Everyone at UIS should show appreciation to the athletes who participates in all sports here at the university. Whether basketball, football, baseball, soccer, tennis, cross country, golf or even volleyball, all require athleticism and determination.

Nathan DeMarb participates in cross country sports here at UIS. Nathan went to El Paso Gridley High School and lived in Secor, Illinois. He is a junior here and is currently majoring in Business Sports Management. He is taking four classes, two of which are online. He mentioned that he was motivated to come here as a student because he “would get a University of Illinois education and certificate.”

He says he has “ten years of running and competing in cross country” and handles the pressure of any big race by “just acting like it is like every other race or workout.” Regarding injuries, especially in his first year of college, he had “a nasty ankle sprain” that had him out for about a year, and he had to work his way up “from walking then slowly to running.” He says he stays “focused just to remember the goals I have made, and the team has for the season that drives me forward.”

Strategies Nathan has been using lately are a “gel that has caffeine in it” to help keep him energized before any race. Nathan strongly believes that “team dynamics is super important, especially in cross country because every number counts and it’s easier to do it with your team than alone.” In other words, it’s better to work as a team instead of trying to win by oneself. From Nathan’s point of view, when it comes to competition, “as an athlete, no matter if it is a race or workout, I’m going to win.”  Nathan say he also uses meditation to stay mentally locked in for any race he competes in.

“What motivated me to come to UIS and compete as an athlete is the competitive nature of this team and the room for improvement,” he said, also mentioning that he enjoys playing other sports, such as basketball and soccer. He also enjoys watching basketball, football and soccer in his spare time. Nathan’s favorite team is Ohio State football, and he enjoys watching them play. Steve Prefontaine, Allen Iverson and Russell Westbrook are his favorite professional athletes. Nathan also mentioned his favorite “away” universities to compete at are Grand Valley University in Michigan or Washington University in St. Louis.