In mid-March, senior middle distance runner Dan Schaffer had just concluded a standout indoor track season. He had won the America East Indoor title in the mile and had clocked a mile time of 4:00.38 one week later at the Boston Last Chance Meet.

Schaffer was gearing up for  an even better campaign in the ensuing outdoor track season. Due to the spread of COVID-19, however, that outdoor season never came.

Like many of his fellow Binghamton athletes, Schaffer has worked through the initial shock of the cancellation and has been adjusting to a different routine this past month. He cites his coaches, teammates and family all being sources of support.

Having redshirted during the 2016-17 academic year, Schaffer has one more season of eligibility remaining. He looks forward to the future as he works towards his master's degree and gets back to competing.

Take us through the day when you found out that the outdoor track season was canceled. What were your emotions?

The day I found out my outdoor track season was canceled, I was heartbroken. I had a lot of momentum going into the outdoor season and was looking forward to competing. Although it was hard to stomach the NCAA's decision to cancel the season, I knew it was best for the athletes, spectators, and the entire community.

How have you been able to stay in shape during this time?

Us runners are lucky, in order to complete our training, we don't necessarily need to have a coach or teammates with us. I have still been receiving training plans from my coach via email, and running mostly by myself. I also am lucky to have some dumbbells in my basement that I can use to do a modified lift. My strength and conditioning coach, Lori Gleason, has been helping me maintain my lifting regimen as best I can.

Looking back a month later -- how pleased were you with your indoor season?
Looking back, I am very pleased with my indoor season, especially given the fact it was my first season post-surgery. I set personal bests in every event I ran, and had the opportunity to compete at a higher level than I ever have before. I also was able to capture another America East title for Binghamton, and can now call myself a 4-minute miler.

Even though the results weren't what you had hoped for, how exciting was it to travel to the Millrose Games and the Iowa State Meet?

It was extremely exciting to travel to the Millrose Games and Iowa State to compete this season. Although the results were not what I had hoped for, I have gained invaluable experience running against such a high level of competition. Next time I get the opportunity to compete at that level, I will be that much more prepared.

You had a lot of alumni support for the Millrose Games. How meaningful was that?

I was thrilled to learn that Binghamton alumni would be cheering me on at the Millrose Games. About 10 former track and field athletes, including some of my former teammates, were there supporting me. During my warm up as I was doing strides around the track, the group called my name and cheered me on. Hearing and seeing them before my race really pumped me up to compete.

How has the transition gone from in-class to on-line studying?

The transition from in-class to on-line learning has been easier than expected. Some of my professors simply post a lecture video online that students can watch at their convenience. Other professors still hold a live, online lecture over video chat. I've had no problem continuing to learn. The lack of contact with my classmates has been most noticeable, although I am still able to keep up and work with them by video chatting.

How supportive have your coaches been during this time?

My coaches have been so supportive during this time. In addition to sending us workouts to do, both Coach Acuff and Coach Murray tell us, the team, that they are always available if we need anything, and invite us to call or text them whenever needed. They continue to guide me and my teammates just as much as they would if we were still having practice at Binghamton. I have been keeping up with Coach Acuff and Coach Murray though both text messages and phone calls.

How much contact have you had with your teammates during this time? Have you guys been a source of strength to each other?

My teammates and I share a group chat, in which we all keep up with each other. I also have a weekly video chat with my cross country teammates. Although the outdoor track season has been canceled, we have big plans for the fall cross country season. Keeping in touch with my teammates gives me strength to keep training hard. Although I don't get to see them every day, we still motivate each other to get in all our miles.

Tell us about your future plans academically and athletically.
I am a senior this year, and plan to graduate from the Watson School in May with my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. I plan on returning this fall to Binghamton to pursue a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering. I sat out as a redshirt my entire freshman year, and therefore have an extra year of eligibility. I plan on using that eligibility to compete for Binghamton next year as a fifth year.

How much quality family time have you been able to have as a result of the events of this past month.

Although I have been away from school and friends, during this time I have had the chance to spend so much time with my family at home. Both my mom and dad have been working from home, and my sister is also home from college. We have been passing the time by playing games, and watching movies together. Although we can sometimes get on each other's nerves, I think being together as a family is helping all of us get through this tough time.