...As soon as I stepped on campus and met my team, I knew this place was for me. I wanted a place that felt like a second home and people who felt like my second family, and that's what OWU has given me...
Name: Ella Chomic
Class year: 2028
Major: Biology
Why did you choose Ohio Wesleyan?
I chose Ohio Wesleyan because of the rigorous academics, close-knit community, and athletics. As soon as I stepped on campus and met my team, I knew this place was for me. I wanted a place that felt like a second home and people who felt like my second family, and that's what OWU has given me.
Why did you choose your major?
I chose biology because I have always had a passion for the sciences. Biology was the first thing to come to mind because I absolutely loved it in high school and could see myself pursuing it in the future.
What is your favorite memory on an Ohio Wesleyan team?
My favorite memory on the cross country and track & field teams is being able to grow close to my teammates. Between accomplishing hard workouts together, spending hours on the road for meets, and eating together during meals, it gave me a second family and a home away from home.
Why did you choose your event(s)?
Running distance has allowed me to grow my mental toughness and resilience, which has strengthened who I am as a person. Distance has given me a space where I can channel my love for running and has become a part of who I am, which I am forever grateful for.
What athletic or academic achievement/accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of stepping out of my comfort zone and running the 3000-meter run indoors. It was a mental block that I was pushing through and finally being able to believe in myself and feel proud of myself is the most rewarding feeling.
What did you do to put yourself in position to achieve that?
After running a race that I was disappointed in, I struggled to run it again. My coach helped give me the confidence to face that race again and gave me the boost I needed to come back and run it faster than I could have imagined.
What is your number one goal, personal or team, for this season?
My number one goal for this season is to work on my mental toughness and truly believe that I am capable of anything I put my mind to.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
My superpower would be the power to manipulate time. I would love to be able to revisit memories and relive them again and again.
If you could visit another time, when would it be and why?
I would love to revisit the first week I got onto campus. For cross country preseason, being able to fully meet my new team and my close friends and see how my new life would look was an amazing experience and I would not trade it for the world.
What is your favorite book and why?
My favorite book is "Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory" by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton. This book was the beginning of giving me the confidence I needed not just in running but in life. I love how honest and raw her story was and how much I related to it; it taught me a lot of lessons.
by Michaela Alfano '25
