Commencement 2017 profile: Joe Miceli

Don’t try to tell Joe Miceli that he can lay claim to being the best athlete in Binghamton University history as the school record holder in the decathlon and heptathlon.

“I definitely would not label myself that way,” he said. “A lot of great athletes have come through this school. Being able to hold the school record in the decathlon is a great honor, but I couldn’t consider myself the greatest athlete. It’s too hard to measure.”

A case can be made, however, that Miceli — an integrative neuroscience major — is one of the most outstanding student-athletes in recent history at Binghamton University. The evidence includes:

• Four America East conference titles (two in the decathlon and one each in the heptathlon and pole vault).

• A 21st place finish in the pole vault at the NCAA East Regional Meet.

• A three-time captain of the track and field team.

• A SUNY Chancellor’s Scholar Athletic Award in 2017.

• America East Man of the Year recipient in 2017.

• Medical school in the fall at the New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“I wasn’t a top athlete coming out of high school, but the professors, the coaching staff and the athletic trainers all have you in their best interests and will do whatever it takes for you to succeed,” said Miceli, who will graduate this month. “The people I’ve met along the way have played a huge part in helping me recognize my potential.”

Miceli, who grew up in Miller Place, N.Y., on eastern Long Island, sent a video of his pole-vaulting skills to Binghamton University track and field coach Mike Thompson after not being “on the radar” like other recruits in the sport.

“I reached out to Binghamton University because I was interested in the SUNY system and I knew it had a successful pole vaulter in the past — a national champion — in Rory Quiller,” the 22-year-old said. “I knew Binghamton was a good academic school, so it had all of the components I was looking for in a college.”

Miceli was offered a position on the track and field team, but struggled his freshman season. During his sophomore season in the spring of 2014, however, he tried the decathlon — a 10-event competition that is considered the ultimate, all-around athletic test. The increased training regimen helped Miceli become a better pole vaulter, as he qualified for the NCAA East Regional Meet. There he faced athletes from large schools such as Alabama, LSU, Florida and elsewhere.

“At first, I asked myself: ‘Can I compete with these guys?’” he recalled. “I was nervous, but ended up clearing a decent (pole vault) height. I thought: ‘Yeah, I can compete.’ It was an eye-opening experience.”

Miceli was having eye-opening experiences off the track, as well. He became a teaching assistant for Maria-Teresa Romero, an assistant professor of psychology, in a behavioral neuroscience lab. He would later serve as a teaching assistant for Stephen Lisman, a distinguished teaching professor in psychology, in a drugs and behavior class.

“The professors (in the neuroscience program) are experts in what they do,” Miceli said. “They conduct their own research and care about the students and their success. Anytime I needed help, they were always accommodating. The care and effort they put into their classes is unique. It’s what sets Binghamton apart as an academic institution.”

An internship in the operating room of Binghamton General Hospital in fall 2015 solidified Miceli’s decision to pursue a medical career. He not only transported patients and supplies, but also was able to observe surgeries.

“The first operation I saw was a hip replacement,” he said. “I was wearing a surgical mask, but my jaw just dropped the entire time! I was there and it was amazing. I loved how everyone worked as a team. The doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses and orderlies were a cohesive team unit. It made me feel at home and comfortable with my time in athletics. That was the moment I thought: ‘Medicine is for me.’”

Miceli knows the importance of teamwork: His teammates have elected him track and field captain for the past three years. “It’s motivated me even more to be a role model in the classroom, on the track and in the community,” he said. “Knowing that my teammates think so highly of me is not something I take lightly. It’s not a responsibility I take for granted. It has made me a better athlete, a better student and a better person.”

After finishing second in the heptathlon at the America East Indoor Championship during his junior year, Miceli suffered a stress fracture in his foot that forced him to miss the spring outdoor season. He elected to stay for a fifth season to use all of his athletic eligibility.

Miceli returned for his fourth year, more focused on better nutrition, hydration and balanced training. The efforts paid off with a first-place finish in the heptathlon (breaking Rory Quiller’s school record in the process) and a second-place finish in the pole vault at the America East Indoor Championship. He also won the Elite 18 Award, which honors the athlete with the highest grade point average among the top meet scorers.

His fourth-year outdoor season included titles in the decathlon and pole vault at the America East Outdoor Championship and finishing 21st at the NCAA East Regional Meet (nine spots from a position at the NCAA championships).

Because of his medical redshirt, Miceli competed “unattached” in his fifth-year indoor season. Despite being unable to wear the Bearcat green, he set personal bests in the pole vault and heptathlon. This set the stage for the outdoor season and the Texas Relays, held April 1, at the University of Texas.

“Some of the best decathletes in the nation were competing there: Linden Victor from Texas A&M set the collegiate record that meet,” Miceli said. “My personal record going in was 6,700 and I wanted to break 7,000 points. I just needed to put 10 good events together.”

Miceli broke his school record by amassing 7,096 points — good for 10th place at the event and still the 32nd-best point total in the country this season. His pole-vault mark at the event also qualifies him for the East Regional Meet at the University of Kentucky on May 25-27. Miceli capped his America East career with a victory in the decathlon at the America East Outdoor Championship on May 7.

“Joe has always been completely committed to realizing his potential in athletics and academics,” Miceli’s coach Thompson said. “He’s made the sacrifices necessary that most athletes aren’t willing to make, and this discipline combined with a good amount of talent have made him into one of the all-time great track and field athletes in school history.”

Outside the classroom and track, Miceli enjoys cooking. It’s something he got into after taking a nutrition course as part of his health and wellness minor.

“I love applying the knowledge I gained in that class into the meals I prepare,” said Miceli, who touted his pasta sauce as a personal favorite. “I like to experiment in the kitchen: What can I do to have a varied diet?”

Miceli, who spent summer 2016 conducting memory research while volunteering at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories on Long Island, will start medical school in August and is considering orthopedic surgery with a specialization in sports medicine.

He praised his parents, in particular, for instilling values such as work ethic and honesty that have helped him through his time at Binghamton University.

“Whenever I have doubts, I’ll think back to all of the people who believed in me,” he said. “I’ll use that as motivation to keep pushing and doing whatever it takes to have success in the next part of my life.”