SIOUX FALLS,SD -- David Ecker, a junior on the University of Sioux Falls Men's Track and Field and Cross Country Team, loves competing and can't wait to get back to it this year. 
 
Ecker, who was a part of USF's first ever NSIC Championship Men's Cross Country Team in 2018, has high hopes for the rest of his career, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
"Throughout the pandemic, I've been using running to keep structure and consistency in my life," said Ecker. "I also live with my best friends, so I have plenty of fun while staying safe." 
 
Until he can compete again, Ecker is staying focused and keeping his eyes forward. "The most rewarding part of competing is racing and achieving tangible marks of improvement," said Ecker, who was also a member of the USF Cross Country Team that finished third in 2019. 

 

From an early age, Ecker had a competitive edge that led him to sports. 
 
"I started playing t-ball and taking cross country ski lessons when I was five years old," said Ecker. "I immediately developed a competitive nature and continued to dive into baseball, basketball, football, skiing, and running." 
 
Since then, Ecker has pushed himself and worked incredibly hard to achieve his goals. 
 
"When I'm competing, I try to always think about the next step I'm taking," said Ecker, the son of Archie and Laura Ecker.
 
The USF junior has learned some of his biggest life lessons from his parents. 
 
They taught me to go outside and learn from the world, be attentive, and maintain the desire to learn," said Ecker. 
 
Ecker, an Eau Claire, Wis. native, was drawn to USF from his first visit. 
 
"I picked USF because of the small-school feel and the great cross country and track and field programs," said Ecker. 
 
Since joining the USF community, Ecker has worked hard and seen that hard work pay off. At the 2020 Mark Schuck invite in Mankato, Ecker ran personal best times on back-to-back days, placing 6th in the mile (4:26.66) and 6th in the 3000-meter run (8:59.32) the very next day. In the same season, Ecker also qualified for the NSIC Indoor Track and Field Championships in the mile, 3000, and 5000.
 
At those NSIC Championships, Ecker finished 17th in the mile (4:36.59), 21st in the 3000 (9:04.59), and 13th in the 5000 (15:47.11). Throughout the 2020 Indoor Track and Field season, Ecker, who has been part of five USF teams that placed top six in the NSIC, (4th Outdoor 2019, 3rd Indoor 2019, 6th Indoor 2020) tallied five top-10 finishes, including a title in the 3000 at the SDSU DII Invitational. 
 
Ecker has enjoyed success both on and off the track. A biology major with hopes to become a physical therapist, Ecker was named to the NSIC Academic Team and the All-Academic Team of Excellence in the 2019-2020 season in both cross country and track and field. 
 
As he strives forward, Ecker is grateful for the support and guidance of his coaches, which has been critical in his success.
 
"My coaches, Doug Petersen and John Rodman, are two of the most genuine people I know," said Ecker. "They are humble, experienced, and caring men. They make me excited to get to practice and give my best every day," he said.
 
Petersen, the USF Director of Track and Field/Cross Country, is proud of Ecker, who gives maximum effort with a fierce determination on and off the track. 
 
"Dave is a very hard-working athlete that is always challenging himself to be his very best," said Petersen. "He is an outstanding student in the classroom and is very committed to helping the team get better and reach their goals. He is one of the team leaders by example and an excellent mentor for the younger athletes," he said.
 
Not only do his coaches push Ecker to be his best, but his teammates do as well. 
 
"I feel connected to my teammates by our common goals and shared experiences," said Ecker. 
 
Off the track, Ecker feels responsible for his choices and values the Culture for Service which is ingrained at USF.
 
"I feel accountable for the impact I have on the world," said Ecker, an officer for USF's SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee). "When I make decisions as a consumer, a voter, and a community member, I think about being a good steward of the environment and of the needs of my neighbors." 
 
As an officer for SAAC, Ecker participates in annual projects to raise awareness for athlete's mental health and well-being, including a Make-A-Wish Fundraiser, It's On Us (One Love Foundation), It's a Slam Dunk, Don't Drive Drunk, and Mental Health Awareness (The Green Bandana Project). 
 
With so many obligations in his life like practice, class, homework, and SAAC duties, Ecker has had to find ways to relax in the little free time he has. 
 
"My experience of simple pleasures at USF can be summed up by the hour a day I spent playing Pac-Man in the McDonald Center after dinner my entire freshman year," said Ecker, who has certainly gotten the school's money's worth out of that Pac-Man machine. 
 
"I compete because I enjoy it," said Ecker. "Nothing compares to the satisfaction of maximum effort!"