Sara Squires overcomes injury to left foot during senior year

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Sarah Squires did not begin her track and field season in the fashion she wanted to — but she is not letting the obstacles she has faced ruin it.

During a workout last spring, the senior tore her planter fascia, the thick tissue band that connects the heel to the toes, in her left foot. Trainers did not believe a tear had occurred, so she continued to compete — or at least try to compete — until an MRI confirmed it.

Squires also encountered two stress fractures in the same foot. She cooperated with assistant coach Matt Kaczor and the rest of the staff, which recommended cross-training — non-weight bearing activities that help build strength rather than put pressure on the injury.

The two injuries combined put her on crutches for nine weeks. She was unable to run for 12. Along with crutches, she wore a protective boot on that left foot, which enhanced the healing process.

“For me, it was easy to sell her on cross-training,” Kaczor said. “We babied that thing because we wanted her to come back and be 100 percent.”

With cooperation from Squires and other medical factors, doctors said she could surpass surgery and continue to let it heal on its own. It came as a sigh of relief to the runner.

“Surgery would have knocked me out for my entire senior season,” Squires said.

She continued to rehabilitate her left foot with the cross-training and kept herself mentally focused throughout duration of the injury. Along with cross-training and proper workouts, Squires now uses special foot orthopedics in her shoes for extra support. She wears them all the time for precautionary measures.

Although her running abilities are most likely dampened for life, Squires is able to compete in her final season at CMU.

“Sarah’s a great team leader for these young ladies,” said coach Willie Randolph. “She’s been very positive and very driven at the same time.”

Squires competed in her first event since the injury during the outdoor season and said it is scary to go out and try to run after going through a major injury, especially a foot injury in a runner’s circumstance.

“I was very nervous stepping to the line for the first time thinking something would tear again,” she said.

FUTURE

Squires’ status for the Jessie Owens Classic in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend is unknown after tweaking the injury this week. Randolph said she may be rested in order to put a healthy team out for Mid-
American Conference Championships.

“We are always focused on MAC Championships, but we have to be smart and not run her too early,” Randolph said. “We are being very cautious.”