By Jessica Pall, Sports Editor and Mindy Pierce, Online Editor
Senior Matthew Attal was born in Tampa, Florida and is double majoring in Entrepreneurship and Business Management. In addition to his two majors, he is also receiving a minor in Biology. Attal will be graduating in December 2010. He has been a competitive runner for the Lions the past four years at Saint Leo University. He has also represented the Lions for swimming his freshman, sophomore, and junior years
Unlike the women’s side who raced 5Ks all season, the men raced 8Ks for every race. While Attal did not improve every race, each course presented many different hills and unique challenges. Attal clocked in with his fastest 8K at the University of Tampa invite with a time of 28:33.12 on September 3. His second best time was clocked in at a 29:58.16 at the Sunshine State Conference Championships recently on November 6.
Attal reminisces his favorite memories of Saint Leo Cross Country being “all the long mornings running down dirt and gravel roads with dogs chasing closely behind and ankles twisting left and right” He says it was the “perfect way to start a Monday morning.”
As he is graduating next month, Attal already has plans for after college. Next semester, he has an internship set up with strength and speed trainer in the Tampa area who works with high school, collegiate, and professional athletes.
Overall Attal told the Lions’ Pride that his time at Saint Leo has been great.
“The professors are fantastic and I have learned so much about how business works and how to work alongside people of different backgrounds and values,” Attal said, “The professors are very supportive of the school spirit and are very passionate about teaching at SLU.”
The Lions’ Pride Newspaper wishes Matthew Attal the best of luck throughout the rest of his senior year!
