Mia Roman: Dominating two sports, breaking records, and leaving a legacy
Mia Roman reflects on her experience as a member of Bethel College's volleyball and track teams.
Being a multi-sport athlete is no easy feat, and accomplishing it for four consecutive years is even more impressive. Mia Roman, a senior from Kansas City, has participated in both track and field and volleyball during her time at Bethel College—not only competing but excelling. She has been named KCAC Setter of the Week three times, earned KCAC Second Team honors for volleyball, and has recently been breaking numerous records in track, including her own.
Roman was already familiar with Bethel before becoming a student—both of her parents attended the college and were multi-sport athletes as well. Her mother even competed in volleyball and track and field, just like Roman. “I came in planning on doing both [volleyball and track and field],” said Roman.
Regarding volleyball, Roman emphasized how the program’s growth has led to increased recognition. “I feel like the program has really been growing, and every year more and more of my teammates are getting honors,” she shared. “We’re getting more recognition from the other KCAC teams, and there’s more weight to the Bethel College name when we go and play teams.”
On the track, Roman’s name has frequently appeared in Bethel headlines alongside phrases about broken records. “We just got Coach Martinez last year, and before that, I did high jump and was a sprinter,” Roman explained. “Toward the end of the year, I did my first 1500 outdoors, so I think he just kind of thought I had some untapped potential in the longer distances and wanted to explore that.”
Training for long-distance races was a new challenge, but Roman credited her teammates for making workouts—especially long runs—more enjoyable. “I had never run more than a mile in practice before junior year,” she admitted. “If you had asked me, I would have been like, ‘That’s way too far.’” Despite this, in her first-ever mile race, Roman broke a school record that had stood since 2013.
When it comes to pre-race rituals, Roman has a few unique habits. “The day before meets, I enjoy doing yoga. I have to tuck my shoelaces into my spikes. When I’m on the line, I’m one of those people that hits their legs,” she said, adding that she always drinks a Celsius on meet days.
“Track, you just know you’re going to put your body in pain. It’s not about being perfect like volleyball is,” Roman said. “I need the Celsius.”
When asked which sport she enjoys more, Roman said it depends on what she’s doing at the moment. “It’s probably whichever I’m doing at the time,” she said. “For volleyball, I really like the team aspect—having teammates on the floor with you. You do that in track too, but it’s more like you’re running relays.”
She also highlighted the different mental demands of the two sports. “Track is a lot about just pushing your body through pain and seeing how much pain you can put your body in,” Roman said. “It’s more fierce when you’re just racing—it’s just you and a time.”
During races, Roman makes a conscious effort to maintain a positive mindset. “I usually focus on trying to gain on someone in front of me, trying to be very positive in my mind. Either that or I try to go blank—or if we have a game plan, I really focus on those things,” she said.
“I have a saying, which is just ‘run pretty,’” Roman explained. “I feel like if I run pretty, I have good mechanics, so it’ll take care of itself.” She also emphasized the importance of positive self-talk and hyping herself up near the end of a race.
Roman appreciates the support from her teammates during competitions. “I have great teammates, so I’ll always hear people yelling at me. They’ll spread themselves out along the track,” she said. “A lot of people like getting in my face or yelling at me to do whatever, and that really, really helps.”
Bethel’s cross country coach and assistant track and field coach, Julio Martinez, praised Roman’s work ethic and leadership. “Mia has been a pleasure to work with,” he said. “From day one, she has bought into the new challenges that came from moving up to longer-distance training and racing. She has embraced the good and the bad and has risen to greater heights as an athlete.”
Martinez also highlighted her competitive spirit and team-first mentality. “Mia is a natural competitor, and I can always count on her to get the job done on race day,” he said. “She’s reliable, and her coachability has led her to break multiple records over the last two seasons.”
Beyond competition, Martinez emphasized Roman’s leadership and impact on her teammates. “Mia is a great competitor, but she is an even better teammate. Always supporting teammates, her energy is welcoming, which makes her a joy to coach. Her leadership will definitely be missed next season.”
“Mia is a great competitor, but she is an even better teammate. Always supporting teammates, her energy is welcoming, which makes her a joy to coach. Her leadership will definitely be missed next season.”
Julio Martinez
After Bethel, Roman plans to attend physical therapy school and study abroad.
For those looking to follow in her footsteps, Roman offered some advice. “The race really starts when you start feeling pain because that’s when everyone is feeling pain. You’re going to go through pain, but it makes the running high after so worth it. If you hit that time, it’s very rewarding.”