TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

Last weekend, you won the 800-meter race in 2:10.88 at the Hillsdale Gina Relays, placing in front of a runner from Akron. With MACs only two weeks away, how important do you think it was for you to beat some of the best competition in the conference?
It was really important for me to beat her. Knowing that I can run faster than her gives me confidence heading into the MACs because I know I can run with them and hopefully beat them.

You head into the MAC Championships this weekend at Toledo. What are the goals the team has set as you move into the Championships?
Our goal is to place equal to or better than what we did in the previous year.

A lot of runners say that the 800-meter race is one of the toughest, because it is in the middle between a sprint and a distance race. How tough is it for you to find the right pace in that race?
Usually, with the nature of the race, you just fall into the right pace based on who’s running around you. Depending on the day, usually, you just fall right into your pace.

You’ve been a part of two school-record-setting distance medley relay squads, including last year’s 2005 ECAC Championships squad. How tough is that race, staying warm while others in your group run up to 1,200 meters?
I think it’s easier running in relays because you’re watching other members of your team run and it just makes you run faster when it’s your turn to run.

In 2002, you earned the cross country’s Top Newcomer Award as you finished fourth at the UB Open. Did you expect to make an impact that quickly on the team?
I hoped that I would make some sort of impact on the team when I came in and I was happy that I did.

This spring’s team is helped by the return of fifth-year senior Jenny Koeppel, the 2004 MAC Cross Country Runner of the Year. How much does having someone as experienced as her rejoining the team help?
Koeppel is a great leader and a great example of how everyone should work every day in practice. She works her best every day. Everyone on the team looks up to her as a leader.

Last week, Faith Thompson was named the UB Female Athlete of the Year for 2005 after she finished her career by finishing 15th in the hammer throw at the NCAA Championships. How happy were you for her to get this recognition from the school?
It was great that Faith got the award. I think she’s completely deserving of it and she’s another example for people on the team. She also sets a goal for other people to aspire to.

Coming from Clarence High School just up the road, what made you decide that Coach Vicki Mitchell’s program was the right one for you?
Coach Mitchell is committed 100 percent to what she does. It’s evident when you come in and that’s why I chose this program. She puts in her best and if you put in your best, it will create success.

This being graduation week, are you looking forward to the summer?
Yes. I love the summer. I am definitely looking for it. Plus normally, when we have to travel, we have to do homework the whole time, but with school being over, all I have to focus on is running, so that will be a nice mental break.

What has been your favorite moment as a UB athlete?
I think when I was a freshman, our relay won our heat at the Penn Relays and we set the school record. It was just an exciting moment.

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