LR: As one of the top runners in the state, will you travel to any major regional or national meets this year to represent your school and the state?
AR: I do plan to travel to major meets this year. I am headed to to USATF National championships in Greensboro, NC next week where I will race the 1500 and 3000m. I also plan on racing at the Mobile championships for cross country and track, Nike Cross Regionals in the Woodlands, TX, Sugarbowl, Texas relays, and more.
LR: You recently ran some great times at the USATF regional meet in Baton Rouge. Can you describe that experience a bit?
AR: It was definitely a great experience! I've achieved some of my goals that I set for these summer meets already, and it's exciting to know that I have one more chance to exceed those goals even further.
LR: Were you expecting to run that fast in the heat of the summer?
AR: I definitely knew that running in the summer heat would be a challenge, but part of running is learning to overcome those challenges. With hard training and dedication, I did expect a pretty good summer season.
LR: Have you started considering any schools for college and are you currently planning on competing at the next level?
AR: I do plan on competing in college, and I am considering multiple options.
LR: What are some of the aspects of a school that you would look for in helping determine a college?
AR: I would like to attend a school that has a very good running program/team and will better myself as a distance runner, as well as somewhere that provides a quality education.
LR: What are you favorite meets to race, and what meet are you looking forward to the most this year (outside of the state meet)?
AR: Other than state, I am really looking forward to racing the Chili Pepper in Fayettville, AR and returning to the Texas relays in the spring.
LR: What about working with Coach Falting do you believe makes you and your teammates successful runners?
AR: Coach Falting is truly the best coach that anyone could ask for. He invests so much of his time in every single one of us and understands what each of us needs to do to better ourselves indivually and as a team.
LR: Do you have a pre-meet ritual to get mentally prepared, and if so, do you mind sharing?
AR: Before a race, I like to listen to music and say a prayer before the race starts.
LR: Do you look up to any other runner, either in college or on the professional level?
AR: Since I was a freshman running the same race with her, I have always looked up to Kaitlin Flattman. She is an amazing athlete, and it's inspiring to see the amount of success that she has had.
LR: What is the best pre-race pump up song?
AR: I've had a few favorites since I started running. Right now my two favorites are "Hall of Fame" and "Radioactive".
LR: Thanks for your time.
AR: Thank you for your interest!
