2008 Woodie Awards
Track alumnus still runs marathons
By: Justin Berndt
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Sports
Dr. Barry Alexia was an All-American in track and field during his time at Central Michigan more than 30 years ago.
But Alexia still has maintained his collegiate weight.
Granted, Alexia still runs one marathon a year, and continues to run for the mental health aspect of it. But there's much more to this man now.
Alexia lives in Hermosa Beach, Calif., with his wife, Glenda, and their three children. Alexia, who has a Ph.D. in industrial technology engineering from Northern Iowa, works as an aerospace electrical engineer. It's a field he knew he wanted to work in when he arrived at CMU in 1973.
"I was pretty focused. I knew that I would be going into the electrical engineering field. I didn't know I would be going into aerospace," he said. "But I think as I progressed academically I learned more what was available to me in the business world, and I naturally gravitated toward the aerospace community."
As accomplished as he is today, there was a time when Alexia wasn't sure he was going to continue his educational career.
"I remember standing on the steps on Wyandotte High School, talking him into going to college because he didn't think he was college material," said former CMU men's track coach Don Sazima. "Barry took to the education and college theme like a duck in the water. He did well academically because he's an extremely dedicated person at whatever he does."
Alexia believes the faculty and staff at CMU helped him realize the importance of education.
"The professors and the teachers always did a superb job of allowing us to grow as students and giving us a chance to correct mistakes," he said. "College is where we should be making our mistakes so that we can learn from them and press forward."
While CMU provided a spring-board for Alexia academically, it also was a chance for him to display his skills on the track.
Alexia competed in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 400m hurdles at CMU. In 1978, he was an All-American and ranked as high as sixth nationally and 15th in the world in the 400-meter hurdles. The same year, he also set a Mid-American Conference record of 50.6 seconds in the 400 that stood until 1986.
But Alexia still has maintained his collegiate weight.
Granted, Alexia still runs one marathon a year, and continues to run for the mental health aspect of it. But there's much more to this man now.
Alexia lives in Hermosa Beach, Calif., with his wife, Glenda, and their three children. Alexia, who has a Ph.D. in industrial technology engineering from Northern Iowa, works as an aerospace electrical engineer. It's a field he knew he wanted to work in when he arrived at CMU in 1973.
"I was pretty focused. I knew that I would be going into the electrical engineering field. I didn't know I would be going into aerospace," he said. "But I think as I progressed academically I learned more what was available to me in the business world, and I naturally gravitated toward the aerospace community."
As accomplished as he is today, there was a time when Alexia wasn't sure he was going to continue his educational career.
"I remember standing on the steps on Wyandotte High School, talking him into going to college because he didn't think he was college material," said former CMU men's track coach Don Sazima. "Barry took to the education and college theme like a duck in the water. He did well academically because he's an extremely dedicated person at whatever he does."
Alexia believes the faculty and staff at CMU helped him realize the importance of education.
"The professors and the teachers always did a superb job of allowing us to grow as students and giving us a chance to correct mistakes," he said. "College is where we should be making our mistakes so that we can learn from them and press forward."
While CMU provided a spring-board for Alexia academically, it also was a chance for him to display his skills on the track.
Alexia competed in the 110-meter high hurdles and the 400m hurdles at CMU. In 1978, he was an All-American and ranked as high as sixth nationally and 15th in the world in the 400-meter hurdles. The same year, he also set a Mid-American Conference record of 50.6 seconds in the 400 that stood until 1986.
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