Running in Circles - Succeeding in Life

This is the beauty of Track and Field - the exhilarating and occasionally exasperating draw to a sport that showcases the purity of a footrace, a subculture of stopwatches and splits, enviable strength, unequaled stamina, and unrestrained athleticism.

For former All-American (a proud Academic All-American and current medical school student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine), Taurai Augustin ’18, the ability to run and run fast was as innate as the natural breathtaking beauty of his native St. Lucia. For his Holy Family teammate and walk-on

Matt Weed ’18, now an audit supervisor for the Top 300 Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm, Maillie LLP, the sport was far more challenging, yet equally as fulfilling.

Weed, a Levittown native who was a standout midfielder in soc- cer at Harry S. Truman High School, was a latecomer to the sport, finally joining on with the Tigers in his junior year. Augustin was recruited to Holy Family following a successful season at Union County College in New Jersey where he excelled in the 400, 4x400 relay, the 1500 and mile, but especially in the 800-meters.

“The first day I walked on at Holy Family, they had me practice with the girls,” Weed remembered. “I thought, ‘Wow! This is the real deal. These track athletes are really something different.’ If

I had practiced with the guys, I would have quit on the first day. I learned that track fitness is completely different from soccer fitness. I also learned that the team dynamic in track is amazing. I was absolutely shocked. I thought it was an individual sport,

but it is 100-percent a team sport that has individual events. The people in the track and field program here were the most support- ive teammates that I have ever had. I stuck with it and worked

my way up from the middle of the pack to a bronze medal at the indoor championships in the 4x400. I would have set a then- school record in the 500 at indoors if my buddy, Taurai,

didn’t run the event right before me and smash the record!”

Maybe it’s because the competition in track is an internal battle between the athlete and the clock, or maybe it is because only track athletes - who have stumbled off the blocks or been passed on the straightaway - know the effort that goes into shaving one second

off a personal best, of clearing the hurdle, of launching the shot put.

“Running track at the collegiate level was always a priority for me,” said Augus- tin, who played soccer and cricket on the Caribbean island before following his grandmother to America

in pursuit of his dream. (He earned his dual citizenship in 2020). “The more I trained, the more and more track became a part of me. I

saw my abilities to succeed in it. Our team had a very competitive mindset, and we challenged, pushed and supported each other.”

Augustin, who turned in one of the most memorable track careers in the program’s history, believes he excelled because of the “phenomenal” coaching that he received from Coach Dwight Brandon and his staff but also because the school provided a path- way for his academic success.

“Because I was a biology/pre-med major (with minors in chemistry, psychology and forensic science), my class schedule would often prevent me from making the main practice, but I would train later with one of the coaches. Having that dedicated staff definitely provided me a pathway to my dream of becoming a physician and helped me athletically. I grew up in a family with big expectations, and I didn’t have to lower my expectations because of athletics. My proudest moment was becoming an Academic

All-American, something that was never done before by a male track athlete at Holy Family. Here is this athlete from this small university, also from a small island, who has this big accolade. I was elated from that experience. I am very thankful for the people I have met, the opportunities I have had, the places that track has taken me all over the country, and for the volunteer opportunities to give back to the sport and the University.”

Through a named track scholarship (that also bears that name of their teammate Vontae Hillard ‘18), created upon graduation, Weed and Augustin (now members of the HFU Alumni Board) are staying connected to each

other, their alma mater and the sport that has bonded them for life and handing off the baton to next team of Tiger track stars.

“Holy Family has always been so good to me,” Weed said. “The accounting program has a push of real-life appli-

cation, and a focus on the computer side of the field as well, that made me really like the program. I definitely still have an edge, to this day, within my company because of my experiences at HFU. I had a short life in

track, because of injuries, and I definitely wish I would have joined the team sooner. But I had great camaraderie and made friends that will last a lifetime.”

“Holy Family gave me a life-changing opportuni- ty,” Augustin said. “I had a great experience, and I want to improve things, provide resources for the next generation of student-athletes. Being able to be a mentor and providing a scholarship is a very

full-circle thing.”