???To many, being a middle child is never something that is wished for. The older sibling is always given more opportunities while the youngest child is treated as "the baby" of the family.
???For junior sprinter Daniel Schichtel, growing up as a middle child only made him stronger and pushed him to succeed. The business major from Eden, N.Y. explains that his childhood was challenging, but the circumstances were very influential.
???"It was interesting growing up in between everyone," Schichtel said. "Competing like that with my brothers and sisters helped me in the long run, and really pushed me to race at a higher level."
???It was Schichtel's family that got him into running. His older brother, Mark, ran track in high school, and encouraged Daniel to do the same.
???Schichtel eventually followed in his brother's footsteps at Eden High School. His successful tenure in high school was highlighted by two state championships in the 100-meter event.
???But Schichtel's skills weren't limited to just track and field. He set school records in soccer, scoring 31 goals in one season and 78 times in his career.
???By the time he was thinking about college, Schichtel had to decide between soccer and track. In the end, Schichtel chose track with help from his coaches.
???"Track was just something to do in the spring," he said. "But once my coaches pushed me to do it, I just took off. I debated on playing soccer and it was really close, but in the end, track was the right choice."
???Schichtel chose to continue his running career at Buffalo. The school's impressive business school and Division I athletic program impressed the sprinter enough to convince him to stay at home for college.
???The close proximity to home also gives his family a chance to witness Schichtel's collegiate success. Last year, Schichtel tied the 100-meter dash school record in 10.64 seconds and finished fifth in the Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships. He has continued his success this season, posting successful times in the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes.
???Schichtel is proud of the success, but is thankful to be running on two healthy legs. His freshman year was plagued with hamstring injuries that forced him out of competition during the outdoor track season.
???The junior sprinter hopes and expects his record to be broken relatively soon.
???"It feels good, being a part of that [school record]. But I'm sure that it will change," he said. "We've got a good team this year and we're all trying to set new records, pushing each other each day. I hope one of my teammates breaks it."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
