RUSSIAVILLE
Annina Gruber had to do some hard thinking over the summer regarding her future, namely: Did she want to run in college or not?
The causes of her indecision came from a disappointing finish to her junior season of cross country and missing nearly all of last spring’s track season.
Her decision didn’t come until during the cross country season, the Western High School senior said.
“I decided I wanted to keep running after the success I had this year,” the Panther distance runner said. “I wasn’t hurt or having on and off races. After the time off for the injury in the spring, I came back looking forward to running and to practicing. I wasn’t dreading it.”
The decision came down to a pair of NCAA Division I programs, IPFW or Indiana State, and Gruber went with the Mastodon program at Fort Wayne. There, she will run cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track.
“I’ll be a busy bee,” she said with a laugh.
She calls IPFW coach Mike Fruchey the difference maker.
“Ever since Mike Fruchey became coach, its program has been getting better and better every year,” Gruber said. “I knew I wanted to be part of a program getting better. I’ll be getting the best coaching I can and will continue to get better each year.
“The training there is like what Dana [Neer] does here and I like what Dana does. The training is similar to what I’m doing and what I’m used to doing, so it won’t be a big change.”
Gruber also liked the new housing on the IPFW campus as several apartment-type dormitories have opened there the last two years.
Between her athletic scholarship and money from the Marine Corps, she will only have to cover food and books.
A two-time state cross country participant and a qualifier in the 1,600-meter run at the state track meet, Gruber has won the individual title at the sectional and Mid-Indiana Conference twice each, five county titles in track and the sectional crown in the 800 and 1,600 runs as a sophomore.
Much of the credit for that, she says, goes to Neer.
“Dana has been the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s been there for me in running and things outside of running,” she said. “He’d do anything for me and I’d do anything for him.” ©2005 1999-2005 cnhi, inc.