The Bowling Green women’s cross country team was looking for a spark this season — someone to step up and lead the team’s drive toward the top of the Mid-American Conference. They did not have to go very far to find it.

The spark this season has been provided by junior Amber Culp. Culp has turned in the fastest time for the Falcons in four consecutive meets and counting. Culp’s breakthrough season comes as no surprise to Head Coach Cami Wells.

“I knew when I was recruiting Amber that she was something special. She has a great deal of natural ability and has really grown as an athlete in the past year. She has gotten stronger, more confident, and more aggressive,” Wells said.

Culp’s success on the course cannot be attributed to her physical abilities alone. She is also very tough mentally, according to Wells.

“Amber has always had the ability to get herself focused and ready for competition,” Wells said.

Besides leading the way for the women’s squad week in and week out, Culp also works hard for the team off the course. She currently serves as the cross country representative on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee.

In addition to all the hard work she puts in for the team on and off the course, Culp is also known to provide the team with a mental lift. She does this by always being upbeat and holding her head high.

“What makes Amber so special is definitely her great personality. I can’t think of one time where I have seen Amber and she was not smiling or laughing. She has a great sense of humor and is very positive about everything,” according to teammate and close friend Niki Suitor.

Culp was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Mich., and graduated from Pioneer High School in 2000. While attending Pioneer, she lettered in the women’s 5K race in three out of four years. Culp attributes much of her success in cross country to the encouragement she received from her coach at Pioneer, Bryan Westfield.

“My high school coach always believed in my running. He felt that I had talent and he would not let me pass it by. If it wasn’t for him, I would not have continued running in high school,” Culp said.

Bowling Green was a perfect choice of schools for Culp, who was seeking a change in scenery when she graduated high school.

“I wanted to get out of Michigan, but I did not want to be too far away from home,” Culp said.

Whenever her schedule allows her to do so, Culp likes to go back to Ann Arbor to visit her family, with whom she remains very close to.

Culp is here at Bowling Green pursuing a degree in Social Work. After graduation, she aspires to work with troubled teens in the area of mental health. By landing a job in this field, she hopes to give young adults a head start that she did not have growing up.

“I experienced a lot of things growing up, whether it was through my own trials or trials around me. I want young adolescents to know what I did not know which might help. I learned and other people learn the hard way and I feel that adolescents need to know right now. I just want to give back what I can,” Culp said.

When not in competition or training, Culp lives the life of a typical college student, balancing school work with spending time with her friends, which is very important to her. Many of her closest friends are her teammates, and she attends many team dinners and other team get togethers. She is always able to find a way to lift the spirits of her fellow runners and friends.

“When I or one of the girls on the team is down about something, Amber is always there to cheer us up and also to put a smile on our faces,” Suitor said. “Amber is not one of those friends who puts you off for their boyfriend or shopping. If I need her as soon as possible, she would do anything to be there to comfort me as much as she could,” Suitor said.

Another unique personality trait that Culp possesses is originality. She is not one to follow the crowd.

“She does not care what other people think no matter if it’s popular or not. As long as she likes it, she’s going to do it. She wants people to know her as someone who does not follow others but leads them,” Suitor said.

Besides her high school coach, another person who has given inspiration to Culp is her mother, Shirelle.

“My mother showed me that even though you may not like something at times, or you think that it is hard, just stick with it and it will pay off in the end,” Culp said.

This positive approach to life instilled in her by her mother should help her to make a positive impact in the lives of the adolescents she works with and also drive her in any future running career she may pursue after her days at BGSU. Wherever life takes her, Amber Culp will be lifting the spirits and putting smiles on the faces of everyone she encounters.