What was your most memorable race?
There are a lot of races I will always remember for certain reasons, but the most memorable would have to be the 3000m at Jimmy Carnes. There was a lot of great competition which was exciting and a long winter of training ended up paying off with a big PR for me in that meet!
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
There were so many people that challenged me in both cross country and track. I definitely had a lot of competition in bigger meets and even in my own conference. Although there isn't a single individual that really stands out as a rival for me, the distance runners from Chiles and Mandarin were tough competition.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
Getting all-conference in cross country my senior year as well as getting new PRs after only a few years of running were the main goals I achieved in these past cross country and track seasons. When I joined my old school's indoor track team in Connecticut running no faster than a 7:30 mile, I never would have thought I would get the chance to be all-conference or even run good times!
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
I would definitely have started running freshman year instead of the end of sophomore year. Besides that, more injury prevention early on might have made a slight difference, but everything happens for a reason and I feel like I've grown a lot as a runner and a person through the good and the bad times. My high school running career has been an amazing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Being inexperienced and minor injuries were among my greatest setbacks in the past few years. Going up against some girls that had already accomplished a lot in previous years or meets was very intimidating. I often had to remind myself to stay calm and do my best and that the times come eventually with hard work and dedication. Because of the motivation within yourself as an athlete, it's sometimes difficult to stop yourself from taking things too seriously or over training. I have had to take many days off of running at times when my body was pushed too far too fast. However, the days I took off really led me to be more careful about my training and take better care of myself.
What will you miss the most?
I'll miss all of the people on my team and watching all of them run and continue to get better. There are some talented athletes at Atlantic Coast and I'm looking forward to see what they are able to do in the years to come!
What advice you would give to younger athletes?
Run hard, have fun, and know that your goals can be reached no matter how far away they seem.
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Coach Holmes welcomed me with open arms into the running program at Atlantic Coast. He truly cares about his athletes and has been a huge help to my running career! Over the summer before the 2012 cross country season I ran for his track club in AAU while training for the upcoming cross country season. During that summer we were at the track and spent a lot of time figuring out the best way for me to train. He pushed me and encouraged me even on my not so great days. He helped me focus on what I wanted to do individually and to help the team!
What are your college plans?
I will be running cross country and track for Florida Atlantic University. I have some times in mind that I want to hit in the 2013 cross country season and I want to contribute to FAU's program as much as I possibly can while studying hard. The competition at that level is unreal and something that I can't wait to experience. I am so excited an blessed to be able to continue my running career and I'll be majoring in Biology. Go owls!
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I want to give a huge thank you to my family, coach, and teammates. My mom has been at nearly all of my meets this year and I can attribute my good diet to my dad's cooking! They have both played a big part in the progress I've made. My coach and my teammates created a competitive but fun atmosphere! I would especially like to give a thank you to another one of the seniors on our team, Markia Bartley, who will be attending Alabama State University. We ran the same events together this past season and both have the same passion for running. Through every practice and meet, we helped each other work hard and achieve our goals.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
"The surest way not to fail is to determine to succeed." I hope everyone has fun, runs hard, and has a great summer!
More Coverage
Want to be featured in our Salute To Seniors series? Drop me a line: TGrasley@milesplit.com and answer the questions above! Congratulations to the class of 2013 on all their hard work and success.