SUE LEWIS PIECZONKA (Tusculum, 2003) Sue Lewis Pieczonka proved to be one of the best women’s cross country runners in Tusculum history. From 2000-03, the Cincinnati Ohio native garnered All-South Atlantic Conference first team accolades three times (2000, 2001, 2002) and owns three of the top 5,000-meter times ever by a Pioneer runner. In her 28 career meets, she finished in the top-20 a remarkable 22 times, including 19 occasions in the top-10 and 15 top-five performances. During her TC career, her teams won five team titles, the most in a four-year period in school history. In her freshman season, Tusculum finished seventh at the SAC Championships, but rebounded to finish third in each of her final three league championship meets. Pieczonka’s best season came during her sophomore season as she and teammate Amanda Musick Hale, became the first two Tusculum cross country runners to earn berths to the NCAA Division II National Championship. During that 2001 campaign, she finished fourth or better in her first seven races, including first place honors at the Western Carolina Invitational, finishing with a career-best time of 19:24 which is the seventh fastest 5K time in school history. She posted runner-up performances in three meets and finished fourth at the South Atlantic Conference Championship. She followed that with an impressive third place showing at the NCAA Regional to punch her ticket for the national championship in Slippery Rock, Pa., where she finished 108th. Pieczonka graduated from Tusculum in 2003 with a degree in elementary education and was a member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Tusculum Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, Dean’s List, Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. She was also a two-time honoree on the NCAA II Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team (2001, 2002) and a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society. During her junior year, Tusculum boasted the fourth highest team grade point average in the country (NCAA II). She is currently a language arts teacher at Batesville Community Schools in Indiana. Pieczonka has been teaching for nine years. She has coached cross country and track & field coach at Greendale Middle School. She is still an avid runner and will be competing in her sixth marathon this September. She is married to Carl Pieczonka 03’, who lettered on the Tusculum football team from 2000-01. They are the proud parents of their son, Carson and they reside in West Harrison, Ind. C
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 16:39:44 +0000
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