Posted May 14, 2020 at 7:30 PM
Quaker Valley senior Daniel Ford excelled in the 1600 in high school. He’s hoping for similar success at the University of Rochester in upstate New York.
Just before Christmas, Daniel Ford hopped in the car with his father, Glenn, and drove east. The Fords were bound for two indoor track and field events – the Ursinus College Holiday High School Invitational, outside of Philadelphia, and the Bishop Loughlin Games in Staten Island, New York.
Ford, the reigning WPIAL champion in the 1600, turned the trip into a highly productive weekend. He clocked in a time of 1:59.94 to win the 800 at the Ursinus Invitational and then turned in a time of 4:28.35 to win the 1600 the next day in Staten Island.
Not only did the Quaker Valley senior win both of his events, but he was able to spend part of the trip exploring New York City with his dad.
“The day before, my dad and I just kind of went around New York City,” Ford said. “The whole trip in itself, with the two days and being able to win both races, was definitely a highlight of my senior year.”
Running indoor track in the WPIAL is a different experience compared to the outdoor season, and it’s not just the running surface or closed environment. Ford explain there are pros and cons to both, especially distance runners.
“When you go with a team, we get there much earlier and we watch everyone else compete. Sometimes that makes for a long day, which can honestly stress me out a little,” he said. “Going to the indoor meets, it’s nice because I’m by myself and I can get there at a certain time. It helps a little bit, but at the same time, I remember at the WPIAL outdoor my junior year, I had my team cheering me on the corner. I remember hearing them as I’d go by. So having the team there always helps.”
Prior to the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Ford had hoped to build off that strong indoor track season to finish his high school career with a flourish. He ran a 4:26.83 to win the WPIAL championship last season and then turned in a time of 4:22.83 to earn bronze at the state championships. While he was hoping to explore running in the 3200 meter event, he had a more specific target in mind for the 1600.
“The main thing I was really trying to do was hopefully break 4:20 in the 1600,” Ford said. “I was fairly close to that. I don’t know if I could have done it, but I think I was definitely on track.”
Ford will run cross country and track for the University of Rochester in upstate New York.
“When I was looking for schools, I wanted to stay D-III because I wanted to be competitive in races,” Ford said. “What I really liked about the university was they had a nice curriculum that I really liked, as well as a smaller campus that isn’t in the middle of a city.”
A potential computer science major, Ford fostered an immediate connection with his future teammates on an overnight visit.
“I really felt like I connected well with them,” he said. “It made for a good experience and felt like a team I wanted to be a part of the next four years in college and make that college experience that much better.”
As for his running future, Ford will likely stick with the mile – which moves to a 1500 meter run in college – and is looking forward to running the longer 8K in cross country.
“I’ve never raced anything over a 5K. It’ll be interesting to race that extra little bit,” he said. “Depending on how cross country goes and how I can handle a little more distance, I might move up a little bit with track, too.”
