loves her family and is thankful for the lessons she learned at home.
“I’ve learned many things from my aunt and my mom like house maintenance, and how to do things by yourself because I’m an only child, and if something happens to them, I have to step up,” Crockett said.
Crockett has excelled since coming to Brockport. She won the SUNYAC championship for shotput as a freshman, won regionals for indoor and outdoor in shotput and in her last meet, Crockett had the sixth best weight throw in program history with a 16.07. Additionally, Crockett ranks second for the farthest shotput throw indoors, and fourth outdoors. Crockett also ranks in the top 20 of two additional throwing categories in the program’s history. Yet, there is still more that Crockett wants to accomplish.
“I’m really hoping to hit 14 meters next meet and possibly place rank again in weights hopefully getting a 16.50,” Crockett said.
One of the reasons why Crockett enjoys throwing, is because it is another way to connect with her mom.
“My mom also threw when she was younger. So, I would get techniques from my coach, and then she would give me some more techniques to go over,” Crockett said. “She got to see some of my meets my freshman year, but unfortunately, she’s missed a few because of COVID-19. I still sent her the links so that she can watch online.”
One of the greater challenges in Crockett’s career was when she felt like what she was practicing wasn’t translating to when she would throw in meets. However, it didn’t take long for Crockett to find a way to work around her practice woes.
“Sometimes I still have trouble connecting what I work on in practice (to competition), but I’ve been working really hard to get it by watching film that our coach sends us and asking advice,” Crockett said.
Despite her heroics on the track field, Crockett has struggled with the challenges of being a student-athlete.
“Last semester I struggled with physics one and now I’m taking physics two and am an residential assistant,” Crockett said. “It’s definitely hard juggling between working through residential life, being a student-athlete and keeping up with your schoolwork.”
Although she still has her struggles, Crockett seems to have found a system that keeps her on track.
“I have a big calendar in my room now, so I try to fill it out and put whatever assignments I have on there before they’re due.
As for what’s next for Crockett, she’s looking forward to searching for an internship and a job next year in her field as a geology major.
“I either want to work for the Environmental Protection Agency, a governmental job, or conservation,” Crockett said.
