Five Minutes with Brittany Cerankosky
Scott Ratermann
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: Five Minutes
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SR: What made you come to Denison?
BC: Denison gave me the best deal, financially and in terms of the quality of education. Athletics really played no role. I was absolutely forbidden to run for a full calendar year after high school graduation on account of a chronic hip injury, so I had no reason to believe I'd ever race again. I was given clearance to run four days before I returned to campus my sophomore year. I was thrilled; I fell in love with the cross country team very quickly and that confirmed I had made the right choice.
SR: Tell us about your family and growing up in Kirtland, Ohio.
BC: Well I haven't grown up yet, so that's not relevant. I have a mom and a dad and a younger sister and an older brother and a cat and a niece and a nephew named Rainebow. Seriously. I think I was a little too much for Kirtland to handle. That's what my mom always said. She's a good mom. She sends me care packages of just bubble wrap. Colored bubble wrap, though.
SR: Do you have any special pregame meals you like to eat before you race?
BC: I love cereal. But I'm lactose intolerant, so sometimes that presents a problem. But oh my gosh, I love Life, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Cap'n Crunch (without the crunch berries), Frosted Flakes (best cereal mascot, too), Trix (when it was still fruit-shaped), Apple Jacks, Multi-Bran Chex (can't eat too much of that), Just-Rite (they only sell it in Marc's), the kind Coach Pan keeps in his office, Crispix, Oatmeal Squares, Honey Bunches of Oats, HONEYCOMBS, Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Krispies and did I mention Life? Because I love Life. Sometimes I eat macaroni and cheese too. Kraft is the best!
SR: What kind of superstitions do you have before you race?
BC: Well, I watch Hook before the capstone meets of the season (I'll watch it this week for Regionals, and usually before the conference championships in track). It's a very inspirational movie. I try to get my teammates to watch it with me, but they usually just groan. On the line before the race I always do some leaps and karate kicks to loosen my legs. The first time Coach Pan saw me do that, he told me I was not graceful and I told him to let me do my thing if he wanted me to finish. We've reached an understanding on a lot of these things. Oh and I wear our super cool Spandex if it's 64 degrees or below. I believe in keeping my legs warm, or else they'll freeze up because I have bad hips.
SR: What are your plans for next year?
BC: I've applied to medical school so hopefully I'll get in. I want to be a pediatric psychiatrist. Which is funny because my team nickname is Crazy. I'll have a year of NCAA eligibility left, so who knows? Maybe I'll still be racing if my hips hold up. Ideally I'll be able to fly by then.
SR: What is your most memorable moment as an athlete at Denison?
BC: There are many proud moments out on the various courses or on the track or at the finish line, but the moment that made me proudest to be a part of the Denison long distance running tradition came over this summer. The men's coach, Coach Torrens, was going through a very hard time. Many runners of his from the past and present came together to show our support. Many of us had never run together, and this certainly was no running event, but the fact that we all had a deep connection to this coach brought us together. He had been there during our toughest races, and we were there for he and his family now. In the midst of tragedy, it gave me great hope for the power of the human spirit and our ability to empathize. And that is essentially what running, and living, is all about.
Scott Ratermann is the sports editor for The Denisonian.
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