Colorado University Athletics
U.S. Olympic Trials Press Conference Quotes
Jenny Barringer
ON BEING UNHAPPY WITH HER PERFORMANCE AT THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS?“Going into the conference meet I suffered a serious of disruptions starting all the way from the winter. I really had a tumultuous spring and that included all kinds of things that distance guys have to go through every year, including getting sick. It was a regular flu, in the winter I had some pain in one of my legs that had us really concerned but everything was just kind of a bigger deal to us this year because we wanted to eventually make it to the (Olympic) trials. I had to get in shape to be competitive, and then a week before conferences I had a 102-103 degree temperature. One of the biggest reasons I ran this year, rather than taking a redshirt, was that conferences were at home this year. I wanted to perform well because it’d be in front of my friends and family?on our track. To take one of my few losses in the steeplechase at home, even though I knew I was compromised it was hard. I’m okay now.”
ON KEEPING HER FOOTWEAR ON AT NCAA?“It’s funny I get a lot of good lucks before my races, nice text messages and things like that but I don’t think one person failed to remind me that I lost my shoe last year so to tie them extra tight. So that was on my mind, and it was something I couldn’t shake all the way up to the start line. You’re standing at the starting line and you’re focused and you’re ready and there is a moment where you think ?now part of it is to luck, I hope nothing goes wrong, I hope it’s a nice clean race’ so I can do as well as I know I’m capable of.”
ON ?“My training has been going phenomenal, it’s going really well. I feel like my confidence is back. That was one of the most difficult parts in conference. More than anything, it is a knock on your confidence when you know that you are capable of something and you cannot lay it out on the track, and to watch Irene Kimayo run away from me was really challenging for me mentally because I know that I am better than that. That is something that has shifted back to normal. I go out on the start line and I know and believe that I can perform to the best of my ability in every race I am in.
ON ALMOST SETTING AMERICAN RECORD? “It is an interesting balance. Coming within a half of a second of the American record, there is nothing that can compare to that. To be able to go out and run alone and run with confidence and run my race, so I have confidence from that, but I still want to remain humble about the situation I am about to enter with the Olympic Trials. I am up against the best women in the country, and I respect them and their ability.”
ON COMPETING AT OLYMPIC LEVEL? “We all start on the same line. That is great equalizer. There are 35 barriers and 7.5 laps and we all have to do it. Everything that I have accomplished so far gave me confidence, but at the start line we are all equal once again. I think that is the beauty of how the Olympic Trials are run. Everyone that has made it there has a fair shot, so I really like that element, but it is terrifying at the same time because all your credentials only affect a small element of your mental game. I am going into the trails knowing and believing that this is going to change my life, whether I make it or I don’t. I am really excited about it. I will also have a lot of work to do.”
ON PREPERATION THIS YEAR ? “Last year I went into the NCAA’s thinking that it was the last race of the season, so I just wanted to do my best. This year all of my training, as coach Wetmore says, we are trying to make it to August, so all of it has gone to getting me to the Olympics. That is something that I have not faced before, so it has affected my racing plans and my mental state with my workouts.”
ON THINKING ABOUT OLYMPICS ? “I would love to. But I cannot allow my self to think about it. When I think about the next couple races, I think about the prelims. I have to be able to race well, and have a clean race. I can barley get myself to think about the final. On my cool down today I was thinking exactly what coach Wetmore says, I need to do what I did to get myself here. I don’t need a superhuman performance. I need to be calm.”
ON COMPETING FOR THE UNITED STATES? “When I was 17 years old in high school, I unexpectedly made the junior world championship team for cross, and I competed in a
ON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ?“The world championships in
ON THE HEYWARD FIELD EXPERIENCE?“I knew nothing about Heyward Field until I came to college, and I was kind of surprised by all the hype of this track, and I really love the movie Hoosiers and there is a scene in it where they are at the state meet and the coach measures the court to show that it is the same as any other court. I shared that with coach Wetmore, and once I stepped out on that track I experienced the magic as skeptic and that made it more real for me. It was important for me to have that experience and getting me on that track before the trials because there is something special about that track. Having raced there and having won the 1500-meters there made me really excited to go back.”
ON COACH MARK WETMORE?“To think that Mark thinks that I can make means so much to me. I know that he is almost too realistic sometimes about our aspirations as athletes. He is very grounded about what we are trying achieve. To hear him talk like that is rewarding as an athlete, but as far as him thinking about me as an individual, and as I’ve mentioned, anyone who knows the
ON HER BUSY SUMMER?“I am taking a six credit internship through the university?the political science this semester. I am interning at a congressman’s office and doing a research project so that is taking up an enormous amount of time, but I thoroughly enjoy it. It’s very rewarding to me, it’s only 60 percent work. I’m active in that this summer and it’s very exciting, but a lot of work. Training wise I’m running every day and training every day. I’m also very active in my church, Cornerstone, it’s in southern
ON HER REMAINING ELIGIBILITY?“I have one year left in cross country and in outdoor track.”
ON RUNNING IN WET SHOES?“Sometimes it’s frustrating practicing in squishy, disgusting, smelly shoes. But in racing you overlook so many things, maybe a little pain here or a blister there so you totally forget about it in a race. The goal for me is to have only one wet shoe, which you might think would be even more distracting but it really is a factor that I don’t even consider until after the race is over. I don’t mind.”
ON THE STEEPLECHASE MAKING IT’S OLYMPIC DEBUT?“That is one of the most exciting elements of being in the steeplechase this year is that no matter what this year it is going to be at the Olympics. I think that is one thing I failed to clarify earlier when I said no matter what this is going to change my life. I am going be, hopefully, remembered as one of the women who made steeplechase competitive in the
ON POTENTIALLY COMPETING IN OTHER EVENTS IN THE FUTURE?“I really hope to have a wide variety of races that I’m able to compete at a world class level in, especially as a professional athlete. But right now all of my focus and all of my effort is going to the steeplechase it is a really special time to be involved in it, while those are things to look at in the future, right now I am in love with and focused on the steeplechase.”
Jeremy Dodson
ON FEELING A BOND WITH THE DISTANCE RUNNERS?“I still feel the team bond, we’re (sprinters and distance runners) are all close together so it’ll be nice. I get there a little bit later so I wont get to see some of there runs, but I think they’re going to watch some of my runs.
ON BRINGING NEW EXPECTATIONS TO CU SPRINTERS?“I’m just doing what I came here to do. I’m trying to fulfill my 100 percent scholarship so if that is what they want me to do, bring up the sprinting program, than that is what I’m going to try and do. I feel like a pioneer in some ways, but I’m just doing what the coaches teach me to do.”
ON ?“When I was at
ON DREAMING ABOUT RUNNING IN THE OLYMPICS?“I used to dream a lot, before I got to
ON HIS TRAINING?“We try to keep everything the same since Big 12s, same hours, same practice except I get more sleep. I try to put myself to sleep more, but that is the only difference really.”
Billy Nelson
ON OLYMPICS ? “It would be achieving my dreams. I have wanted to run on the Olympic team since back in 8th grade. It would be phenomenal on all levels; I would achieve my personal dream.”
ON SIXTH YEAR? “The sixth year was a great way to go out. Unfortunately I missed two outdoor seasons because of injury and that is why I got this sixth year, but having the Big 12 Championships in
ON COACH WETMORE? “I think that Mark (Wetmore) does a great job in peaking the athletes at the right time. We were on a different training program that the other athletes. He knew that we were going to go beyond the nationals, so we are peaking at the right time. In the last 15 years Wetmore has more post-collegiate runners than almost any other college coach, and that is one of the reason why I came here because I knew I would have to opportunity to run after college.”
ON CONFIDENCE LEVEL? “My race at nationals really helped my confidence. I was 8th or 9th before the NCAA Championships, but my time there put me up to 4th. So I feel like I have a good shot, and if the race unfolds like nationals did then and hopefully run a little faster so I can get the A-Standard in the race. I am definitely more confident, and I think I can run at any pace and I am looking forward to it.”
ON FUTURE PLANS? “As far as the professional circuit goes, I am not at the top yet, so if I do end up going to the Oregon Track Club, then it will be another stepping stone me. Also, the coach there is good friends with coach Wetmore, so they have a history together. It is going to help me get to where I need to be.”
Brent Vaughn
ON OLYMPICS? “That is a dream I have had ever since I started running. It might be long shot at this point, but I am in great shape. I didn’t think it would be this soon, but I am very excited. It would be a dream come true.”
ON PROFESSIONAL RUNNING? “I am excited. To be able to run for a living is an incredible thing because I am getting paid to do what I love. I couldn’t ask for a whole lot more, and I am excited for the upcoming years.”
ON NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS ? “I feel like I blew it. I did not run very smart. I knew what my race plan was and I did not execute it perfectly. Bobby Curtis is an incredible runner, and he had a good race. It is harder to win from the front, but it is something that I could have done if I had raced better. If I could go back there are some things I could do differently, but if I was to have a bad race I would rather it be the NCAA’s than the Olympic trials.”
ON RACING WITH FORMER BUFFS? “It is fun. I look forward to racing against those guys. Adam Gaucher is kind of a legend around here, and he is one of the favorites going in. It is exciting to go race some of the guys I looked up to and some of the guys who are a big reason why I went to CU in the first place. It is exciting.”
ON UNDERDOG MENTALITY?“I have the number two time coming in, but mostly because I am young guy in there. I also do not have as much experience as they do, but my fitness is good. I just have go in there and race like I know I can, and hopefully it turns out the way I want it to.”
ON FUTURE PLANS? “I am going to stay in
Stephen Pifer
ON GOALS? “My goals are the make the final in both the 5k and the 1500m. I think that the top eight would be pretty solid.”
ON NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS? “I felt like I was building some momentum going into the NCAA meet, but I just wish that when Brent (Vaughn) broke away that I could have stayed with him because I probably would have been fighting harder for first place.”
ON TRAINING WITH TEAMATES? “It has been great. It brings the best out of all of us when we get to train together. These last couple weeks we have done some key workouts, and having Brent there helps my confidence knowing that I am right there with hi.”
ON COACH MARK WETMORE? “I think that we have a sound method for the way that we prepare for the NCAA meet and the Olympic trials. It gives me piece of mind knowing that he has been there before.”
ON HIS EVENTS? “I would run a 1500m over a 5k any day. In the 1500m, by the time you start to hurt you’re almost done, but with about 1000 meters to go in a 5k it is survival mode. If I could learn to hold on in the crunch time in a 5k then I will be more dangerous in the final 300 meters.”