Who is the unsung hero of your team and why? The unsung hero of our team this season would have to be Kat Jepson. She is phenomenal at the high jump, and also runs the 200. But when one of our 4X400m members was injured and couldn’t run, Kat stepped up to the plate and helped lead us to a win. I don’t think she gets enough credit for how good she is. She puts in so much time and effort and she always has a smile on her face while doing so.
What has been the biggest surprise of the season? The biggest surprise of the season was probably breaking 5:10 in the 1600. I came off of a slow season last year and wasn’t expecting my times to drop as much as they have. I am so lucky to have the coaching and support that have helped make it possible.
Who has been your toughest opponent and why? My toughest opponent has probably been myself. It’s extremely hard to push yourself and keep positive during a race when it really hurts. If I want to be better I have to fight through the pain and that is really hard to teach yourself. I also have been lucky to have such great competitors in New Hampshire who have helped me to push myself. I never go into a race confident that I am going to win. I have to earn each victory and the girls that I have the opportunity to race with are the reason for that.
Do you have any sports superstitions? If so, what are they? If no, why not? Yes I do have sports superstitions. I actually have a lot. My teammates like to make fun of me for them all the time, but I can’t race without them. Almost everything that I do/wear on race day is lucky. I have a lucky sports bra, socks, warm-ups, hair ties, pre-race rituals, and the list goes on.
What’s your favorite pre-game meal? Because I am so superstitious I eat pretty much the same thing before every race. For dinner it is usually some sort of pasta and salad. For lunch it is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pretzels, and an apple. For breakfast it is oatmeal and peanut butter toast.
If you weren’t playing your sport in the spring, what would you be doing? If I wasn’t running track in the spring I would definitely be going swimming and having fun hanging out with friends. I might try lacrosse or some other sport that I’ve never gotten to experience. I would still be running in some of my free time though, I could never give it up!
If you could go to see any sporting event, what would it be? I would go and see soccer. I used to play and it’s really fun to watch.
What’s your favorite place to eat? Either Dos Amigos Burritos in downtown Concord or Panera.
What’s your most-played song right now? Either “Just Like Fire” by P!nk or “Victorious” by Panic at the Disco. I also love anything Taylor Swift.
Do you have any must-see television shows? I watch “Dancing With the Stars” and the “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette.” I’ve always wished that I could dance and it’s funny watching all of the celebrities on DWTS try. Plus, who doesn’t secretly love the Bachelor?
What’s your favorite website? My favorite website would probably be the New Hampshire Track and Field Website that is sponsored by Runner’s Alley. They post results, pictures, interviews, and race videos from meets all around New Hampshire. It keeps me up to date with the times that other girls are running and it is fun to be able to watch races that you weren’t a part of.
If you could be anyone else, who would you be? Why? I would be Taylor Swift for sure. I love her music and she is so generous and down to earth. Her cats are so cute and it seems like she is always having fun wherever she is.
If someone made a movie of your season, who would play you? Who would play your coach? I would be played by Jennifer Aniston. Coach Bling would probably be Shia Labeouf because he would tell us to “just do it” and give us motivational speeches that were really funny. Mr. Daly would probably be played by Matthew McConaughey and he would say “alright, alright, alright” after we finished our races.
If you could invite any three people to dinner, who would they be, what would you serve them and what would you talk about? It would have to be Mary Cain, Ellen Degeneres, and Justin Timberlake. I would serve them homemade pizza and salad. I’m not sure what we would talk about, I would probably let them lead the discussion.
If you won $10 million in the lottery, what would you do with it? I would probably donate some of it to a charity that helps kids get active. Then I would spend some on a vacation to somewhere tropical and a new car. Whatever was left I would use for college and save for later.