Murray State University Athletics
Runnin' With The Racers Podcast - Tara Isbell
9/2/2020 5:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Hall of Fame
2020 Murray State hall of famer Tara Isbell of Racer Soccer, is this week's guest on the Runnin' with the Racers Podcast, episode 105. 
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The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast posts each week to GoRacers.com, iTunes and Soundcloud.
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The Mayfield, Ky., native set the standard of championship goalkeeping for the Racers from 2007-10.
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Isbell is a nurse in the ICU at Saint Thomas West Hospital in Nashville. Since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March, Isbell has dealt with the life and death issues that come with the virus.
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"We've definitely been feeling in the dark and learning as we go (since March), taking care of people who have been really sick and just figuring it out," Isbell said. "However, we are finding the best ways to treat people. It was strange times in the beginning for sure. We have ICU patients that are what we call total care. Even the smallest things we help them do. Even now, having to put on all of the protective gear, you feel really far away from the people you're trying to help."
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Isbell says the hardest part is the elderly people who have sometimes been in ICU for 40 days or more and family cannot visit.
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"We've used technology to help families talk to their loved one, but that's not the same (as being in person)."
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Isbell was a catalyst for the Racers' first Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship under Coach Beth Acreman in 2008. Isbell was the OVC Defensive Player of the Year and is still today, the only Racer to win the award since MSU Soccer was launched in 2000. In the 2008 season, Isbell was second in the OVC with a goals against average of 0.91 and first with a league-best 1,876 minutes in goal. Isbell made 87 saves in the 2008 season as she and the Racer defense allowed only three goals in eight matches. Isbell also helped the Racers to winning the 2009 OVC Soccer Tournament title, which sent the Racers to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance at Virginia Tech.
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Isbell finished her career as the saves leader at Murray State with 293 and her outstanding career numbers included leading the program in games played (69), wins (31), shutouts (25) and minutes played (6,213). Additionally she is third at MSU goals against average (1.09) and save percentage (.796).
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One thing Isbell knows is the lessons she learned playing soccer for the Racers are still with her today in her nursing career.
Â
"One of my favorite things about the group I work with is that we are known in the hospital as a group that is a great team," Isbell said. "We have a great team spirit and so I still get to do that every day which is great. It's fantastic to see those patients that do get better and get wheeled out to go home."
About Runnin' With The Racers Podcast
Murray State Basketball great Jonathan Stark was the first guest when the pilot episode posted Aug. 29, 2018, The podcast is produced weekly and usually is available by Wednesday. The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast is mainly guest driven with news and notes of the week from the Racers. Dave Winder, MSU Athletics Associate AD for Media Relations is the host. The podcast is available on GoRacers.com, ITunes and Soundcloud.
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Â
The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast posts each week to GoRacers.com, iTunes and Soundcloud.
Â
The Mayfield, Ky., native set the standard of championship goalkeeping for the Racers from 2007-10.
Â
Isbell is a nurse in the ICU at Saint Thomas West Hospital in Nashville. Since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March, Isbell has dealt with the life and death issues that come with the virus.
Â
"We've definitely been feeling in the dark and learning as we go (since March), taking care of people who have been really sick and just figuring it out," Isbell said. "However, we are finding the best ways to treat people. It was strange times in the beginning for sure. We have ICU patients that are what we call total care. Even the smallest things we help them do. Even now, having to put on all of the protective gear, you feel really far away from the people you're trying to help."
Â
Isbell says the hardest part is the elderly people who have sometimes been in ICU for 40 days or more and family cannot visit.
Â
"We've used technology to help families talk to their loved one, but that's not the same (as being in person)."
 Isbell was a catalyst for the Racers' first Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship under Coach Beth Acreman in 2008. Isbell was the OVC Defensive Player of the Year and is still today, the only Racer to win the award since MSU Soccer was launched in 2000. In the 2008 season, Isbell was second in the OVC with a goals against average of 0.91 and first with a league-best 1,876 minutes in goal. Isbell made 87 saves in the 2008 season as she and the Racer defense allowed only three goals in eight matches. Isbell also helped the Racers to winning the 2009 OVC Soccer Tournament title, which sent the Racers to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance at Virginia Tech.
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Isbell finished her career as the saves leader at Murray State with 293 and her outstanding career numbers included leading the program in games played (69), wins (31), shutouts (25) and minutes played (6,213). Additionally she is third at MSU goals against average (1.09) and save percentage (.796).
Â
One thing Isbell knows is the lessons she learned playing soccer for the Racers are still with her today in her nursing career.
Â
"One of my favorite things about the group I work with is that we are known in the hospital as a group that is a great team," Isbell said. "We have a great team spirit and so I still get to do that every day which is great. It's fantastic to see those patients that do get better and get wheeled out to go home."
About Runnin' With The Racers Podcast
Murray State Basketball great Jonathan Stark was the first guest when the pilot episode posted Aug. 29, 2018, The podcast is produced weekly and usually is available by Wednesday. The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast is mainly guest driven with news and notes of the week from the Racers. Dave Winder, MSU Athletics Associate AD for Media Relations is the host. The podcast is available on GoRacers.com, ITunes and Soundcloud.
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