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Senior Matt Debole

Name: Matt DeboleSport: Track

Event: Middle Distance/Distance

Hometown: Winston-Salem, N.C.

High School: Mount Tabor High School

School/Year: COL ’08

Concentration: Pre-Med

High School Career: Held the state record in the 3200 meter and 5K, and the school record in the 800m, 1600m, 3200m, 4x400m relay and 5K. Named Nike Athlete of the Week after winning the 2003 Millrose Games High School Mile Run. Won the Penn Relays mile with a personal record of 4:09.73.

Georgetown Career: Earned all-Big East honors in the ’05-’06 season. Placed first for the Hoyas at the Paul Short Cross Country Invitational. Earned all-American honors on the distance medley relay at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

When did you first start running? I used to play a lot of soccer back in middle school . but in high school, after first cuts, I didn’t make the team, which made me pretty upset and I was really hurt by it. I went for cross country with a friend just to stay in shape, but I ended up really enjoying cross country and I did really well, so I thought maybe I should continue. I started missing soccer games for track meets and that’s where it began.

Why did you decide to join the Georgetown team? Georgetown made an immediate impression on me, and Coach Henner and his recruiting tactics did it. I just knew I wanted to come to Georgetown. Plus, a couple of high school seniors I knew came here before me, so that got me really interested.

Team Jokers? Probably [seniors] Levi Miller and Brandon Bonsey. They’re always the creative ones, coming up with ideas for keeping us from being bored.

Any superstitions? I don’t really have superstitions, but I like having a routine. I try to do the same warm up before races; that makes me feel more comfortable rather than putting my right shoe on first or something like that.

Describe your first race for the Hoyas: My first race was a cross country race out at Great Meadows (NJ). My roommate and I overslept, and we were leaving the day of the meet. We were supposed to be in the bus at 6 a.m. I got a call from our captain at 6:10 a.m. saying, “Where are you guys?” and me and my roommate looked at the time and jumped out of bed and grabbed our bags, which we’d already packed last night, and just ran all the way to McDonough to jump on the bus. We were so embarrassed, because it’s like, “My gosh, what a first impression to make!” So I felt I had a lot to prove when I went out to the track, even more so than normal because I’d made such a bad first impression. But I ended up tying for first with two other teammates, which was pretty awesome. So it was a funny first-time race for Georgetown.

Best moment in your career so far? Winning the all-American [Meet] in cross country. Cross country has always been sort of a hurdle for me, so it was a real personal victory for me even though it wasn’t all glamorous and stuff.

Favorite athlete? Cal Ripken Jr. from the Orioles.

If you could be great at any other sport, what would it be? It would definitely be soccer. It’s the most exciting game, and the guys are just so athletic. They’re total athletes: They’re explosive, they have endurance, the agility and the coordination; it’s all so impressive to me. It’s a very team-oriented sport, which I think is really cool.

Your hardest class at Georgetown? Freshman year I took a human biology course in the nursing school. I loved the class but it was insanely hard.

What is the one thing you miss most about home? My mom’s cooking and my dad’s grilling. And of course my dog.

Favorite movie? “The Princess Bride.”

A movie you’re embarrassed to admit you like? Oh, so you think I’d be embarrassed by “Princess Bride?” I’m not.

Favorite escape from Georgetown? Playing music with my friends has been a really big escape. It’s like a mental vacation because we’re still here, but it’s still relaxing.

Favorite Georgetown restaurant? It’s a toss-up between The Tombs and Booey’s.

Booey’s or Wisey’s? Oh, definitely Booey’s, definitely. I used to live near Wisey’s last year and I could just smell it all the time. I guess I got tired of it. I really like the Hard Hat sandwich at Booey’s.

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