RISE: Beyond the Jersey
"RISE: Beyond the Jersey" gives University of Toledo student-athletes an opportunity to reflect in their own words on their experiences as Rockets. R.I.S.E. is an important component of the Toledo Athletics' Strategic Plan and stands for our values of Resilience, Integrity, Servanthood and Excellence.
Tucker Gleason (Football): Driven by Family and Football
I was very blessed to grow up with both parents in the household. They love and support me in everything that I do and everything that they can do to support me, they will. I was the youngest of four kids. I've got two older brothers, Jared and Thad, and an older sister, Allie May. I grew up watching them play football. They're the reason I played football to begin with, because I saw my brothers playing football when I was two or three years old, and I wanted to be just like them. My sister actually played a couple of years of tackle youth football too.
Read Story Here
Joshuah Taylor (Men's Cross Country): Blueprints and Finish Lines
My running journey began with competitive meets in seventh grade after joining the junior high cross country team. Before that, I used to do 5Ks and mile fun-runs with my mom. I kept running throughout high school and enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my main focus. I was in the band and I was taking hard classes, so I just ran and didn’t think too much of it. I began getting recruited by Toledo during my senior year of high school. Once I started looking into the university, I noticed the College of Engineering and was immediately interested in trying to major in engineering while running collegiately.
Read Story Here
Sammi Mikonowicz (Women's Basketball): You Can Achieve Anything
Stress fractures are a harsh reality for distance runners. It happens all the time. It happened to Xavier Gallo, a member of the University of Toledo's men's cross country team, while he was training for the 2021 season. Facing months of rehab, Gallo decided to make the most of his time on the sideline. "I still really wanted to be a part of the team, but since I was injured I couldn't run for 8 to 10 weeks," said Gallo, a native of Dublin, Ohio. "So I started coming to practice and taking photos." It was through documenting his teammates' activities that Gallo discovered a passion for photography.
Read Story Here
