Indiana University Athletics
Student Spotlight: Matt Schwartzer
11/7/2016 9:54:00 AM | General, Student-Athlete Services, Cross Country
By: Ryan Sheets
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Being a Division I cross country runner takes dedication and a commitment to not only stay in shape physically, but to be mentally prepared for each day of training in preparation for competition. Fifth-year senior Matt Schwartzer arrived at Indiana University in 2012 and has handled all of those objectives as a member of IU's cross country and track and field programs, but he has also carried those same attributes into also being a high level student.
The Virginia Beach, Va. native enters his final year of eligibility athletically with a bachelor's degree already complete in entrepreneurship and supply chain management from the Kelley School of Business. He is currently earning his master's degree in data science through the IU School of Informatics and Computing. Schwartzer is also a three-time All-Big Ten cross country runner and has helped lead IU to a Big Ten cross country title (2013) as well as a pair of top 15 finishes at the NCAA Championships (eighth in 2013, 15th in 2014).
Indiana attracted Schwartzer's attention coming out of high school. IU not only has the national recognition in track and field and cross country, but also the Kelley School of Business is routinely ranked among the nation's best. Schwartzer felt that IU was the right fit for him with his athletic and business goals. With having now been in Bloomington for over four years now, he knows he made the right decision as IU Athletics takes being a student seriously.
"That's why I came to Indiana," Schwartzer said. "I tried to find a school that had the best of both worlds. I thought Indiana was the best choice. I did my undergrad in Kelley and they've been continuously ranked top 10 in the nation for undergraduate business schools. Same with our cross country and track teams, they are both well known nationally."
Schwartzer is in the midst of his first semester of his graduate degree course work in data science. He is one of around 120 students that are part of this relatively new master's program offered at Indiana. Schwartzer decided to go this technical route to add to his undergraduate degree to use technology and data in ways of expanding his future professional business goals.
"(The master's program) is more technical than a business analytics program," Schwartzer said. It deals more with the technical aspects, whether it's data mining or cluster analysis type stuff. It's just really digging into the data and interpreting it. It's basically the study of big data and taking the data and turning it into useful information. For me personally, I'd like to apply that to a business field."
The three time Academic All-Big Ten honoree will complete his graduate degree in the fall of 2017. He has hopes of starting his own business and taking what the Kelley School of Business has instilled in him to be the best professional he can be.
"I think what I learned in Kelley is going to go a long way to helping me understand the basics and how to start a business and what is necessary for developing a good idea and developing a business model that will work," Schwartzer said. "I think the professors are the main part in that. Because I still talk to a few of my Kelley professors, and they've definitely gone a long way to push me to be the best student I can be."
Schwartzer has just over a year before moving on to his business goals after IU, but he has his mind currently on the cross country course and what is in store for the Hoosiers beginning this week with the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday in Madison, Wis.
The Indiana's men's cross country team is currently No. 21 in the national poll (as of Nov. 7) and ranks No. 3 in the Great Lakes region amongst the teams that will compete in Friday's regional race. The top two finishing teams in the regional meet will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships which will take place in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 19. There are nine regions total nationally and after the 18 automatic qualifiers are in place after the regional weekend, 15 additional teams are added as at-large bids.
Schwartzer, who redshirted a year ago, is hoping to lead the Hoosiers back to the national meet after IU missed the NCAAs for the first time in six years in 2015. With a pack of veterans mixed in with a group of young talent, he is confident in what the 2016 Hoosiers could accomplish in the coming weeks.
Schwartzer wants to his final year on the course to be memorable. All-America distinction is given to the top 40 runners at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Schwartzer just missed that honor in 2014 placing 43rd. He is hoping 2016, his final one in an IU uniform on the cross country course, is the year he can earn All-America honors. He feels that running at that level could help the Hoosiers return to top 10 form at the highest level in Division I cross country.
"This next meet coming up, there's really only one goal and that's for the team to make the national meet," Schwartzer said. "I think we have a really good chance to do that. Assuming we make the national championship meet, I think we are a top ten team because our team is a very good national meet team. Jason (Crist), Ben (Veatch) and I, we have All-American talent. If us three run like we can, I know our four and five guys can run where they need to be to be a top ten team…I think a top 10 finish for the team would be a goal. I think an All-American spot for me would be an individual goal."
No matter the outcome of his final season as a member of the IU cross country team, Schwartzer's mental mindset on the course mirrors his mental mindset away from it. And Indiana University as a whole and IU Athletics has helped him prepare for what is next when he leaves Bloomington.
"I take pride when I wear the uniform," Schwartzer said. "Because I know other athletes from other schools are looking at us because they know who we represent and what we represent and I think we do a good job here of being student-athletes and I think other people notice that too."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Being a Division I cross country runner takes dedication and a commitment to not only stay in shape physically, but to be mentally prepared for each day of training in preparation for competition. Fifth-year senior Matt Schwartzer arrived at Indiana University in 2012 and has handled all of those objectives as a member of IU's cross country and track and field programs, but he has also carried those same attributes into also being a high level student.
The Virginia Beach, Va. native enters his final year of eligibility athletically with a bachelor's degree already complete in entrepreneurship and supply chain management from the Kelley School of Business. He is currently earning his master's degree in data science through the IU School of Informatics and Computing. Schwartzer is also a three-time All-Big Ten cross country runner and has helped lead IU to a Big Ten cross country title (2013) as well as a pair of top 15 finishes at the NCAA Championships (eighth in 2013, 15th in 2014).
Indiana attracted Schwartzer's attention coming out of high school. IU not only has the national recognition in track and field and cross country, but also the Kelley School of Business is routinely ranked among the nation's best. Schwartzer felt that IU was the right fit for him with his athletic and business goals. With having now been in Bloomington for over four years now, he knows he made the right decision as IU Athletics takes being a student seriously.
"That's why I came to Indiana," Schwartzer said. "I tried to find a school that had the best of both worlds. I thought Indiana was the best choice. I did my undergrad in Kelley and they've been continuously ranked top 10 in the nation for undergraduate business schools. Same with our cross country and track teams, they are both well known nationally."
Schwartzer is in the midst of his first semester of his graduate degree course work in data science. He is one of around 120 students that are part of this relatively new master's program offered at Indiana. Schwartzer decided to go this technical route to add to his undergraduate degree to use technology and data in ways of expanding his future professional business goals.
"(The master's program) is more technical than a business analytics program," Schwartzer said. It deals more with the technical aspects, whether it's data mining or cluster analysis type stuff. It's just really digging into the data and interpreting it. It's basically the study of big data and taking the data and turning it into useful information. For me personally, I'd like to apply that to a business field."
The three time Academic All-Big Ten honoree will complete his graduate degree in the fall of 2017. He has hopes of starting his own business and taking what the Kelley School of Business has instilled in him to be the best professional he can be.
"I think what I learned in Kelley is going to go a long way to helping me understand the basics and how to start a business and what is necessary for developing a good idea and developing a business model that will work," Schwartzer said. "I think the professors are the main part in that. Because I still talk to a few of my Kelley professors, and they've definitely gone a long way to push me to be the best student I can be."
Schwartzer has just over a year before moving on to his business goals after IU, but he has his mind currently on the cross country course and what is in store for the Hoosiers beginning this week with the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Friday in Madison, Wis.
The Indiana's men's cross country team is currently No. 21 in the national poll (as of Nov. 7) and ranks No. 3 in the Great Lakes region amongst the teams that will compete in Friday's regional race. The top two finishing teams in the regional meet will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships which will take place in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 19. There are nine regions total nationally and after the 18 automatic qualifiers are in place after the regional weekend, 15 additional teams are added as at-large bids.
Schwartzer, who redshirted a year ago, is hoping to lead the Hoosiers back to the national meet after IU missed the NCAAs for the first time in six years in 2015. With a pack of veterans mixed in with a group of young talent, he is confident in what the 2016 Hoosiers could accomplish in the coming weeks.
Schwartzer wants to his final year on the course to be memorable. All-America distinction is given to the top 40 runners at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Schwartzer just missed that honor in 2014 placing 43rd. He is hoping 2016, his final one in an IU uniform on the cross country course, is the year he can earn All-America honors. He feels that running at that level could help the Hoosiers return to top 10 form at the highest level in Division I cross country.
"This next meet coming up, there's really only one goal and that's for the team to make the national meet," Schwartzer said. "I think we have a really good chance to do that. Assuming we make the national championship meet, I think we are a top ten team because our team is a very good national meet team. Jason (Crist), Ben (Veatch) and I, we have All-American talent. If us three run like we can, I know our four and five guys can run where they need to be to be a top ten team…I think a top 10 finish for the team would be a goal. I think an All-American spot for me would be an individual goal."
No matter the outcome of his final season as a member of the IU cross country team, Schwartzer's mental mindset on the course mirrors his mental mindset away from it. And Indiana University as a whole and IU Athletics has helped him prepare for what is next when he leaves Bloomington.
"I take pride when I wear the uniform," Schwartzer said. "Because I know other athletes from other schools are looking at us because they know who we represent and what we represent and I think we do a good job here of being student-athletes and I think other people notice that too."
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
FB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16