A QUESTION AND ANSWER INTERVIEW SESSION WITH CALVIN'S SOPHIE BULL

INTRO: Calvin Sports Information Director Jeff Febus had a chance to catch up with three-time national champion Sophie Bull for a question and answer session to look back on her four years at Calvin University which includes nine All-America awards, a pair of Academic All-America selections © and a raft of additional honors. Bull recently graduated from Calvin and capped her collegiate career in late May at the NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in La Crosse, Wisconsin. At the meet, she repeated as national champion in the steeplechase while earning another All-America berth in the 5,000 meters, helping the Calvin team place fourth in the final team standings, marking the program's best national team finish since 2007. Below is her question-and-answer interview

SOPHIE BULL Q and A

Q: Tell us a little bit about growing up in Denver and getting involved in athletics from a young age all the way through high school.

A: My parents put me in all kinds of sports from a young age. I tried basketball, soccer and volleyball. I didn't start running competitively until my junior year of high school. I did volleyball for my first two years and then I did basketball and soccer all four years at Denver Christian. I joined the cross country team my junior year. I enjoyed it and had some success with it and started to think that it might be something I would like to pursue in college. I played a lot of different sports growing up and that helped solidify my love for athletics that continues today."

Q: When you visited Calvin, what sold you on choosing the school for your home for the next four years?

A: It was a little bit of an interesting time as Calvin was between coaches with one coach (Brian Diemer) retiring and the new coach (Nicole Kramer) not on board yet but the people at Calvin were so welcoming and it just felt like a great community, a place I could call home. I talked with (then) assistant coach McKenzie (Diemer) Pluymert and she did a great job of explaining what the program was like. Honestly, the people at Calvin were the difference and led me to want to be on the team. I've always loved to compete and having a place like Calvin where I could push myself, move my body and compete with others was something I wanted to pursue.

Q: You get to Calvin and you and Coach (Nicole) Kramer are new to the team. What was your first year of distance running like?

A: I had a big shift in training. There was higher mileage and different kinds of workouts and learning to compete with new people and some new coaches. It was an adjustment, but I think we all just grew and learned together as we figured it out. The biggest thing from then and throughout college was just staying consistent. Some of the progress that I've seen personally is just a testament to the coaches' training I've received and how they have been able to develop my fitness through proper mileage and workouts.  

Q: You began competing in the steeplechase your freshman year. What was that like?

A: It's a unique event and one that is fun to learn. I started out with the hurdles during indoor track and then I did my first steeplechase at WashU my freshman year. It was not very pretty (laughing). We've come a long way but it was cool to try a new event. I had never done hurdling before but I had great teammates who showed me how it was done. Once I started running the steeplechase, I knew that I loved it and wanted to keep getting better at it.

Q: Sophomore year of track and field, you broke through for your first All-America finish, placing fifth in the steeplechase at outdoor nationals. What was that like – earning All-America status for the first time?

A: It was incredible. If you had told me just a couple of years before, that I would be a track All-American I never would have believed you. That was an exciting experience. Coming into the (NCAA Outdoor) meet, I just wanted to get out of prelims and into the finals. Once I made it to the finals it came down to beating a few people in front of me to get on the podium. To cross the finish line, finish fifth and stand on the podium was just very surreal and kept me hungry for more.

Q: You followed that up with an All-America finish in cross country, finishing 28^th individually. What was the transition like from going through months on the track and then moving on to the kind of surfaces you run on with cross country.

A: Definitely an adjustment moving from the track to grass, mud or even dirt. It's nice that we have the whole summer leading up to it. It allows you time to get in the proper mindset and some of the training. I always spent my summers doing a lot of runs on softer surfaces and running hills. I think that no matter what, whether it's cross country or track, staying consistent is the most important thing for building fitness.

Q: Moving ahead to last spring at the (2025) Outdoor National Meet, you break through to win a national title. Did that catch you a little bit by surprise, doing what you did?

A: That was an incredible feeling. I was going into the national meet with the second fastest seed (time) so I knew could be a contender for the title when it comes to nationals, you just never know what's going to happen. I didn't have any high expectations coming in. But I remember (in the finals) breaking away from the back, crossing the line first with a huge PR and it was just very surreal. There were a lot of emotions all at once and yeah, a little bit of shock with it too.

Q: You senior cross country season this past fall, I'm sure when you look back on your senior year you will look back on some ups and some downs. I know the conference meet wasn't your favorite moment. But then you and your team bounced back at the regional meet and did extremely well (Bull took first individually and the team second). And you and the team did extremely well at the national meet (Bull fifth individually and team 21st). How would you describe your final cross country season?

A: Things were going smoothly until the (mid-October) meet at Augustana where I dealt with some heat exhaustion. Recovering from that that made it bit more challenging for me at the (MIAA) conference meet. I was hoping to perform better there but my body just wasn't at the point where it would allow me to run the way I wanted. It was a big confidence booster to win the regional meet and I felt like I was back in proper shape to perform well at nationals. I was a little nervous at the national meet. It was a bit of a warmer day and a tough course but I was happy with my finish. Fifth (place) was higher than I had anticipated. That was exciting and seeing the team place higher than we were ranked coming in was exciting as well. It was a very fun day.

Q: Then a final year on the track, first on the indoor circuit. Your team wins another conference meet and you qualified for nationals in the 3K. Your 3K race was one for the ages, coming from behind and winning your second individual national title. What do you remember from that race?

 A: (Laughing) that race was crazy. It was hard to wrap my mind around it for some time after. I raced the night before, anchoring our Distance Medley Relay (which placed 10^th for 2^nd Team All-America) which was really fun. I knew that a lot of the 3K competitors were tired from previous races, whether that was the (Friday night) 5K, mile run or DMR. There were a lot of tired legs but we were all out there to compete. I remember the early pace. It was pretty quick. Then a couple of people got tripped up and fell. It was a bit chaotic in the middle of the race. I was just trying to compete and put myself in the highest position possible. And then, with the last lap, I was just trying to give it everything I had through the (finish) line. I was really competing for second place at that point. In the final few meters, I realized that first (place) wasn't too far away so I tried to find another gear with my finish. I remember turning around after the race, seeing my name up (on the scoreboard) in first. It was the most insane feeling. I couldn't believe it.

Q: How do you come off the high of that race and prepare for another outdoor season? Do you put the one season in the rear view mirror or do you use the momentum from what you did just there to spur you on for the outdoor season?

A: I think it's a balance of trying to be proud of what you've done and also being humble in your future steps. You have to remember that you have to earn it every time you toe the line. I think the shift from indoor to outdoor was fun because I got to start racing in the steeplechase again. That brings a certain level of excitement and a new focus. It was cool to be able to compete in some fun races like the Brian Clay (Invitational) in California and focus on the steeplechase.

Q: I was going to ask you about the Brian Clay Invite. You and a teammate and Coach Kramer flew out to California and you got to race against some high-level competition including several DI runners. What was it like to run against those folks? You ran extremely fast (a then-Calvin record 10:07.18) but it's a different crowd that you're running with at that race.

A: It was a great environment. Just to go there and see so many names and faces I was familiar with from online results. To be there in person with them was fantastic. As a D3 runner, it's hard to find that kind of competition in a race like the steeplechase. That moment was special. It was fun to compete with all the divisions at once and show that Division III runners can compete well too.

Q: Before we get to outdoor nationals this year, let's revisit the fact that you were a part of track teams that won back-to-back titles in indoor and then in outdoor after several years of not winning the league championship. Doing that together as a team the last two years has to give you a satisfying feeling.

A: It does. Like I said before, the progress of our program is a testament to our coaches and the dedication and training that they've poured into this program. It's been awesome to see how much we've been able to improve from my freshman year to my senior year. We started by placing third or fourth in conference to winning both (indoor and outdoor) each of the last two years. The coaches have done a great job with recruiting and developing people to perform well in our conference."

Q: Let's move on to outdoor nationals. You're the top seed in the steeplechase this year. You're no longer trying to sneak up on people. You're now the hunted instead of the hunter and you have to deal with a prelim before the final and then the 5K the following day after.

A: It was challenging having difficult races back to back but I think I was trying to just take one race at a time. On the first day, my goal in the (prelim) steeple was to just move on and give it all I had in the final. Then it was a matter of seeing what I had left in the tank for the 5K and just see what I could do. There was pressure being the (steeplechase) favorite but I was trying to just race how I normally would and give everything I had.

Q: And it worked out pretty well, running a school record (10:04.18)  and posting the second fastest time in NCAA (III) women's track and field history. You got pushed a little too. Peyton Steffen (who placed second in the steeplechase) from Central College was awfully good this year so I would think having high-level competition to push you wasn't a bad thing."

A: Definitely. Peyton really pushed me in the steeplechase. To be honest, I wasn't focusing on the time. I was just trying to break away from the pack as much as I could and race through the line. To finish with a PR and school record was amazing. I was pushed by the rest of the pack as well. I made a move in the race to move up in front and then get as much separation as I could.

Q: And then the 5,000 meters, I mean, you gave it everything you had and ultimately got the final points (fifth place) for the team that put Calvin on the (top four) podium. Just your thoughts on finishing it out the way you did.

A: A lot of us were tired in that 5K, me included. It was just trying to empty the tank and see what happened. To be able to move up to fifth was exciting. I was happy with how that race went and then to be on the team podium was just an incredible feeling and honor. It was so cool to experience that with my teammates and like I have said, see the progress that we've had over the last four years to become a fourth-place team in the country.

Q: We've talked about athletics. Let's talk a bit about your academics. You recently graduated with a degree in kinesiology, doing so with all kinds of academic honors. Take me through what you've done in the classroom at Calvin and what you will be doing and hope to do in the future.

A: Like you said, I majored in kinesiology with a pre-PA (Physician's Assistant) track. I'm planning on taking a gap year and I'm staying in Michigan for that. I'll be working in a hospital to get more patient care hours. For grad school, I'm applying to PA schools right now and I hope to start grad school sometime next year. I'm applying to some in Michigan, some in Colorado and some in other states. I'm excited to see where that process takes me.

Q: How about any classes or professors that have stood out for you that have made an impact on you in your years at Calvin.

A: I've honestly loved all of my kinesiology classes and professors. I've really enjoyed learning from them. Professor (John) Sparks and Professor (Michael) Wierenga were great professors. I would also say, some of my biology classes stand out. I loved genetics with Professor (Amy) Wilsterman and my cadaver lab with Professor (Ryan) Bebej was great. I appreciate them a lot because they cared about us as individuals, ensuring that we were learning everything well."

Q: You've talked about this a bit but maybe add a bit more about your coaches and the impact they have had on you.

A: The (Calvin) coaches have been amazing. I think they've really made the experience such a great one on the teams I have been on. I've enjoyed how they've trained the program specifically, but also just how they care about all of us as individuals. Obviously it's important for us to perform on the track or cross country course but I think they prioritize our physical, emotional and mental well-being which I really appreciate.

Q: And what about your teammates?

A: It's fun to have such a big team, especially on the track side. I've loved the team dinners and team Bible studies and get-togethers we have done. It's been so much fun to be able to push each and learn from each other. On the track side, it was fun to do small groups with people from all different event groups so that we could get to know and cheer each other on at the meets. The community is really what made me enjoy my experience here so much.

Q: I haven't asked about your parents (Reba and Brad Bull) or your family. How have they been able to support you from afar?

A: My family, they're the best supporters. My parents watched every live stream they could back in Denver and they have flown out too. Their support is just an amazing. I've also felt very supported by extended family that live here in Michigan. I've had a lot of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins come to meets and that has been really fun. I wouldn't be where I am now without my parents and family.

Q: Any more running for you in the future?

A: I've been talking with Coach Kramer about a potential steeplechase race in the near future. I definitely want to keep running but it will probably look a little bit different. I'm still trying to figure that part out. It will probably be more road races. (Editor's note: Bull ran in the Portland Track Festival on 6-21-26 and ran 10:04.59 in the steeplechase).

Q: Looking back, if you were going to talk to someone who was thinking about Calvin, what advice would you give them?

A: I would tell them to 'go for it!' (laughing). I think it's rare to find a place where you can prioritize your academics and athletics and physical, mental and spiritual well-being all-in-one. I think Calvin is such a great combination of so many important aspects and I appreciate how individuals can grow together and make the most of their college experience here.