Her elbow was broken. Her knee was bruised.
But Jessica Cickay did what she knew best when she hit rock bottom. The 5-7, dark-haired college sophomore scraped herself back up and started over.
Jessica Cickay competing January 28, 2006 on her
home track at Boston Univeristy in the Terrier Classic
(Photo by Alison Wade, www.eliterunning.com)
Cickay, a 2004 Council Rock-North High graduate and current Boston University junior was three and a half laps into the NCAA Division I East Region steeplechase championship as a sophomore this spring when another girl ran into her, causing her to slam her way over a hurdle.
"Once I fell I had so much adrenaline and I had to catch up," Cickay said.
Cickay would finish last in her heat, a huge disappointment considering her school record personnel best of 10:24 was one of the top 10 times in the country during most of the season. There had been a national meet berth just within her reach.
"I was only a sophomore and I know I have two more years so I was happy" with the season, she said.
Plus, Cickay has known far worse than finishing last.
Four years ago - as a high school sophomore - she came close to possibly giving up the sport when a battle with anorexia had her below 100 pounds.
"I wasn't learning anything because I was running faster," she said. During cross country she was just a few steps away from the 3A state title (Stephanie Madia, North Allegheny/Notre Dame). She also qualified for the Foot Locker championships that year.
"At a certain point my parents and coaches stepped in," she said. "It was more so a decision on my own because I loved running so much and wasn't enjoying life. So I gained weight."
Cickay was able to get herself back to healthy weight. But that would mean a frustrating junior year that was aggravated even further when Council Rock split and all of her running friends were sent to the new Council Rock-South.
On top of all this she found out she was severely anemic and had to fight to get her ferritin level in check.
"Once I got my iron in control I got used to my new healthy self," she said.
Finally things began to turn around.
"I surprised myself in the winter and spring," she said. "I was able to come through the end of my senior year fifth or sixth at states (in the mile during spring track)."
Cickay ran 5-flat in the mile that year and found herself staring at a full ride to Boston University.
But things got rocky again freshman year. "My iron dropped under 10," she said. "I'm very excessive and I definitely over-trained." In the winter she spiked her mileage and hit the pool and ended up with a sprained ankle.
"I set myself up for failure," Cickay said.
That wasn't the case this year.
"This year I finally did everything as close to right as you can," she said. "I kept in stride and now I'm in better shape than I was in high school."
Along with her steeplechase time, Cickay also ran PRs in the mile (4:54) and 3,000 (9:40) during the indoor and outdoor seasons.
This fall she'll factor in on Boston's team that is looking for a team berth to the Division I cross country championships.
"I finally found a balance," she said.
This summer that balance has meant keeping her mileage in check (although she was dealing with a sore hamstring a few weeks ago) and turning her focus away from running and onto her career aspirations.
"I was in New York for an internship (at Eats Magazine) and I wasn't very excessive, but getting the right amount in," she said. "I really feel good again."
Cickay said she wants to do something involving writing when she graduates so while interning at Eats she did everything from marketing to public relations to editorial to "regular intern work."
But running may get in the way again because Cickay is realizing that running for a top club or semi-professionally could be an option.
"The mind-frame is always still there and I still have bad days or weeks, but I look at things and know I'll be fine," Cickay said. "You do what you can with who you are."
She continued, "I know I've overcome so much and my team at Boston has become my best friends. I just know what I've been through and how much I hurt everyone around me and I never want to do that again."