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Full Name: Jennifer Nicole Hitt School and Mascot: Hillcrest High School, Rams Date of Birth: 03/07/86 Hobbies: Fishing, 4-wheeling, water skiing, I love to shop, and I love animals! Brothers: Nathan Gerald Hitt |
hitt: It\'s a college with a hometown atmosphere. They are very high on academics, and after isn\'t that the real reason to go to college, for the education? I feel like I would be more than just a number at A.C.
scrunners: What other colleges did you look into?
hitt: I looked into USC, Winthrop, Appalachian, Coastal Carolina, and Elon.
scrunners: How many college visits did you make?
hitt: I made three college visits: USC, Winthrop, and A.C. and after visiting Anderson I knew right then that It was where I wanted to go, It just felt like home. It is almost like trying on several shoes, when you put on a shoe that fits perfect and you feel very comfortable in, you just stop trying on shoes for you know that you are wasting your time shopping then there is no need to look any further and that was how I felt at A.C. when I visited. A.C. and I are a perfect fit!
scrunners: What did most of the college coaches talk to you about? What did you ask the coaches about?
hitt: Most coaches talked about their program, what they have accomplished in the past, and their goals for the future and where I would fit in. I always try to pick there minds by asking what type of training they did during the season, after the season, and how much training during the off season. I was most interested in their sophomore runners and whether or not their times have improved if so, then how much, and what did they do to help them improve.
scrunners: What kind of goals did you set for your last season of track?
hitt: First of all I wanted to improve my speed so I set some short term goals in the 200m and 400m (in practice only). Then midway through the season I knew that my speed was there so I started concentrating on the 1600m times and wanted it down to below 5:20 by state which I achieved by running a 5:19 at the state qualifier this Saturday. In the 800m I just wanted to win region but I knew that I had to run under a 2:27 so I set my goal to get a 2:25 and I did, I got a 2:24 to win region, plus I qualified at the State Q. seated 3rd in the 800m with a time of 2:25. I can truly say that my senior year in track has been a success, in the fact that I set my goals early and worked hard to achieve them!
scrunners: What do you remember most from the 2003 cross-country season?
hitt: Breaking the Hillcrest High School course record twice 1st time was with a 18:59, then the very next week I broke that time with a 18:47. It is amazing I felt like I wasn\'t running that fast, I guess I was just relaxed and running at home.
scrunners: What kind of training do you undergo in the summer, fall, and spring?
hitt: In the summer I use to run for a track club in the USATF Junior Olympics. I ran one year for the Golden Strip Track Club and won the gold in 3 events at the SC USATF championships the 800m, 1500m, and the 3000m events, I also won the High Jump. The Next year I ran for the Greenville Quick Striders and repeated win the gold in 3 events at the SC USATF Championships. So, I guess you could say that I raced my self into shape during the summer. In the fall I just did some mileage like... 40-50 miles a week. I also played Basketball for the High School making the Varsity team as a Freshman and I played through my Junior year, I dropped B/B in my Senior year so I could concentrate on my running! In the winter I just run to stay in shape!
scrunners: How much rest do you take between each season?
hitt: I take about 2-4 weeks off.
scrunners: What kind of cross training is involved in your schedule?
hitt: Swimming is about the o only type of cross training I do because, I am so active with playing basketball and running that swimming offers some relaxation along with training.
scrunners: What keeps you motivated to get out the door everyday for training?
hitt: Knowing that I am not yet as good as I can be, that there is more speed in me just waiting to come out and without training it will never come to be!
scrunners: What would you like to accomplish in college, athletically and academically, along with socially?
hitt: Academically - I would like to earn my teaching credentials and coach high school track somewhere in SC.
Athletically - I would just like to put A.C. on the map, as far as track and CC goes. I will try my best to make my teammates better and win meets as a team for that will bring more recognition to A.C. than individual crowns.
scrunners: What kind of challenges have come your way since you started to run? How did you handle these challenges?
hitt: Every race is a challenge ... just run through it! If we knew who was going to win ... what\'s the point of racing?!?
scrunners: What kind of race tactic works best for you in each sport?
hitt: I like to be in the lead! But, in big races I let them do the work and lead until the end.
scrunners: If a race scenario changes, how did you handle the change?
hitt: You have to be prepared for everything during a race ... change with it!
scrunners: How many years have you run?
hitt: Six years. I feel as if I was destined to run, you see I tried out for the softball team in the 7th grade but didn\'t make it although I had enough talent. I wanted to participate in some sport on the high school level, so I went to the track coach (Ken Cook) to ask about running track and he told me that he had done made all the cuts but if I could stay with a group of girl runners that were racing against each other during practice that he would make room for me on the team. Well, I ran the race and won and been running every since, so you can see it just seems like it is my destiny to run. It is like my sport found me rather than me finding my sport.
scrunners: What other sports have you played?
hitt: I played basketball and softball.
scrunners: Does or did anyone else in your family run or compete in cross-country or track and field?
hitt: Yes, my older brother, Nathan did both and was very competitive! He could have ran for Anderson with a scholarship also but he chose not to!
scrunners: Do you have a pre race tradition? If so, explain yours or a team tradition?
hitt: Well ... some, we pray before we run as a team!
scrunners: What do you see happening with the sport of cross-country and track in South Carolina in the future?
hitt: I see both CC and track growing in SC. Runners are getting better to the point that there are several runners capable of winning the race which is good for the sport and the fans, nobody likes to watch a run away event and with the competition that is there today, makes for a very interesting race.
scrunners: What is your favorite sport, cross-country or track? Why?
hitt: Track because you can feed off of the electricity from the crowd and you have several events to compete in, which means you have more time to cheer on your teammates in their events. I love it because it\'s more competition!
scrunners: What kind of surface do you prefer to train on? Where is your favorite place to train?
hitt: I prefer to train on rubber tracks in order to help prevent injuries. My favorite place to train is home.
scrunners: Who do you train with on a daily basis at Hillcrest?
hitt: The boy\'s distance team at Hillcrest.
scrunners: What are you thinking at the start of a race, in the race and at the finish?
hitt: At the start - I am thinking... \"Lord help me to do this, the best I can\" During the race - I am thinking... \"determination, go all out\" and my favorite quote for running... \"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift!\" -Pre
scrunners: When discouraged how do you regain your motivation? Explain.
hitt: I just put my faith in the lord, let him do most of the worrying! What\'s going to happen is going to happen!
scrunners: What do you look for in a coach and what do you expect a coach to look for in you?
hitt: A coach who actually ran track or CC and someone who knows what you are going through; along with having the knowledge and experience to help you achieve your goals. To put it short a coach with both knowledge and experience in the sport they are coaching. What do I expect a coach to look for in me? Hard work, dedication, and heart for these three things (in my opinion) make-up all great athletes.
scrunners: If there is one thing you could do in the world, what would it be and why?
hitt: Sky diving... I want to take a risk~!!!~