TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

You won the heptathlon at your season-opening meet at Kent State and earned the MAC Athlete of the Week award in the process. How important was it for you to jump out to that good start?
It was important because it gave me confidence that I could open up where I ended up last year at the MAC Championships. I was only 20 points less than what I did at the MAC Championships last year with so-so marks, I guess, so it was a big confidence booster.

Last year, you were named the team’s MVP after finishing third in the heptathlon at the MAC Championships. What was the weekend of the MAC Championships like for you?
I was feeling confident about myself because I was doing really well and overall, I just felt great. It started off a little rocky, a false start that kind of got in my brain, and then I went to the high jump, which was the third event. From there on in, everything was great.

During the heptathlon, you have to sprint (60 meters), do a mid-distance run (1,000 meters) as well as the hurdles, pole vault, long jump, high jump and shot put. Which events are your favorites to participate in?
My favorites are definitely the long jump and the hurdles, mainly because those are my big scoring points. I really like doing everything like the shot put, which is a big main event. Throwing a big, 16-pound shot put - it’s always fun to do that.

Which events are your least favorite to participate in?
Least favorite would definitely be the 1,000 just because it’s 1,000 meters and no one really wants to do that unless you’re a distance runner.

You competed at the 2001 Maccabiah Games, winning a bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdles. What was the experience of competing in Israel like?
That was incredible. I got to spend an entire month there. The first two weeks there was with all the athletes from the United States just touring around Israel. Just a couple weeks ago, I got the notice that I will be competing there again this year. I loved it.

Competing in seven events obviously has to put a premium on your practice time with each. How do you manage to split the events up in practice to be prepared to compete in each?
Our coach does a really good job. He was a multi-eventer when he was in college and coaches it really well. What we usually do is at least one or two field events and then we run afterwards, whether it be a sprint or a 400-meter run.

What originally got you into competing in multiple events at track meets?
I started track when I was in seventh grade and I always did the 400-meter run and I wasn’t very good at it. My dad said, “Try something different.” So I tried the triple jump and then he said, “Try some more, try some more.” Mainly my father, he just told me to try everything and I just loved doing everything.

Jenny Koeppel made the NCAA Championships in cross country in the fall and Faith Thompson has provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships twice this season in the shot put. Being around such great athletes, what has that done for your game?
It makes me excited knowing that we do have the ability. We do have the coaching staff to get us there. As a team as a whole, we feel really good about our abilities. Myself, I feel confident that in time, I’ll be able to get up there with those two.

One of the biggest issues of the Olympic games this year was the uncovering of a steroid scandal in track and field with Marion Jones. Obviously, baseball has had much the same problem. What do you think should happen to the awards a person receives if it is later discovered that he/she used steroids?
I think they should be taken away just because steroids is basically cheating. Whether they find out that you’re cheating then or now, regardless, steroids shouldn’t have been in them.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB athlete?
My favorite moment as a UB athlete definitely was the MAC Championships in indoor last year, winning the heptathlon. My teammates, Steve Esler and Carlos Williams, were both MAC Champions and following in their footsteps to the top of the podium was great.

“The 10 Questions With…” feature is compiled by Joe Guistina.