John Mascari, the Indiana State All-American distance runner will undergo spine surgery in January, according to the Tribune Star.
Here are five things to know:
1. Mascari's condition is known as spondylolisthesis, which is when one vertebra slides forward over the bone below it and puts pressure on a nerve.
2. The condition in his lower lumbar region began causing him pain during the 2015 spring track season. The issue had an effect on him late in the spring when he came up short in an attempt to qualify for the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
3. The injury was treated with anti-inflammatory cortisone injections to help get through the cross country season, but the pain became a hindrance again at the Great Lakes Region meet and the NCAA Championship in Louisville, Ky.
4. ISU coach John McNichols and the Sycamores will appeal to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility under medical hardship that would make Mascari available for the 2017 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
5. Mascari is the best 10,000-meter runner in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference with a time of 28:38:22, and was the first four-time MVC champion in cross country.