Maturity, Confidence Helped All-American Miller Get Past Her Fears Of Long Distance and Cross Country

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Evie Miller was scared. The thought of running long distance, while battling a new diagnosis of exercise-induced asthma, was a terrifying thought for the Homestead High (Ind.) 300-meter hurdler. 

“Cross country in high school was not one of my favorites and almost something I gave up in the process of looking at (colleges),” Miller said. “I was just looking at doing track because cross country scared me so much with how much my breathing issues affected me.”

Years later, cross country is no longer a scary prospect. This past November, Miller wrapped up one of the best cross country seasons ever at Trine University (Angola, Ind.), finishing fourth (20:43.7) in the 6-kilometer final at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in Louisville, Ky.

For Miller, a senior, a shift in mindset allowed her to flourish.

Call it a big breath, literally, of fresh air. 

“(My asthma) was a big challenge, but I kind of needed some tough love from my coaches,” Miller said. “Yes, it was something I needed to take care of, but it wasn’t something I needed to have as a crutch.”

Since then, the former Evie Bultemeyer – who married former Trine runner Derek Miller in August – has controlled her own destiny becoming a seven-time Division 3 All-American. This indoor track season, she’s one of the top contenders in the division in the 800 meters all the way up to the 5,000. 

“Her development began when she really believed in her speed,” Trine head track and field coach Josh Fletcher said. “That, with her work ethic, really opened up a lot of opportunities. And her ability to recover from one race to the next. She’s a very gifted athlete.” 

A former volleyball and soccer player, Miller didn’t pick up the sport of running until eighth grade. She decided to give it a try because of her dad. 

“Running was a long time coming,” Miller said. “I wouldn’t have thought anything of it if I didn't know my dad was a runner. It was his inspiration that made me give it a try.” 

At one of the biggest high schools in Fort Wayne, Miller found success on the trails and on the track, focusing on the 300 hurdles and contributing in the relays. Her high school coach, Sara Wyss, knew the staff at Trine University, which is located less than an hour away, and thought the Division 3 program would be a good fit. 

“(Evie) was from the same area I lived, I knew her coach very well,” said Trine’s head cross country coach, Zach Raber, who previously coached at Carroll High (Fort Wayne). “I coached against Sara and she told me about Evie and said she’s got tremendous ability. She was actually concerned Evie might go to a bigger school.”

After considering Purdue, Miller explained Trine’s recruiting approach and the university's accredited Physical Therapy program were some of the major selling points for going to the Division 3 school.

“It was a chance for me to be independent at a school, but still be within a reasonable driving time home,” Miller said. “So I had my time away at school and the coaches just recruited me so well and were approachable.”

Miller began dealing with breathing issues during her prep career and the problem intensified during the cross country season. She went in for testing after running 20:36.5 for 5 kilometers at the high school state meet her senior year and found out she had undiagnosed asthma.

She explained the diagnosis and the daunting prospect of making the jump up in distances at the collegiate level, including a focus on the steeplechase, left her second guessing her decision.

As a freshman, Miller finished 20th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Cross Country Championships, just missing out on a berth to nationals. Raber said the potential was there, but a lack of confidence was holding her back. 

“We got to a point where she nearly qualified for cross country nationals and she had tremendous ability, but she had something (go wrong) almost every day,” Raber said. “Oh coach, my shin or my foot or this or that. I remember pretty distinctly I sat her down on the indoor track and said, ‘Look, every runner is going to have something every day. You've got to get over this. I don’t care if it’s the asthma or littler things here and there. You've got to determine what is an injury and what is just part of the process.’”

That moment, both Miller and Raber agreed, was a turning point.

Miller started to listen to her body, collaborate with the trainers and coaches, and find what worked for her. Her first indoor track season saw her win the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Track and Field Championships title in the 800 (2:19.15) and finish second in the mile. During her first outdoor track season, she finished third in the 1,500 and 800 at the conference championships.

Her sophomore season, she qualified for the NCAA Division 3 Championships in all three seasons. She captured fourth in the indoor mile (4:53.48) and placed eighth in the outdoor 800 meters (2:12.23) and 1,500 (4:33.67).

“I was getting the right attention and it was the right response that I needed,” Miller said. “Yes, you have issues, but if you keep letting it get in your head it will hold you back.” 

Now, before every single run she uses her rescue inhaler and manages her condition with a bronchodilator to help when her vocal cords close and she has trouble breathing.

Raber and Fletcher said Miller isn’t the type to give a big pep talk. But she leads by example and showed that by taking charge of her situation she could unlock success. And she has found plenty. 

“She is outspoken, but isn’t the type to stand out and ‘rah, rah’ and circle everyone around and give everybody the business. That’s not her,” Raber said. “But when she steps on the track, she wants to win and she wants to get after it and everyone can see that. For our younger women to just look and see, ‘Wow, you can have range, you be a really good 400 runner and be really good at the 5K.’ Those kinds of examples for our kids are probably her best contribution.”

Right before the pandemic struck, Miller won the 400, 800, mile and was part of the first-place 4x400 relay at the MIAA Indoor Championships. She was seeded No. 1 in the mile and in position to run a personal best at the national meet.

Miller used the downtime following the onset of the pandemic in 2020 to focus on her academics. She completed her undergraduate degree in three years and is now pursuing a Masters. Living off campus in Fort Wayne at home with her sisters, Miller was able to take a break from racing and focus on training on her own and finding success. 

“She’s very self-motivated,” Raber said. “She’s a go-getter. She's always busy, always has something going on, she’s bubbly, she's talkative, but when it comes down to business, she gets quiet and she’s ready to go.”

With Division 3 returning to the track in the spring of 2021, Miller placed sixth in the 1,500 in 4:30.94 at the national outdoor championships in Greensboro, N.C.   

This past fall she enjoyed her best season to date in a sport she once thought of giving up on.

In addition to earning MIAA Runner of the Year for the second time, she claimed her second Great Lakes Regional title, leading Trine to the school’s first berth at the NCAA Championships, where she placed fourth at nationals.

Two weeks later Miller completed her first indoor 5,000 in 16:45.31 at Grand Valley State, the fourth-fastest time on an oversized track in Division 3 history. 

“Honestly, the sky's the limit,” Miller said of the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

Fletcher said while Miller has the ability to run anything from 400 to the 5,000, the focus will most likely be the mile this indoor season.

Miller will get a chance to see how she stacks up when she runs Feb. 19 at the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame. The outdoor season, Fletcher said, will likely feature the 3,000-meter steeplechase, an event where she can combine her background in the hurdles and ability to change paces. 

“I think she just wants to compete,” Raber said. “We talk about this with all of our kids: You’re not a middle distance runner, you're a runner. And so if you kind of put your whole heart into it, and trust the things we talk about, you can have success anywhere.”