Dani Eggleston; tough, driven Central track star

Central track star Dani Eggleston is running and leaping over Central’s records after breaking her own record in the steeplechase at the San Francisco Distance Carnival on April 3.

Eggleston, junior clinical physiology and psychology major with a minor in athletic training, completed the 3000-meter race that included 35 jumps over 30-inch barriers, seven of which were water jumps with a 28-inch drop, in 10:42.05.

A great school spirit

This record adds to her already impressive resume, including another school record in the 5000-meter event, holding a time of 17:11.79.

While Eggleston said the steeplechase record is more important than the 5000-meters, she still believes she could have posted a better time: under 10:40.00 to be exact.

“I really wasn’t that happy with the time,” Eggleston said. “It was nice to know everyone thought it was such a big deal, but I was kinda hoping to go a little faster.”

In just her second year running the steeplechase, both Eggleston and head track coach Kevin Adkisson see a high ceiling for her. Eggleston picked up the event last year to try something new and has only had limited practice.

“I’m not the best at going over the barriers, but that’s what makes it fun because I have room to improve,” Eggleston said. “I actually fall over them sometimes.”

Adkisson said he was surprised by how successful Eggleston was early in the event, but went on to say her natural ability and determination gives Eggleston the edge to succeed that quickly.

Adkisson attributes Eggleston’s continued improvement to her maturing as a runner and disciplining her speed and pace. Eggleston is also simply becoming stronger and more aware as an athlete.

With the track and field season quickly coming to an end, national and All-American goals are very attainable for Eggleston.

Adkisson also said Eggleston is a great teammate. She has been spending time with a group of girls that have been together for a while and are very supportive of each other.

Eggleston faced challenges before arriving to Central.

In the spring of her junior year of high school, Eggleston tore her ACL playing soccer. This injury put her senior year and college opportunities for varsity play in doubt.

Eggleston said that, after the injury, college coaches backed off. All except Central’s coach Adkisson.

“She had the right ingredients there because she not only had the talent, but the competitive level that it takes people to their best,” Adkisson said.

He wasn’t the only coach that saw the potential in Eggleston. Her high school track, field and cross-country coach at R.A. Long High School, Keli Hancock, said she saw Eggleston run track in middle school and wanted her to come out for the high school team.

“She was driven and coachable,” Hancock said.

Hancock went on to call Eggleston an athlete she’d “like to clone,” on account of her being tough and committed. This showed when Eggleston was competing in cross-country events just four months after ACL surgery, against doctors’ orders.

Hancock saw the injury as a big turning point for Eggleston. When people said Eggleston wasn’t going to be able to come back, she used it as motivation.

Eggleston also viewed it as a major turning point for her future in running.

“Before I tore my ACL, I always wanted to kind of quit running,” Eggleston said.  “I just didn’t really appreciate it very much. But after I tore my ACL and had to learn how to walk and learn how to run again and everything, I really appreciate it more.

A solid foundation

Hancock and Eggleston are still very close and keep in contact regularly.

“She’s really driven,” Eggleston said of Hancock. “I look up to her a lot.”

Off the field, Eggleston works at Pizza Colin and is a successful student. She was a U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National All-Academic award winner. This award is given to athletes that maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher and compete in the NCAA Division II

Cross Country Championship.

She plans to use her degree to become physical therapist.

Growing up she said she tried pretty much every sport you could. Softball, basketball  and swimming were some of them, but running has been Eggleston’s forte.

She credits running for adding to her mental toughness and patience.

“You’ll be running some of your few last laps and everyone is like just keeping going, push harder, but you physically feel like you can’t,” Eggleston said. “But you have to mentally tell yourself you can and your mind wants to tell you negative things but you can’t listen.”