The Belmont track and field and cross country teams received a pleasant surprise when former recruit Matt Miller arrived on campus in the fall of 2010.
Miller, now a junior from LaPorte, Ind., was recruited by Belmont in high school, but turned down the Bruins to compete for the South Alabama Jaguars.
However, Belmont never really left Miller’s mind. And after one year at South Alabama, when he was looking for a new university to call home, Belmont was at the top of his list.
“Belmont was really the ideal school for me in a number of ways.” said Miller. “I love the feel of a small school. When I first got to Belmont, I couldn’t have asked for a better reception from all of the people here. The thing so great about Belmont is that it has all of the perks of a smaller school, but it also has the benefits of being in a great city like Nashville.”
Since coming to Belmont, Miller has flourished for both the track and cross country. During his cross country season, he gained several accolades including being named to the first Atlantic-Sun All Academic team and leading Belmont to a 10th place place in the NCAA Regional Championship.
Miller’s success also crossed over to track, where he won the 5000 meter-race at the Coastal Carolina Invitational and placed fifth and higher at several meets in one-mile races.
While Miller has enjoyed the success he has had at Belmont, his favorite part of coming to Belmont was how welcoming and friendly his coaches and teammates were during the early stages of his first year on campus.
“Coach Langdon and all my teammates made it easy for me to come to Belmont not really knowing anybody,” said Miller. “The best part was that it was a gradual process I went through to get used to the new school and new teammates. Nothing was forced on me more quickly than I could handle.”
Miller’s motivation for choosing Belmont also came from a desire to grow and mature not just physically, but also spiritually and mentally.
– Matt Matoh
“One of the best things about Belmont that is different from South Alabama, is the emphasis here on spirituality,” he said. When I was thereit was never a big deal to miss church on Sundays, but I like the added component of faith that the students and faculty here at Belmont have. Also Belmont’s stellar academic reputation speaks for itself, and I was excited to challenge myself academically as well as physically.”