University of Albany's Greene Overcomes Injuries To Win 400 Hurdles Championship

University at Albany track star Joe Greene felt self-conscious when he started taking a dance course this spring.

Greene was one of the few male students in the class held in a studio on the third floor of the Physical Education Building, across from the football offices.

"You'd see some athletes walk across and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I'm doing this and they'll see me,' " recalled Greene, who wore sweats, not spandex. "It was kind of embarrassing, but as the year went on, I didn't care any more."

Not only did Greene have fun with the course, he also found it helped him rebound from an injury-plagued junior year to once again join the nation's best in the 400-meter hurdles.

"Free-movement dancing helps me with flexibility and it brings you one with your body," he said. "I felt weird when I first started taking the class, but as the semester went on, I got to be a little more flexible. This is the most flexible I've been in my life, so I'm pretty thankful."

Greene, a senior, smashed his own school record with a time of 49.72 seconds in windy conditions to win the 400 hurdles at the IC4A outdoor championships last weekend at Princeton University. It ranks as the fifth-fastest time in Division I this spring.

Greene led the UAlbany men to the team title as the Great Danes pulled off an indoor-outdoor sweep of the IC4As.

"He's all the way back and then some," UAlbany coach Roberto Vives said. "He's ready to do some great things. I think he could potentially be a national champion."

Greene will take the first step on May 29 and 30, when he competes in the 400 hurdles at the NCAA East Regional held at North Carolina A&T. A top-five finish there will earn Greene a trip to the national championship meet at the University of Arkansas June 10-13.

Greene finished fourth at nationals in 2007 to earn All-America status. But then a hamstring injury last season kept him from qualifying for the NCAAs.

"Last year was kind of a waste of a year, but it just motivated me more to stay healthy, train harder and get back to where I should be," he said. "It feels good to be back."

Although track is his true calling, Greene branched out this spring by taking elective courses in dancing and acting.
"If the opportunity strikes, definitely, I'd have to say I'd go into acting," he said. "Morgan Freeman, somebody like that."

Greene is one summer class from his bachelor's degree in sociology.

Although he wants to become an athletic director, Greene said he'll first try to pursue a professional track career in Europe with an eye on the 2012 Olympics.

"I'm just like the little engine that could," Greene said. "I'm just going to try to keep going."

Courtesy: Mark Singelais