Driven, hungry and mentally tough.

Those are just some of the words that Head Coach Dustin Dimit used to describe senior runner Francis Terry.

“Francis has always been a hard worker,” Dimit said. “When he came to us from Neumann University he was our fifth fastest guy on paper and by the end of that season he was our top guy.”

Unfortunately for Terry, he suffered a significant hamstring injury at Nationals during the outdoor season in 2018. He has been very driven in his efforts to return to the high level he was at. When talking about his injury, Terry said it was one of the hardest times for him mentally.

“My hamstring still hurts me to this day,” Terry said. “And for the past two years it has been a lot of pain to go through, but I am excited for this season.”

Terry continued to explain that his leg is still a work in progress.

“It depends on the day,” Terry said. “Some days my leg feels great and others it feels terrible, but it is a day-to-day process for right now.”

Despite this, Coach Dimit expressed excitement to have Terry back for another season, wanting to see how he does this year.

“We are very excited,” Dimit said. “We know he has been putting in a lot of work, and it will be nice to have him back. [I] can’t wait to see what the 4×400 meter relay does and how he does individually.”

When asked what he thought Terry’s biggest strength was, Coach Dimit said his mentality.

“The mental aspect of running is very important,” Dimit said. “And of course, he is gifted physically, too, but that mentality helps set him apart.”

And that is something that comes into play while training to be an All-American in the 4×400.

“It is mentally tough,” Terry said. “But being able to put in the work and call yourself an All-American is an honor and is definitely worth it.”

Terry has also been named one of the team captains this season, making him a leader on and off the track.

“I really try to help everybody no matter [what] and that doesn’t just have to do with track or the team,” Terry said. “I try to help people in class also or even just mentally because everyone has stuff going on, and sometimes they could just use that helping hand. I really try to help the team improve on and off the track also because I understand that everything we do represents the team and Rowan University, and we just want to set the example.”

When citing who has inspired him to be the leader and runner he is today, he mentioned past leaders from Rowan and, in particular, a very special person to him.

“My dad,” Terry said. “I always was told that my dad was a really good hurdler growing up but he never really got the opportunity I have now, so he inspires me to do it.”

“My father always inspires me to be the best runner I can be, but also the best person I can be overall.”

The last thing Terry mentioned was the goals for his team overall.

“This team is special and we have big goals,” Terry said. “But right now, we need to mentally prepare ourselves for a long season and try to stay healthy.”

Terry has persevered through his injury and it will be exciting to see what he does this season.

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