Shippensburg University Athletics

Misti Demko persevered through illness and injury to finish as one of the finest distance runners in school history. She finished as a 7-time PSAC placewinner and was named the 1990 PSAC Women’s Track & Field Athlete of the Year following her senior season.

Despite being diagnosed with chronic anemia as a senior, Demko shone brightest in her final collegiate campaign. At the 1990 PSAC championships, Demko won her first conference championship with a victorious 1,500-meter time of 4:35.37. She also ran the second leg of the 4x400-meter relay squad that won a championship in 4:00.72.

At the 1990 Division II National Championships, Demko earned All-America honors after placing fourth in the 3K with a time of 9:45.32. Earlier, Demko had placed third at the PSAC championship meet in 10:12.42.

Following the ’90 season, Demko was named the team’s MVP in addition to earning the conference’s top honor. She was one of four team captains on a squad that finished second as a team at the PSAC championships and sixth at the ECAC indoor meet.

In her first three seasons at Shippensburg (1986, 1987 and 1989), Demko achieved two PSAC place-winning performances in the 3K and the 5K. As a sophomore in 1987, Demko placed third in both events. She finished fifth in the 3K as a freshman and sixth in the 5K as a junior.

Demko began hitting her mark as a runner in her senior year at Shippensburg and went on to become an extremely talented post-collegiate runner. She served as a volunteer assistant coach at Shippensburg in 1992 and 1993.

Among her many post-collegiate successes include qualifying for the U.S. track & field squad in 1994. She had previously won the US Sports Festival 5K. Demko developed into a 10,000-meter specialist and was profiled in February 1995 edition of Runner’s World. She competed in the 1995 Pan-Am Games and placed fifth in the 5K with a time of 16:04.50 as the top American finisher.

Underwood is married to her college sweetheart Mike ‘87, who coached her during her post-collegiate racing career. They have been married for 23 years and have seven children; Aidan, 15, Andrea, 12, Gabbi, 12, Lemlem, 10, Eliza, 9, Kidist, 8 and Alistair, 5. The couple considers raising their family their most successful collaboration and highest priority. Misti works part time as a school counselor at Infinity Charter Shool in Harrisburg, a school that meets the unique educational needs of intellectually gifted students.