The Observer, November 3, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 9
Spartan Spotlight: Mike Petro
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Year, major, sport, et cetera: Mike Petro is a sophomore biomedical engineering student on the cross country and track teams. He also claims to be Skipper of the S.S. Minnow, but those facts have not been checked by this detective.
Who/What inspired you to run cross country: Mom was going to stop making me dinner.
Athletic Honors: 2004 Hunger Walk 5K Champion.
Academic Honors: I'm still at Case, aren't I? Isn't that enough?
Jeffrey T. Verespej: Considering you're from Cincinnati, I guess so. Favorite athlete?
Mike Petro: No. 85 Chad Johnson.
JTV: My point exactly. Don't you mean 'Ocho cinco?' What's your worst cross country memory?
MP: Running a hill workout in a mix of snow, sleet, and hail (in October, mind you).
JTV: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
MP: Coaching a high school cross country team somewhere warmer than Cleveland.
JTV: Such high aspirations. If you could be one place but Case (like you would ever want to leave), where would you go?
MP: A place where the sun shines for more than five days a year would be a good start.
JTV: You're really happy here, aren't you? What's something most people don't know about you?
MP: I sleep in a drawer.
JTV: And most of the Cincinnati Bengals sleep in jail. Great. What's the high point in a CC runner's season?
MP: It's all about the post-season… conference, regionals, nationals, galaxies.
JTV: I hear Krypton has a good team this year. Would you rather have the strength of 1000 men, be able to fly, or be invisible?
MP: To be able to fly, hands down (then up again, and then back down).
JTV: Well played. At least you'd be able to compete with Superman in the Galaxies then. What makes cross country stand out from other sports?
MP: Have you seen our uniforms?
JTV: I didn't want to say anything too mean. Is that your least favorite thing about cross country, or something else?
MP: Two words: ice baths.
JTV: Cold. Yet kinky. Soooo, what does a cross country runner do for fun in this town?
MP: Personally, I enjoy riding the RTA looking to pick fights.
JTV: A very good strategy, especially for someone of your imposing physical presence. Hah, who am I kidding, do you get laughed at? If they made a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?
MP: I've been told I look a lot like Billy Bob Thornton in Bandits.
JTV: That's funny, because I was going to peg you for him. People tell me I look like the other star from the movie. Anyway, I hear that you have your own business?
MP: You could call it that. It has allowed me to upgrade from the 99 cent Super Value Menu to combo meals.
JTV: It's good to move up in the world. Once you get your degree, you should be able to handle a supersize! If you could invite any three people to dinner, living or dead, who would they be and why?
MP: Johnny Carson for plenty of good laughs, Warren Buffett to pick up the tab, and John McCain for some good stories.
JTV: Here's Johnny! Obviously you have good taste in your comedy, any favorite words from him?
MP: A slightly more serious quote that I try to follow. "Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined." –Johnny Carson
JTV: Well, that, and the ability to afford combo meals. Both important.
