WildCast: 2024-25 Athletes of the Year

00:00:00 Carlos Ramos: Welcome to a special edition of The Tomorrow Maker's Podcast. Today we're featuring the first of two episodes of Penn College Wildcat Athletics new podcast, aptly named WildCast. This one features Players of the Year, Livingston Cross and Megan Kurian. If you listen to our episode with women's soccer coach Ian Scheller in season three, episode nine, you might recall his story about how Megan dissects bananas before eating them on the tour bus. Megan gives us the inside scoop here. We hope your summer's off to a great start and that you enjoy this premier episode of WildCast. 00:00:46 Matt Blymier: Welcome to this episode of WildCast. I'm your host, Matt Blymier. Joining us today, we have two very special guests are reigning players of the year. Livingston Cross, a Union, New Jersey native two time all conference selection DIII hoops, all region selection. This season, his senior season, led to country in double doubles, and finished just in three years at Penn College with 1,315 points. Also joining us is a freshman from Royersford. Megan Kurian who set the soccer world on fire last year. She was a first team all conference selection, the United East Rookie of the Year, and the United East Player of the Year. Welcome, Liv and Meg. 00:01:32 Livingston Cross: Thank you for having us. 00:01:33 Megan Kurian: Thank you. 00:01:34 Matt Blymier: You are welcome. So first, Liv, let's start with you. You have a more untraditional path coming to Penn College than Meg did. You started at another institution first, and then your major way here, I believe it was the, it was the second semester of your freshman year. Talk to us about that process, your experience in starting at another school, you coming here and your decision to come here. 00:01:54 Livingston Cross: So, I started at my last school as a freshman. I didn't end up playing that first year for reasons off the court, you know, personal reasons. Came back to the same school the next year. Played the first semester. Felt like I was working hard, you know, I didn't really get the opportunity I wanted. I had a friend at Penn College, Gavin Barrett, so I knew he was over here. So I talked to him. We felt like we could make it work, you know, he set me up with Coach Hensley. I thought it was the right fit. Came down here a second semester of the 22, 23 year, made my way into the rotation. You know, had a kind of, I wouldn't say breakout year, but for me personally, it was, letting myself know that I could play in college. So that was a big moment for me. And then. The last two years, obviously I cemented myself here as, you know, one of the better players in program history at Penn College. So I think it was one of the best decisions of my life to come here for sure. 00:02:45 Matt Blymier: Meg, you had more of a traditional route. you're a freshman. So talk to us about the recruiting process. less than a year ago, as a high school senior deciding on what is to pick right out of high school, why Penn College? And tell us about kind of, you had a few different degrees that you could focus on and you end up choosing dental hygiene. Walk us through that entire process for you. 00:03:07 Megan Kurian: Absolutely. So with looking into the recruiting process, I would definitely say that I was on the later end of it 'cause I, I wanted to prioritize my academics. As much as I loved soccer, I couldn't feel great in my decision until I figured out what it is that I wanted to do academically. I went in looking at schools for business and that made my recruiting process a lot bigger. A lot of schools have that, and I never felt good going into my senior year that fall. I was really coming down on, you know, my options and what I wanted to do, and I just didn't feel great with business. It just wasn't clicking. And some of the schools too that I had offers from, it just didn't feel right and I looked back into more of like dental hygiene and the health sciences and maybe more of a profession that's hands-on. And that's ultimately what led me to Penn College. 'Cause dental hygiene, unlike business, it's not offered at many colleges and it's not offered at many schools that I could play soccer at as well. So after I figured out that, that, that the school offered that, and I met Ian and the team here similar to like Liv said, it was probably the best decision that I could have made to, to come to this school. 'cause I thought in all aspects of my life, like athletically, socially, and academically, I think it was the best fit for me to succeed. 00:04:21 Matt Blymier: Obviously you, both of you came here to get a degree, but it sounds like athletics played a big role in you. Number one, hearing about the institution, but then number two, attending the institution. So we'll keep with you, Meg, I'm sure, and then we'll go to you Liv. Ian was a huge part of your recruitment and then Liv, it sounds like Gav had a pretty big impact on not only introducing you to the college, but getting you to come here. tell us about. The impact that athletics and in your case, Meg, that, coach Scheller had on, on bringing you here? 00:04:51 Megan Kurian: I think with Coach Scheller, he, as most girls I think, who have talked to him with the recruiting process, he's a very personable coach who really cares about you as an individual. He's not just looking to better his team, but he's looking to find girls that will fit within the program, but within his culture as well. That's a big thing for him. And just the simple conversations that we had, like my recruiting process with him at the point that I started, it went really quickly and we hit it off really well. Emailed a couple times, set up a phone call, and then the next thing I knew I was on a visit with him. And I think understanding his approach to, you know, his coaching style, how much he wants to be there for you as students. Understanding that, you know, athletics isn't everything that you need to focus on at college was really important to me. Compared to other coaches that I had been in contact with. He made me feel very confident and I don't think every coach initially goes for that, if that makes any sense. Like I think when I talk to incoming recruits too, like now that I've talked to 2025s and 2026s, I think they can all agree that him, along with the girls, bring this very welcoming energy. And that's a huge thing. And being comfortable in finding a school that you think you'll enjoy being at. 00:05:59 Matt Blymier: And Liv, give us the background of, of you and Gavin. Gavin had been here at that time, I guess a year and a half, right? He would've freshman year. Then, midway through his sophomore year. You guys have known each other since you were kids. And, walk us through his impact, him introducing you to the College and once you got here, you know, finding the team and, and, and Coach Hensley to impact at all of that. 00:06:23 Livingston Cross: So, I think it was just the trust aspect. I think, having somebody at a school that, you know, like you said I grew up with, I played however many years with, since we were probably like 10. I think that was helpful in the process. 'cause I was coming from a situation where trust wasn't really, I think, mutual. I think, I think that's the main reason why I decided to leave. I didn't feel the coach had my best interest at heart. I didn't think he knew all my abilities. And once Gab introduced me to Coach Heley, I kind of felt the vibe that, you know, he was gonna allow me to be what I could be once I earned it. You know? And that was never a problem for me. I knew I could earn it. I just needed a coach to, you know, have faith in me and respect. And that's always what I've been with Coach Hensley. As soon as Gav put me in contact with him, you know, he let me know what my role was gonna be, or he let me know what the team needed from me, how I could achieve that. Once I got here, it was just, it was up from there. Obviously I, me with g the other guys, the other seniors and coach, he's a player's coach. I think that's why a lot of the guys, you know, have respect for him. 'Cause you know, he'll be honest with you. A lot of coaches will be around the bush and only do what they want. They don't really have your best interest at heart. You know, even if we're not playing or whatever, he always wants to make sure we get our education, he's on us about our grades and things like that. So he actually cares about us as players. And I think that was the main thing that helped me chose, helped me choose Penn College instead of other schools I may have been looking at in the process. 00:07:35 Matt Blymier: So you and Gav, correct me if I'm wrong, you're at the same high school, the start or eventually you were at the same, what's the high school connection? 00:07:43 Livingston Cross: Well, me and Ron have been together since middle school and high school. And then Gav came our junior year of high school. And then he was there junior year and then COVID hit, and then we played like a 13 game season senior year. 00:07:54 Matt Blymier: Okay. 00:07:54 Livingston Cross: So he was there, he was there with us 13 years. 00:07:56 Matt Blymier: Right. And Ron is Ron Flood, who's also at Penn College. So Gav gets you here. Gav. you know, tells you about Penn College. You come here, Ron comes the year after. And so now we got our three Jersey boys. what was that like finishing, well, you're not finishing at least those two that just playing college with, people that you've known since you were a kid and, in high school teammates. Did you guys just pick up where you left off? What was that experience like? 00:08:22 Livingston Cross: It was amazing. I, I think that was the best thing for my career, I think. It allowed me to have fun on the court. I think basketball has always been fun, but coming from the school I was at where it felt like I was trying out and like doing an interview the whole year in order to earn minutes. And once I got here, I was playing with Gav, you know, I played with him this semester before Ron got here and then Ron got here and then that was our first full year together. And it felt like, it's like you said, we picked up where we left off, it was a high school again, but this time we got a full year together. 'Cause our junior year in high school. I only played half the year on varsity with them. I got called up late, so in the senior year we played 13 games. So the junior year of our college career was the first time we all played together for a year. 00:09:01 Matt Blymier: Oh wow. 00:09:01 Livingston Cross: And we were starting together. We finished games together and I think, this playoff run this past season, I think that was one of the best moments of my life. Like it, it felt like on the court, you know, we were just connected. You know, we did everything together. We played pretty much the whole game together. 00:09:14 Matt Blymier: Roommates. 00:09:15 Livingston Cross: Roommates, yeah. These last two years. So I mean, I, I wouldn't have it any other way. I think it just made college so much more memorable in my opinion. 00:09:21 Matt Blymier: We're gonna get to that run later on. 'cause that was, that was quite a run Meg question for you as a freshman. You came in and it's always tough to, I think, project out what a freshman can be and Coach Scheller was very high on what he thought you would become, and I think he you exceeded his expectations and, and maybe your own. Talk to us about your freshman. You're getting acclimated number one to college athletics, which is completely different than Scholastic athletics. how did you, how did you find your fit into being a college athlete and then the success you had was incredible to watch and in a good way was unexpected. What were you expecting coming into your first college season? 00:10:02 Megan Kurian: I think when I started my recruiting process with Ian and I had my phone call with him, he had a conversation telling me as a player what he thinks I could achieve at a school like this. I think it's fair to say that he was trying to build this program and it's clear that what he's doing is working and I wanted to be a part of that success. So coming in, I had these ideas that he set of maybe what I can achieve this year, what I can achieve overall as a, an athlete at Penn College. And I worked really hard in the summer like I did in, in high school, knowing that I could achieve what I wanted to if I really put the work towards it. But I could only do that if I actually put the work in, you know, the ceiling's so high, but you have to do your part. So coming in, I think with how welcoming the girls were was a big reason as to how I got so comfortable so quickly. I, I never came in and was worried that. I'm a freshman and people look at me as just that and that I can't bring anything to the table. And I think I came in and immediately just started playing with the girls really well. I think no one ever looked at any of the freshmen class as anything more than just, you know, freshmen and things like that. So I think I never doubted myself coming in. I knew if I gave it everything that I had on that. Field that I couldn't leave feeling like I left something there. And I think that's just the mentality that I had. I knew some of the girls were older. I knew some of them were bigger, but I never tried to let that stop me because at the end of the day, like I could control how much effort I put in. And so that's what I tried to do every game. I kind of looked at my first year as I. The first time, there's only one year that you can come in and be a freshman and do everything for the first time. And that's kind of how I tried to look at it. And this year I'm excited to go in knowing certain players, knowing certain teams and how they played, but I kind of looked at it as, there's no expectation for me as a player right now. I just need to go out there and prove what I can do. And that's kind of how I went about it. 00:11:44 Matt Blymier: Nice. All right, Liv, let's talk about the season. Regular season. I think we can all say, didn't go as planned. I think everybody was expecting a few more wins, a lot of close losses, one or two possession losses. you guys get the 12 seed in the United East, playoffs and you make an incredible run all the way to the conference. Semi-finals where, you eventually fall, but you fall. I think it was another one or two possession game to Bryn Athyn and the eventual champions. Let's talk about the regular season, how that went, maybe why it went that way, what adjustments were made then in the postseason to make that run. And then, you know, how you feel about the way your career here at Penn College ended on the court. 00:12:29 Livingston Cross: So the regular season, like you said, it didn't go as planned. I think a lot of people, including us, had it finishing probably top four in the conference. You know, we, we finished the fourth seed, I think, the year before. And we brought pretty much the same team back. We had some good freshmen come in. So, you know, we obviously assumed that we were gonna finish higher than we did. I think the reasoning throughout the season, I think we just had to adjust, to things that were going on. We played some really tough teams that we lost close games to. Lebanon Valley was a good, outer conference game that we should have won, went to two overtimes. We battled the Norwich team in Florida and the Daytona Beach Shootout. That was a great team. We lost it in by one point, so I think it was just about finishing games. I think that's been a problem over the last three years since I've been here, we've been able to compete with pretty much any team, but, you know, it gets down to those last few minutes and, you know, some things happen. I think this year was actually the opposite. I think we started off slow. It was a lot of games where we were down 15 at the half, and then we came back and lost by four. But if, if we don't go down by 15, we probably won that game. Like St. Elizabeth, a Notre Dame, which went to overtime, like, I think it was games like that where we didn't play a full 40 minutes. I think that was the story of our regular season. We didn't play a full 40 minutes. At the end of the season, like you said, I think our last five games were lost by one possession games, so that kind of hurt us. You know, we probably would've finished maybe a seven seed if we won a few of those games. But going into the playoffs, I think what changed? I think we was just like, this is it. You know, especially the seniors, you know, we pretty much had a all seniors starting five, besides one player, so it was like, this is it. It's our last song to put together. We're at 12 C going into St. Mary's was a five seed. We don't think they're better than us. You know, seating doesn't really mean much to us right now. So we go into St. Mary's, we handle them the whole game. And that was after that. It was just like our confidence was just inflated. Some off the course things happened that I think brought the team together more. I think it made us have more of a sense of reality, you know, like what we're doing right now, this is it. This is our last time being together. You know, with Coach Hensley and all that, it made us feel even more of like a family than we were already, and I think we went in the keystone against number four seed. I think we had even more of an inflated sense of confidence. It is like we can really compete with any team. We lost them two times before. The game at home was a buzzer beater. So it's like they're not better than us. We have a great team. We have a great group of guys. And also, I didn't touch on this, but in the playoffs, I think we played well together as a team. I think that was the switch. I think everyone played their role. Nobody complained, everyone did what they're supposed to do. There was no arguing, no fighting, things like that. And then obviously we get to the Bryn Athyn game. that was a battle. The whole game. We go to overtime lose by a couple points and that was just a heartbreaker. But, I ended my career almost winning the championship. You know, the guys I came in with, you know, all my seniors, Ron, Gav, Christian, Kade, Mike, all of them. So, I mean, I wouldn't have it any other way besides obviously winning the championship, but, I don't really have any regrets. I think we all left it out on the court. So yeah, I would say it, it was a great season. 00:15:22 Matt Blymier: Yeah know, 00:15:23 Livingston Cross: Definitely. 00:15:23 Matt Blymier: I know you guys had us all, you know, we all tune into the games when, especially in the postseason, and I remember the, the day after, the Bryn Athyn game, everybody had watched the game and everybody was just going into Coach Hensley's office going, what a run, what a game. It always stinks to be on the other end of it. But especially for them to eventually be the champions, you're like, ooh, what a game. But gosh, we were that close to, to being in a final, but it was still, it was still quite a run. 00:15:49 Livingston Cross: For sure. 00:15:50 Matt Blymier: Meg, you guys had a fantastic run too. undefeated regular season. Now in soccer there's ties, so there were, there were some ties. They weren't all wins, but you didn't lose in the regular season. At what point, during the regular season, when you're looking, if you do look at the records, was it brought up? Oh my goodness. We have, we haven't lost. This is unusual. Was that even talked about among the coaches or players at any point during that regular season run? 00:16:16 Megan Kurian: I think by the end, because I think Ian was coming up on his, you know, winning coach record, but also just as a, as a program, I think we had a record for like how many wins in a season, which I think once we hit those, that was really impressive and we were getting close to the, the playoffs and things like that. And I. I think we hit a point where we realized the things we were capable of doing. I think this year a lot of people, like we had so much success as a team, which allowed certain players as well to like have their own success. But when we came together as a team and looked at our own record, we were like, wow, look what we were able to do. And it just makes us more excited to know if we could do that this year, given certain, circumstances, then what can we do the next year with even more experience under our belt? 00:16:58 Matt Blymier: All right, Meg, you probably knew this was coming. I asked, coach Scheller for some inside information on you, Liv. I asked Coach Hensley too. He said Liv is always locked in and he's always in game mode. He doesn't really do silly things. I was trying to find something silly that some of you do. Wait till you hear what Meg does. Meg, we got two things we have to address. I feel like there's two. Yeah, there's two. one is a, one is, an example, a physical example. But First Coach Scheller once witnessed Meg eating a banana on a bus, and she does it in a very unusual way. She will square the top of the banana off and then split it in thirds with her fingers. Meg. Defend your actions. 00:17:41 Megan Kurian: I will. All right. Lemme first start off by saying that this is not how I eat a banana on the daily basis. On the bus, you know, sometimes on long bus rides you get bored. There's not much to do. So, as I like to say, coach Ian was breaking apples with his fist, you know, ripping them apart. And I was like, you know what you can do with a banana? They're, they're kind of three like spears. So if you separate it, you can kind of pick it apart. And all of a sudden I was looked at differently on my team and I have never been able to live it down wherever I go, as if I do this on a daily basis. 00:18:16 Livingston Cross: So it was more like a boredom thing? 00:18:17 Megan Kurian: Exactly. I mean, do have I done it alone? Yes. Sometimes. But it's not my go to. 00:18:22 Matt Blymier: But what, what was one of your rationales for doing it at one point? That you can make what, from the three? 00:18:28 Megan Kurian: Ants on a log. 00:18:29 Matt Blymier: Ants on a log. Do you remember ants on a log? She was like, you can make an along. That doesn't justify. 00:18:36 Megan Kurian: He has tried it. So. 00:18:37 Matt Blymier: I have tried it. It's not, it's not easy to do. It's actually you have to, there's a sweet spot. 00:18:42 Megan Kurian: Mm-hmm. 00:18:42 Matt Blymier: There. Once you square off that banana that you have to hit perfectly or you just get a bunch of mush. 00:18:47 Megan Kurian: Mm-hmm. 00:18:48 Matt Blymier: The more practice you have, the better you are at splitting it, which is why it's a skill. 00:18:53 Megan Kurian: But it's, it's not the ripeness of the banana. 00:18:55 Matt Blymier: Which is why I believe you do it more than you say because... 00:18:57 Megan Kurian: Well, you have to, like, once you start realizing that it's like falling apart, like you want it to, you kind of have to just continue to do it that way. 00:19:04 Matt Blymier: Yeah. 00:19:04 Megan Kurian: Like you can't just poke your finger into a banana and expect it to work. You have to kind of... 00:19:07 Matt Blymier: You're committed. You're fully committed. 00:19:08 Megan Kurian: Exactly. 00:19:09 Matt Blymier: Yeah. 00:19:09 Megan Kurian: Exactly. 00:19:10 Matt Blymier: Makes sense. 00:19:11 Megan Kurian: Yeah. 00:19:11 Matt Blymier: Okay. The other thing I think we have to address, Liv, I'm gonna ask you to help me out here with some of this. I also asked Coach Sheer for some ammunition, and, he gave me, gave a joke book that you're working on. This is a, this is construction paper. 00:19:24 Megan Kurian: That's the first version. 00:19:26 Matt Blymier: No, I, I heard, yeah, I can't wait for version two. There are two jokes in here. this is construction paper, red and green. For those listening, Liv, can you read this for us and ask us those jokes? Meg, can you answer when he asks the 00:19:41 Megan Kurian: I hope so. 00:19:42 Matt Blymier: I hope so too. You're the author of this. 00:19:43 Livingston Cross: Okay, so the first one is Why did the tomato blush? 00:19:46 Megan Kurian: It saw the salad dressing. 00:19:48 Matt Blymier: It saw the salad dressing. 00:19:50 Megan Kurian: Am I right? 00:19:50 Livingston Cross: Yeah. 00:19:51 Matt Blymier: All right, and what is the last and the green page? What is the last? 00:19:55 Livingston Cross: The last one is what is forest Gump's password? 00:19:58 Megan Kurian: 1forest1. 00:19:59 Matt Blymier: That's the number one forest. 00:20:02 Livingston Cross: It's a drawing too. 00:20:04 Matt Blymier: What is the drawing, Liv? 00:20:06 Livingston Cross: Somebody running away from the United States of America? 00:20:09 Megan Kurian: No, America runs on Dunkin. 00:20:19 Livingston Cross: It looks like a dad joke. 00:20:20 Megan Kurian: Yeah, that's exactly what the book... 00:20:21 Livingston Cross: I like those. I like... 00:20:22 Megan Kurian: There you should see the new version. 00:20:23 Livingston Cross: It's a part two. 00:20:24 Megan Kurian: Yeah, 00:20:24 Livingston Cross: second edition. How many jokes are in the second edition? 00:20:26 Megan Kurian: I think four or five. 00:20:28 Livingston Cross: Oh wow. 00:20:29 Megan Kurian: It's actually a lot better. 00:20:31 Matt Blymier: That's amazing. 00:20:32 Livingston Cross: Can we get a preview or is that like exclusive? 00:20:34 Matt Blymier: Give us, can you give us the joke from, can you give us one of the jokes from the new one? Okay. 00:20:39 Megan Kurian: Can I give Ian a text. 00:20:40 Matt Blymier: As you're thinking? Yeah. I'll ask Liv this question. You mentioned the Bryn Athyn run being your favorite moment of your career. Is there another moment that you can look back at and go, man, that that was something else? So would you say Bryn Athyn is number one, or at least that playoff run is number one. 00:20:55 Livingston Cross: Yeah, definitely. I think that's more my favorite like team moment as a team or like individual moment? Is that what you're asking? Something like that. Yeah. I would say by far, besides that playoff run was my game against Morrisville here my sophomore year or my freshman year. I guess when I came off the bench, played 17 minutes, scored 22 points. I think for me that was the moment that like clicked in my head, like, not that I didn't know what I could do, it was that now that it happened. You know? That make sense? 00:21:24 Matt Blymier: Yeah. 00:21:24 Livingston Cross: Because before it was just more so like confidence in myself, but now I actually did it and I didn't get that. 00:21:28 Matt Blymier: You knew you could do it. But now you showed... 00:21:30 Livingston Cross: But now I showed that... 00:21:31 Matt Blymier: ...yourself. 00:21:31 Livingston Cross: Exactly. Coach and I showed everyone else that I wasn't just crazy and thinking that I was ready to play it right now. 00:21:37 Matt Blymier: Were you just dropping threes like? 00:21:39 Livingston Cross: Yes. 00:21:40 Matt Blymier: Nice. I don't even think your eyes were open half the time. You were just, and they were just going in. 00:21:43 Livingston Cross: I was just out there shooting and everybody was probably mad, but... 00:21:46 Matt Blymier: Corner threes were going in everything. 00:21:48 Livingston Cross: Boom rush shot from the logo and you was talking about shot selection and all that. 00:21:51 Matt Blymier: Yeah, no, let's talk about that as as Meg... So do you feel your shot selection got, different as you got experience? 00:22:02 Livingston Cross: Yes, definitely. I mean, I think my improved, I matured, obviously I got older. I still take some crazy shots sometimes, but one, I think I worked on it more in the off season, so I make 'em more now so they don't look as crazy. And two, I realized as you know, I'm getting better every year. I'm gonna be guarded different ways. So I kind of had to like pick and choose the spots I wanted to get to. So my shot selection did improve, yes, but I think I just got smarter. I might love the game a little bit more. The experience as well, you know? 'cause I feel like it's different when you're in practice or just playing by yourself. You don't see how people are guarding you. But then like my junior year, I guarded a certain way and then I played great that year and then I came back immediately my senior year. I was getting guarded different ways that made it tough. And I had to actually think outside the box to figure out how to get my 20 points a game to help us win. It wasn't easy, but definitely my style selection of proof for sure. Yeah. 00:22:48 Matt Blymier: Yeah. I used to mention to Liv... 00:22:50 Livingston Cross: Mm-hmm. 00:22:51 Matt Blymier: With a bunch of other great things I thought he did. Hey Liv, do we have to shoot from the Wildcat head at all the time? Can we, can we move it in a little? Like, I got you. All right. 00:23:03 Livingston Cross: I think it's, I was just a little younger when... 00:23:05 Matt Blymier: yeah. 00:23:05 Livingston Cross: You, I'm obviously, I'm, you know, I got a more experience in things. I came here at 19, so 00:23:10 Matt Blymier: Yeah. Your game got, not that you were one dimensional, but you know, using a baseball term, they, they have a five tool player if you put that in basketball terms, but I think early on you were shooter first and then, you know, when you look at this year, my gosh, you could drive, you could slash you could hit from the elbow, you could hit from the corner, you could hit from the top of the three and you know, every now and again maybe from the logo. But yeah, I think your game, from my vantage point, and this is a novice, I'm not a basketball person by any stretch of imagination, but I felt like your toolbox got much greater, your senior year. 00:23:42 Livingston Cross: Definitely. Yeah, for sure. 00:23:44 Matt Blymier: Meg, did we get an answer? 00:23:45 Megan Kurian: Unfortunately, 00:23:46 Matt Blymier: Then we will ask you, I think your college career is, is young compared to Liv's. Is there a favorite moment that you had last year? 00:23:55 Megan Kurian: Favorite moment. I'm trying to think. There was a lot of good moments to take away from last season. Hmm. I would say maybe the game against Bryn Athyn was a really cool game. I mean, it was our senior day, so it was really great to recognize some of the seniors as they did so much for the program. We only had three, but they all played a really big role, so it was great celebrating that with them. And we ended up going into the game and, and winning five one, but we needed that four goal differential. So it was kind of on the line at the end and I was able to get the fifth goal, and that happened to be, I think, my record goal. I think that was just really cool. 'cause it wasn't my strongest game by any means, but by the end I was able to get that play in and it, it made me feel a lot more satisfied that I could do that and help our team secure that, a second seed into the playoffs. 00:24:38 Matt Blymier: Was that the game at home? 00:24:39 Megan Kurian: Yes. 00:24:40 Matt Blymier: Was that the game where then you also broke the assist record and we kept having to announce a new assist? 00:24:45 Megan Kurian: It might have been, 00:24:46 Matt Blymier: Yeah. So for those listening, Cassie Johnson, who's a senior. We had written down that was needed, I don't know, assist or two to, to break the single season record. And that Meg needed a, a goal to do it, to break the goal record, and Meg got the goal and then Cas got the assist. But then Meg had a few more assists and we started doing some quick math up in the press box and we're like, oh no, Meg now has the single season record. Then I think Cass had another assist and they kept breaking each other's single season record in the same game. And then at the end of the game, Meg ended up with it, but that was that game. 00:25:21 Megan Kurian: It might've been. 00:25:21 Matt Blymier: Yeah, it was something 00:25:22 Megan Kurian: Love, love Cass. She's a great player. 00:25:24 Matt Blymier: She's amazing. A few weeks ago we had our CATS Award, celebrating Athletic Triumphs and Successes. It's an acronym for that. It's our, it's our, awards banquet. You were both named, Liv, Male Player of the Year and, Meg, Female Player of the Year. I imagine just being a nominee is an accomplishment of itself. And then going into that evening and hearing your name for that award, what was that experience like? 00:25:48 Livingston Cross: Well, starting from before the awards, I guess I was just hoping to be a nominated. That's what it was. I didn't expect anything like you, like I told you, I was surprised when I got called, even though I had a great year, I wasn't really expecting to be nominated. I was like, if it happens, I'll just be cool with that. I don't have to win it. You know, like you said, it's, it's a, it's a blessing, to be nominated. Once I saw my, my face up there, I won the nomination. I was like, wow, okay. So I'm, I'm there chance, but I still wasn't thinking that because it was like, what, like seven sports that was nominated. So I was like, you know. There was some great guys up there. You know, Peyton's always great. You know, some other guys up there. So at that point it was just like, okay, it's gonna win. Let me see. And then I heard my name called and it was like a shock. Like I had really had no idea, like, I don't know if it was on my face or whatever, but some of the guys was like, you know, you, you won bro. 00:26:33 Matt Blymier: Get up there. 00:26:33 Livingston Cross: Get up there. 00:26:34 Matt Blymier: Yeah. 00:26:34 Livingston Cross: So that was a great moment. I think it's a great moment in my career, you know, 'cause just knowing some of the people at this school, you know, recognize what I've done, you know, it's a blessing. Obviously the conference did as well, but to be honored and recognized at your own school is definitely my great experience for sure. 00:26:49 Matt Blymier: And Meg, you were a nominee for both our newcomer and athlete. Prior to the athlete being announced, you had won a newcomer. so now you see yourself as a nominee for Athlete of the Year, and you hear your name called, for the second time that, that evening, albeit for an award that probably carries a little bit more weight than the newcomer. What, what was your experience like winning that award. 00:27:10 Megan Kurian: It was very similar to Liv's, where it's like, wow, I saw my name nominated in that in itself as an accomplishment and something to be proud of, but when my name got called, and to hear all of my teammates cheer and to see the support from the other athletes as well, just to be proud of like your accomplishments and what you were able to do for the season and for Penn College Athletics, it was just a really cool feeling. I'm not gonna lie, I probably blacked out a little bit on my walk, you know, getting the award, but. It was a really special moment to be walking back and to, to know that I'd, I'd won it this year. It was, gives me something to work for the next couple years too because I, I did it this year, but it makes me wanna, you know, continue to do that these next couple years. 00:27:45 Matt Blymier: Meg, what's next for you? you got three more years coming up. You guys just ended your non-trad. What does the summer look like for you as far as preparing yourself for next season, for the next soccer season? 00:27:54 Megan Kurian: So, something I've done the last couple summers is I go out every day. I'm fortunate enough to have a couple high schools around me with turf fields, so I always try and find time in the morning or in the evening to go out and just work on things specifically to my game. And as an attacker, it's, it's a little easier for me to go out and work on my shooting, unlike some of my friends who are defenders and there's not as much that they can do on their own. I also have my old club coach that I played with for four or five years and her and I go out to the field and I do private sessions with her, and it's just important for me to go out and get my touches. And it allows me to work on what I need to work on. It doesn't have to look good. It doesn't have to be pretty, but I can just go out there and, and do my thing, and then I'm usually set up pretty well for the preseason then, just doing that. So I always get excited. It's not always easy going out every single day, but I know when I do it, it all, it all pays off. 00:28:43 Matt Blymier: How many miles a day are you running? 00:28:45 Megan Kurian: Honestly, running is not even like my main thing. 00:28:48 Matt Blymier: Really? 00:28:48 Megan Kurian: I usually, so I usually go out to the field for an an hour, hour and a half maybe, depending on, you know, if I can find a net or if it's too hot and things like that. But I usually go to the, I usually train with, weights and then I do the field, and then closer to the end of the season I start doing fitness. 00:29:03 Matt Blymier: And Liv, even though, you have another year of eligibility left, you've decided to leave Penn College and take your talents where, tell us about where you're going next and that entire process. 00:29:14 Livingston Cross: Yeah. it's called Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee, about 15 minutes from the University of Tennessee. I hit the portal probably. March 4th, something like that. Around that time it was a process. I had a lot of schools hitting me up. It was a little overwhelming, you know, figuring out where I wanted to go. Obviously, you know, I was grateful to get a full ride scholarship, you know, which not many people could say. So I'm grateful there. But, Johnson didn't hit me up until about maybe three weeks that I had my name on the portal. But then once they hit me up, they shot up to the top of my list. 'cause you know, they have a great coaching staff. You know, the head coach seemed very interested. The assistant coach has tons of DI and pro experience, so I feel like that's something that's gonna help help me take my game to the next level and help me get overseas after this next year. But they invited me out for a visit. I took a flight, you know, they got me a hotel and things like that. I visited the campus. It was amazing. The facilities were huge and all that nice brand new, had great tech, gym and all that. I came back home, I. I talked to my parents after talking to some of the players on the team that's there, and I made my decision. I, I didn't think it was reason to wait, you know, it's getting paid for. I can see the vision that they're doing, you know, they just made it to the national tournament, this past season. So I think it has everything I need to be successful, you know, in this next year and this next step of my journey. So I committed. Here we are. Yeah. 00:30:33 Matt Blymier: Well, as I think, you know, we wish you nothing but the best as you go there, and we'll certainly be tracking you as you finish your final year of eligibility in Tennessee. Liv. Meg, thank you so much for joining us. That's it for this episode of WildCast. Thank you everybody for joining. 00:30:50 Megan Kurian: Thank you.