Sometimes in life, it takes a while for individuals to find their calling.

The same thing happens in athletics. Just ask Susan Fletcher.

A Seneca Valley High School graduate and junior at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa., Fletcher is a member of the Golden Tornadoes' cross county and track teams. She has run well the past two seasons in the spring, but never reached elite status in an event.

It had nothing to do with a lack of desire or her running ability. It was more about her finding a niche.

"Susan is a good middle-distance runner, but she doesn't quite have the speed to put her into that elite status," said Bret Otte, Geneva's track and cross country coach. "She's also a good distance runner and does well in the 5,000 and 10,000, but she doesn't quite have that great endurance to be outstanding in those races."

What Fletcher needed was a race that was shorter than 5,000 meters and longer than 1,500.

Fletcher, who is majoring in chemistry and education, and Otte discussed the situation and came to an agreement. She would give the 3,000-meter steeplechase a try.

For those unfamiliar with that event, the steeplechase is seven laps around the track during which runners have to clear 28 hurdles and go over a water hazard seven times. It requires the endurance of a distance runner and the athletic ability of a hurdler.

It also requires some guts and mental toughness.

Fletcher competed in the event for the first time in a meet at Carnegie Mellon University earlier this month. She won the race with a time of 11 minutes, 53.61 seconds. That was just six seconds off the qualifying time for the NAIA nationals May 24-26 in Fresno, Calif.

"People who do that event are either nuts or very athletic," Otte said with a laugh. "Actually, it's the perfect race for Susan because it's that in-between distance and because she is a good athlete.

"I thought she'd be good at it because of her abilities. I'm not surprised at how well she has done."

"I've always liked running cross country, having to go over things on the trails and things like that," she said. "The steeplechase is kind of like that. I love it."

She had wanted to give the steeplechase a try in past years, but Geneva had a couple of very good individuals in the event. So, Fletcher stayed with the middle distances and ran legs on the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays.

This spring, she teamed with Marsha Miller, Laura Seyler and Rebecca VanRegenmorter for a first-place finish in the 3,200 relay at the Western Pennsylvania championships at IUP. She will continue to run on the relay teams.

In Fletcher's second try at the steeplechase, she was second in 11:48.4 at Robert Morris University last weekend. She probably would have made the national qualifying time in that race if she hadn't lost her balance and gone into the water pit.

"All you could see was her head sticking out," Otte said.

The spill happened on the first lap. That meant Fletcher was soaking wet the rest of the race. Not the best way to try and compete.

"Really, it didn't bother me that much," she said. "My hands got a little cold, but that was about it."

Geneva was to compete in the America Mideast Conference championships this weekend at Houghton College in New York.

Otte was confident that, barring the unexpected, Fletcher would reach the NAIA qualifying standard. Geneva will also compete in the Presidents' Athletic Conference championships Saturday at Grove City College.

Fletcher, meanwhile, continues to work on her hurdling form and the nuances of the steeplechase.

Otte said Fletcher picked up the hurdling style for the race quickly and is much better at it that she believes.

"The fact she's a good athlete -- she was on the swimming team in high school -- really helps her in the steeplechase," he said. "She grasped the hurdling form in a hurry."

"I don't know how graceful I am," Fletcher said with laugh when told of Otte's comments. "I'm sure there are some tricks to running the event that I just don't know yet. I just know that I enjoy running it. I guess I've finally found my race."