Elijah Dangrow Launching His Way to Success at PSB

Penn State Behrend Track and Field and Cross Country have been under the direction and guidance of Greg Cooper for several years now. Coach Cooper has done a marvelous job with both his runners as well as his field athletes. The field athletes at Penn State Behrend over the last decade have been able to perform at a national level including recent Behrend grads Mitch Obenrader and Luke Patten. While these former track stars competed at the national stage, there is an emerging pole vaulter who has the ability to emerger onto the national stage this season. Elijah Dangrow, a junior biochemistry major from Greenville, PA is ready for the challenge to compete at Division III nationals.

Along with fellow Behrend pole vaulter Haley Yenchik who competes for the women’s team, Dangrow is on the cusp of making an appearance at nationals in his third collegiate season. This summer, Dangrow spent his time in Erie to train and condition his body for a breakout season. Elijah also elected to join the cross country program for the 2018 season to help keep his body conditioned better all school year for the best chance to improve his heights this school year. While Dangrow was a four year letterwinner in high school cross country, he had not run much distance since his senior year of high school. Despite this challenge, Dangrow was prepared and ready for the challenge in order to become a better field athlete when indoor track season begins.

Elijah’s career in pole vault began his freshman year at Greenville after he was inspired watching his older brother compete in the event. Dangrow said the event felt very natural to him because he could use both his speed and great jumping ability all in one. Dangrow’s progress happened very quickly as he qualified for states his last three seasons. He finished 6th his senior year at the PIAA state meet, but he admits this was not the finish he hoped and prepared for. “To me, I thought I was the best vaulter at that meet. Vaulting is one of those things you have to be the best one that day in order to win. I did not have my best day, but I am happy to be a state medalist.” Dangrow said.

The 8 time letterwinner from Greenville has not let this disappointment in his senior year define his collegiate career, but rather he has let this motivate him to be the best pole vaulter he possibly can. After receiving interest from schools including Thiel, Penn State Behrend, Lehigh, Bucknell, and Notre Dame, Dangrow knew staying relatively close to home was important, but attending a Penn State campus was more important. After understanding Behrend had a great biology and Pre-Medicine degree paired with the proximity to home and the opportunity to continue his athletic career, Dangrow was sold and decided Behrend was the ideal place to continue both his academic and athletic career.

While his major has since changed to biochemistry with a minor in mathematics, Dangrow’s love for Behrend has only grown. The Behrend track and field program shares a close bond, and Dangrow admits the atmosphere his teammates present each and every day is the reason the team and himself personally have been so successful. Dangrow elaborated on one specific teammate, Jenna Shelton and the bond this couple shares. “Jenna pushes me to be a better student and do all of the little things in order to be successful. She has truly been a huge part of my success. Whenever I think I cannot do something or do not want to do something, she is always there to encourage me to do more and grind through tough workouts and challenges in school.”

In addition to Shelton and the rest of his current and former teammates, Dangrow lists both his parents as well as Coach Cooper as the people who have driven him to success.

“My parents believed in me as an athlete and pushed me to become a better student during high school. I admit there was a point where I was not always the best student, but they encouraged me and told me I can do better. Their belief in me has instilled a bigger drive in me.” As for coach Greg Cooper, Dangrow talked about his unselfishness and his ability to help every member of the team in some way. Cooper is granted the tough task of coaching both cross country and track and field, but Cooper has done so masterfully and helped Behrend become one of the regions best track and field and cross country programs.

While Elijah has many people to thank for his success, his own experiences as a volunteer in the medical field has shaped a future for him that will one day hopefully include researching and helping to cure illness. Dangrow opened up about an experience that changed his life as a volunteer at St Vincent Hospital in Erie. “I wanted to be a doctor for a long time. I was hoping to be a heart surgeon. One day, this desire changed as I had one of the most terrifying days of my entire life. I watched several individuals lose their lives in the hospital and it truly changed my life. It was heartbreaking and sad to watch this, and I knew that this was likely not the part of biology for me from this point. What I plan to do is research how to help cure diseases and help people live healthier lives.”

Sometimes in life, people need a certain experience to change their goals. For Elijah Dangrow, several experiences as a high school student, a college athlete, and a medical field volunteer have changed this man’s goals. These changes are setting Dangrow up for a life filled with success as an athlete and a researcher in the medical field.

Dangrow hopes to coach track and field after his career has concluded and plans on attending graduate school to gain the necessary education to become a medical researcher. Whether Dangrow’s future be in coaching, research, or other ventures, Elijah has learned from his past and has set himself up to achieve a variety of goals. The 2019 track and field season will surely be a big one for Elijah Dangrow, but his collegiate track and field career serves as only a small portion of the success Dangrow wants to have in life.