Condly Found Success as Student, Athlete and Military Cadet

The rigor of being a student-athlete can prove incredibly challenging. For Temple cross country class of 2019 member, Jonathan Condly balanced being an Army Cadet in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), while competing and succeeding both in the classroom and on the courses.

Condly grew up in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania and was a multi-sport athlete in high school. He found his strongest success on the cross country courses and the track, which propelled him to explore the opportunity of competing at the Division I level.

Condly's uncle worked at West Point, which allowed him to visit the campus on several occasions. "ROTC was something that I wanted to do, so I considered applying to West Point, but I decided that I wanted something closer to the standard college experience," explained Condly. The Jim Thorpe native was awarded a prestigious ROTC scholarship to attend Temple University.

The transition for any student-athlete is not easy, but it was going to be even more difficult for Condly. ROTC is an intensive program that consists of physical training, classroom sessions and many other time-consuming events. Cadets are held to the highest of standards as they are preparing to serve as officers in the US Military.

However, Condly quickly found success rising from the pack as the top freshman in the largest recruiting class that Temple cross country had signed during head coach James Snyder's tenure.

During his freshman campaign, Condly was a consistent member of the team's scoring and posted several impressive marks, which Snyder referred to as "incredibly admirable."

Condly admitted that it was not all smooth sailing with this incredibly difficult balancing act. There are times that people in this position must decide where their priorities lie.

"Early on I felt like I might have to make a choice, but I never wanted to make that decision," reflected Condly. "I would be lying if I said that it never crossed my mind that being a student-athlete and a cadet might be too much."

While the workload never decreased, Condly was able to settle in and find success in all three areas at Temple. His sophomore year, he was the Owls' second finisher at the American Athletic Conference Championships. His success on the course and his work ethic led to Snyder naming him a team captain for his junior and senior seasons.

"He threw himself into the training in a way that would best contribute to his success," said Snyder. "And I think that mindset really rubbed off the other guys."

A major key to success in long distance running is consistency in training without breaks for injury or other events that keep you from the sport. For Condly, this is something he had to overcome with his commitment to the military. Snyder explained how Condly balanced this in saying, "I always appreciated his kind of controlled recklessness. He knew that he would have to push himself really hard to find the success that he wanted."

ROTC cadets have multiple Field Training Exercises (FTX) throughout their four years, where they travel to a military base for training. While most FTX events are only a weekend, Condly spent several weeks at Fort Knox in Kentucky the summer after his junior year.

At Fort Knox, Condly had to rise from the pack as cadets are scored based upon their performance, which ultimately affects their branch placement upon graduation. In addition to time in Kentucky, Condly spent multiple weeks on the other side of the world in Sri Lanka training with their national military, an experience which he was "incredibly grateful to have."

Through his four years as a cadet, Condly established himself as one of the top members of his class and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate, an honor that is awarded to only a few members of the class.

With his graduating rank, Condly was able to obtain his top choice of placement to join Army Aviation. This placement took Condly to Alabama where he trained at Fort Rucker.

"The first phase of flying, which is common core, then you go to selection where I selected the Blackhawk and that's going to be my airframe for the army that'll fly," explained Condly.

With his time in Alabama Flight School nearing completion, Condly will relocate to Hunter Army Airbase in Georgia in the late spring where he will become a platoon leader.

Condly has shown that through time management, dedication and a strong work ethic, success can be achieved in all facets of life.

Temple University Athletics

Condly Found Success as Student, Athlete and Military Cadet

Related Videos