While the track-and-field season officially ended only last week, sophomore Sabian Grier’s season unfortunately concluded quite a while ago. Grier has been sidelined with an injury which has stopped him from running since the end of April. “I have a hip injury,” said Grier, “It’s something with my SI joint, which is the bone where the leg meets the hip.” Grier noted that every time he tried to run there would be constant pain coming from that area.

Grier has seemingly had an onslaught of bad breaks this year. He had an issue with his IT-band early in the winter that kept him out for part of the indoor season. He has not raced since the second meet of the winter, as the team’s coaches decided to keep him from racing after Grier had reported discomfort, even before he was officially diagnosed with this new injury.

Knowing Grier, he has a desire to run no matter the circumstances (except if it’s extremely cold) and as expected, Grier was determined to get over this injury quickly. He tried to recover to a point where he could race this season, but as he noted, the injury “would only get worse.” At this point, Grier realized that there was obviously something wrong and went to see a doctor; that’s when he was diagnosed and told to refrain from running indefinitely.

Grier’s reactions to his injury were typical of any athlete who has received this kind of news: he was expectedly devastated; however, as he put it, “At the end of the day, setbacks happen and its equally important to have a positive mentality and think of it as a growing experience, so you can come back even stronger. It’s just part of the process.”

Freshman Joseph Diaz expressed his gratitude for Grier, “He’s an amazing runner. He is a role model for what a distance runner should look like. I feel bad for him that he’s not able to run, because I know that’s what he really cares about.”

Meanwhile, Grier is still finding ways to be active. In fact, many do not know, but Grier is a serious cycler. He “really loves the sport,” as he explained, and even plans to race this summer. While this injury is undoubtedly unfortunate, it has given him some additional time to prepare for the summer, when he really dedicates himself to cycling.

As many know, the Athletic Credit Requirement (ACR) at Masters requires students to participate in at least 3 seasons of sports between their Freshman and Sophomore years. According to athletic trainer, Ryan Wagner, if an athlete gets injured mid-season, “We would make an exception based on their likelihood to come back and do their rehabilitation. For example, if you get hurt at the beginning of the season, and you’re not coming in [to the trainer’s office] to rehab, or you’re not showing up to team meetings, then it’s going to be difficult to fulfill the ACR credit, because you’re not actually there.” Wagner explained that he appreciated athletes who have been injured that make a genuine effort to recover and get back to full strength.

Wagner also mentioned that the final decision to give an athlete ACR credit if they have been injured is made by the Mr. Versen and the Athletic Department, sometimes in conjunction with the Academic Dean. He also explained that these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and many factors must be considered depending on the situation.

Grier, who has been rehabbing, used this quote from The Cyclist Training Bible by Joe Friel, to describe his situation, “There are bound to setbacks in your preparation, but they must be taken only as minor roadblocks on the path to success. You must remain confident, be patient, and continue to remain mentally tough. Anything less leads to failure.”