Courtesy Picture
Michele (Suszek) Yates crosses the end line to win her first nationwide championship on the USA 50 Mile Path Championships at Camp Eagle outdoors Rocksprings, Texas on this March 2012 courtesy picture. Yates is one in every of 4 members of the Alpena Sports activities Corridor of Fame’s Class of 2022 and shall be inducted subsequent month.
ALPENA — Michele (Suszek) Yates will get to examine an essential merchandise off her bucket checklist subsequent month.
After a embellished athletic profession that included 14 letters as an Alpena Excessive College athlete and a number of nationwide championships as a record-setting extremely runner, Yates will take her place amongst Alpena’s finest athletes.
Yates is one in every of 4 members of the Alpena Sports activities Corridor of Fame’s Class of 2022 and shall be inducted on Might 6 in the course of the Corridor of Fame’s annual enshrinement banquet on the APlex. She shall be inducted together with Tim Holsworth, Phil Straley and John Cunningham.
She was additionally inducted into Alpena Excessive College’s Athletic Wall of Fame in February.
“It was on my bucket checklist, I received’t lie,” Yates mentioned of her upcoming induction. “I dreamed of it. This and the Wall of Fame, each of those impressed me in my journey via life to empower others.”
In her post-collegiate profession, Yates has put collectively fairly the distinguished resume. She’s a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier within the marathon and a four-time USATF Nationwide Crew member within the mountain and ultra-trail occasions representing the US on the World and North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Affiliation Championships.
She has additionally accomplished over 20 marathons, with 9 wins, and nonetheless holds quite a few course information on the elite degree.
A couple of of Yates’ accolades embrace:
∫ Extremely Runner of the 12 months in 2013
∫ Two-time nationwide champion and file holder, 50 Mile Path 2012 & 2013
∫ Nationwide Champion and file holder, 50k Path 2013
∫ Nationwide Champion, 100k Path 2013
∫ General winner- Indiana Path 100 Mile, 17:35:18, Course Document, 2013
∫ Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile Champion, 20:16:54, Course Document, 2013
Earlier than she was an completed marathoner and extremely runner, Suszek was a standout athlete at Alpena Excessive, the place she excelled in no matter sport she performed.
Collaborating in soccer, wrestling, monitor and cross nation. Yates was named Alpena’s 2000 Feminine Athlete of the 12 months and went on to play soccer at Northern Michigan College and run on the College of Nevada Las Vegas.
“It formed me,” Yates mentioned of her time at Alpena Excessive. “By means of cross nation, I established relationships that I nonetheless have. Wrestling was a change, however one thing I felt I wanted to do and I used to be grateful for that chance. With soccer and working, it was a troublesome determination (after highschool) as a result of I liked them each.”
As a runner, Yates’ expertise was obvious instantly. She broke Alpena’s faculty information for the 5K, mile and two-mile occasions throughout her freshman season and her 5K time nonetheless ranks fourth all-time. As a junior, she medaled on the state cross nation finals and earned all-state honors in 1999.
Upon becoming a member of the Rebels after two profitable soccer seasons at NMU, Yates competed in indoor and out of doors monitor and cross nation.
As a junior, she competed within the steeplechase, which helped set her up for future success in ultrarunning. The occasion is a race over an impediment course, throughout which opponents need to take care of obstacles equivalent to boundaries and water jumps. Throughout that season, Yates set the college file within the 3,000 meter steeplechase and certified for nationals.
In one in every of her first marathons after faculty, she completed in simply over three hours to win. That set her on a quest to enhance and take a look at her limits with completely different races. In her first path race after commencement, she completed runner-up and earned a spot on america Mountain Extremely Path world championship staff.
“I liked it,” Yates mentioned of her early races. “I fell again in love with the path scene.”
All through her athletic profession, Yates has by no means been afraid of challenges and he or she mentioned lately that getting ready for races is simply as rewarding because the races themselves.
“When you take a look at the races I run, they’re difficult. There are mountains, adjustments in elevation, there’s hot and cold climate,” Yates mentioned. “I undoubtedly just like the problem. Even the method of getting ready, I actually embrace the problem of coaching. That has introduced me success; that and God. It takes that mindset to achieve these objectives.”
As completed as Yates is, she’s not achieved competing simply but.
Three and a half years after she final raced, Yates felt a calling to do it once more and lately competed in a 50K race in Colorado, ending second feminine and thirteenth general. In truth, her efficiency was ok to earn a spot on the OCC UTMB 50K this fall — a problem race that takes place in Switzerland and France.
Yates has completed loads in her profession, however she has at all times appeared for methods to present again to others too.
At the moment, she runs Rugged Operating and SheRugged — each devoted to serving to runners attain their full potential. Rugged Operating was based in 2012 and helps runners obtain new private bests via profitable coaching and neighborhood help. SheRugged is a faith-based health program for ladies to realize their working objectives.
Yates is lively on social media with each packages, internet hosting a SheRugged podcast and posting movies to YouTube.
“I’m grateful for the chance to present again to others,” Yates mentioned. “I proceed to attempt to give again. I feel it’s essential to make use of your expertise in any means you possibly can to empower folks in any means you possibly can.”
Tickets for subsequent month’s banquet are $20 per particular person and could be bought at The Alpena Information workplace, at Jimmie Garant’s Occasion Retailer, via Venmo (@AlpenaSportsHOF) or by examine. These interested by paying by examine can contact Nancy Garant at 989-464-0319 to make preparations.