IOWA CITY, Iowa — Senior Daniel Soto had high hopes for his final outdoor season after coming off an indoor season filled with personal records.
“It was a weird mix between you kind of saw it coming and it not seeming real,” said Soto. “Just a few days prior, we were still planning on going to Arizona for our spring break trip. In the span of 48 hours the season got canceled and it was pretty surreal.”
After practice with the team, Soto headed to a midterm. The NCAA meanwhile, was in the midst of announcing that all spring sports were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Going into the midterm, I had a gut feeling about it because I had seen the Big Ten basketball tournament get canceled,” said Soto. “I got out of my midterm and checked Twitter to learn the season was canceled. Next, I just went home and turned on ESPN and watched the news for the next few hours. It was definitely disappointing.”
Soto placed sixth in the 5,000 meters with a collegiate-best 13:58.97 at Big Ten Indoor Championships on Feb. 28. He ran collegiate-best 8:06.04 in 3,000 meters at UW Invite on Feb. 1. Those times rank third and fifth, respectively, all-time at Iowa.
With the uncertainty of using his extra season of eligibility, Soto is completing his spring academic semester online and at home in Des Moines. This is his Hawkeye Shakeout.
What did this 2020 outdoor track season mean to you?
“This season was supposed to be the pinnacle of my running career. It is really tough for me to stomach especially coming back for a fifth year for my event which is the 10K, (which is) only ran in the outdoor season. It’s upsetting to know we don’t have any more races for the foreseeable future.”
What are some unforgettable moments from your Hawkeye career?
“The most memorable moment as a Hawkeye will always be winning that Big Ten Outdoor Championship last year. That was really special for so many people especially since my freshman year was Coach Woody’s first full group of recruits. It was something that we were talking about when I was recruited, to put together a team to win Big Tens. It was special to be a part of that with so many of my friends who had been there for so long from starting out in the dorms together to 3-4 years of classes and training together. What made it even more special was that it was at home and we had so many Hawkeye alums there watching.
“Another big moment that I was not a part of, but I was there, was when our distance medley relay won the Big Ten Indoor Championship in 2018. That was just a huge moment for our distance program because it was the first time in a while that we had started to consistently score points at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. That was a turnaround for us, to show that we are competitive with the best not only in the Big Ten, but in the country, as well.”
Are you still training?
“I’m still training. The beautiful thing about being a distance runner is that you can still train and practice during this time, you just do it alone. If you have the motivation, you can always find a way to get better. It has been a nice outlet for me, trying to find ways to get better.”
What have you been watching during quarantine?
“I re-watched Game of Thrones for the fourth time. It is also nice to just be home with my family. The last time I spent two weeks at home was probably high school.”
