“It’s 117 degrees here — consistently,” Burrows (Trotwood-Madison) said from the Tempe campus. “It makes your lungs feel like they’re about to burst. It’s like they’re on fire because you’re taking in so much hot, dry air.”
Not that he’s complaining, mind you, especially after how he performed at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in Des Moines, Iowa, last weekend.
Although he fell short of the finals in both events, Burrows made second team All-America for his contribution to the 1600-meter relay team and honorable mention All-America in the 200 meters.
“Not making the finals was a little bit of a disappointment, but it was a good learning experience,” he said. “It fuels the flame for next year.”
Burrows spent two years at Lake Erie College in Painesville. The move to the desert reunited him with high school teammate Will Henry, a sophomore. And familiarity bred success almost immediately as they formed half of the Pac-12 Conference-champion 1600-meter relay team, with Burrows leading off and Henry anchoring.
The relay team, 10th overall, ran its fastest time of the season, 3:04.19, in the NCAA semifinals.
Having Henry as a teammate eased his homesickness, Burrows said, as did an uncle in Las Vegas who hosted him over Thanksgiving break.
“The distance was a problem at first, just missing my family and a lot of people back home,” Burrrows said. “But it was a turning point for me because I had to adjust.
“It took a while, but I understood my reason for being out here, which was to maximize my ability as a track athlete. I chose Arizona State because I knew the bigger picture would be something greater than the struggle. It was definitely a good choice.”
Meanwhile, Burrows learned he and Henry share a love of art.
Both are majoring in graphic design.
“I didn’t know he was an artist,” Burrows said. “I never knew we had so much in common.”
Campus tour
• Notre Dame sophomore rower Molly Bruggeman (Chaminade Julienne) is an All-American, named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association’s first team. The first Fighting Irish rower to hold that distinction since 2008, Bruggeman is one of 23 on the first team and the lone representative from the Big East. She helped the Irish qualify for the NCAA championships for the first time in five years.
• Xavier tennis player Katie Pleiman (CJ), a junior, ended up 17th in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women’s Ohio Valley Region rankings, becoming the school’s first female athlete to finish a season ranked. Pleiman was 15-4 in singles.
• Heidelberg pitcher Daniel Brannum (Greeneview) went 7-0, mostly in relief, to earn second team All-Ohio Athletic Conference recognition.
If you have news about area athletes in college, email smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com.
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