Hall of Fame
Jodie (Schoppmann) Robertson’s long list of accomplishments as a student-athlete at SUNY Potsdam include an All-America finish, NCAA Woman of the Year semifinalist recognition and the prestigious Julia E. Crane Memorial Award. However, her finest accomplishment as a cross country runner may still be yet to come.
Robertson ’06, who will be inducted into the Bears Hall of Fame this Saturday after a standout career as a member of the Bears cross country team from 2002-05, has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials on Jan. 14, 2012, after posting a course-record time of 2:42:54 at the Long Island Marathon back on May 1. The top three runners at January’s time trials will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The 26-year-old Robertson estimates there will be 150 women competing for the open spots.
“The Long Island Marathon was a lot of fun,” said Robertson, a native of Levittown, N.Y. “I got a lot of support being near my hometown. It was a great experience, and something I’ve always wanted to do. I have to make the most of it now.”
Just under two months prior to qualifying for the Olympic Trials, Robertson won the USA Track & Field 50-kilometer Road Championships with a course-record time of 3:20:12 at Caumsett State Historic Park in Lloyd Neck, N.Y.
Robertson’s current standing didn’t come without strife and a lot of hard work. Coming off of a 26th-place finish and All-American performance at the 2004 NCAA Division III Championships, Robertson suffered a stress fracture in her pelvis midway through the 2005 season at Potsdam after posting the fastest 4K, 5K and 6K times in the nation earlier in the year. After two more stress fractures, she was unable to run again until the fall of 2008, making her return from the injury and ensuing accomplishments all the more impressive.
SUNY Potsdam cross country coach Peter Cutler, who coached Robertson for three years and will present her at Saturday’s induction ceremony, said he wasn’t shocked by all of the runner’s success.
“On one hand, I am very surprised because what she does is nothing short of miraculous,” Cutler said. “She is such a dynamic person and her running ability is at such a high level that you can’t help but be amazed. However, I’m sure if everyone could see all of the countless hours of preparation that she endures … you would not be surprised in the least.”
Robertson’s ability to defy logic was apparent during her college years, when she maintained a near-perfect grade point average while juggling a rigorous academic schedule and cross country training. A music education and performance major, Robertson earned numerous academic honors from the NCAA and the State University of New York Athletic Conference as well as the institution’s world-renowned Crane School of Music, which initially drew her to the College.
“I came up for an audition, and loved the people and the small-town atmosphere,” Robertson said. “I love the North Country … it was nice to be somewhere more quiet after growing up on busy Long Island. Potsdam is not a huge town, but there’s always something to do, and there are a lot of country roads to run.”
Her athletic and academic careers culminated in 2006. That year, Robertson received the athletic department’s Maxcy Molnar Award, was named an NCAA Woman of the Year semifinalist and earned the Crane Award, given to the most outstanding student at Crane.
“I am very proud of the NCAA Woman of the Year honor, as it combines everything college is about – athletics, academics and service,” Robertson said. “I was completely shocked to get the Crane Award … I never thought I’d get it. People thought I could be a good teacher, and that was very encouraging.”
In September 2007, Robertson was hired as an elementary band teacher at Searingtown Elementary School in New Hyde Park, N.Y., where she remains today. She will take a leave of absence for the 2011-12 school year to train for the Olympic Trials.
Cutler, who recalls Robertson carrying “at least 50 pounds” of books, an instrument in one hand and a Nalgene bottle in the other when he first met her, believes Robertson to be one of the best female student-athletes in SUNY Potsdam’s history.
“Jodie became a student of the sport,” Cutler said. “I think the greatest thing she did to improve her running is to find a real enjoyment in the hard work that the sport requires. She took a real satisfaction in knowing that her preparation was second to none.”
Robertson, who earned a master’s in music education from Colorado State University in 2008, credits her time at SUNY Potsdam as a big part of her achievements as both a professional and a runner.
“After I left Potsdam, I realized I was surrounded by people who believed in me more than I did,” Robertson said. “I wondered, ‘where did that support network go?’ You can’t do it on your own … you have to surround yourself with people who believe in you.”
Robertson married Aaron Robertson, a 2002 SUNY Potsdam graduate and member of the cross country team, on July 3. Aaron finished with a time of 3:20:12, the same as Jodie’s, at the USA 50K championships, good for ninth place in the men’s division. The couple currently resides in Albany, N.Y.
It’s clear that Robertson is a product of her focused preparation on the process and ability to not be initially drawn to results.
“Jodie has a rare personality that combines equal parts of humility with a sincere expectation of positive results,” Cutler said. “Most people ‘hope’ they get better, only to have their ego stand in the way of doing what is necessary… her humble attitude allows an intrinsic motivation for doing the work and delaying gratification.”
