Full Name: Casey Nicole Gale Date of Birth: December 29, 1986 Brothers/Sisters: a younger sister and brother ,Haley(13) and Byron(2), and two older brothers, Travis(29) and Bryan(27) Academic Interest: Spanish and English Hobbies: running, reading, rollerblading, shopping, spending time with friends & family Personal Bests: 1600- 5:22, 2mile- 11:48, 5K- 20:43, 800- 2:30

scrunners: When did you start to run?
gale: When I went out for the track team in the seventh grade.

scrunners: What or whom gave you the idea to start running?
gale: My mom, because she was a runner in high school. However, I didn't start running seriously until the end of my junior year. My coach, Bryan Clevenger, kept pushing me to take up running year round,and I finally did.

scrunners: Does or did anyone else in your family run? If so, when and where? Do they still run today?
gale: Both my mom and dad ran in high school. My mom ran for Pickens also, and my dad ran for his high school in New York. My mom continued to run a little after high school, but neither of them run anymore.

scrunners: What made you decide to sign with Charleston Southern?
gale: Pickens had Coach Travis Alexander as an assistant coach for the cross country team, and although I was never coached by him, my teammates and Coach Clevenger told me a lot of good things about him. A guy from my team went to run at Charleston Southern, Jose Aleman, and he really enjoys the college. Also, the college has a great academic program and the major I was interested in.

scrunners: What other colleges did you take visits to?
gale: I visited USC and Anderson College.

scrunners: What did you do on these visits?
gale: I toured the campus and talked with students that attended there.

scrunners: What appealed to you at Charleston Southern more than at other schools?
gale: CSU is in a great location. I love Charleston and the beach. I also liked the Christian atmosphere. Because it is a smaller school I will be able to get more one on one attention if I need it.

scrunners: Did the coaches at Charleston Southern and athletes talk about college training regiments?
gale: Yes, the training is focused more on speed work than I have done in the past. I think more of my practices will be track oriented, but that's fine with me. College training is the next level up so of course its going to be more rigorous. The runners also lift weights a couple times a week.

scrunners: From what you have been told, how will this training vary from high school?
gale: Like I said before, its going to be more speed training. In high school we don't usually lift weights as a team so that will be different, too.

scrunners: What kind of questions did you ask college personnel on visits?
gale: I asked about study abroad programs and financial aid. I also asked about different majors because at the time I wasn't sure what I wanted to study.

scrunners: Have you thought about potential areas of study in college?
gale: Yes, I want to be a Spanish major. I've always been interested in learning different languages.

scrunners: What are you future goals in running and academics?
gale: It would be great to qualify for Nationals one day. I think that's my ultimate running goal. I want to go on to be a Spanish professor, or interpreter.

scrunners: What would you like to accomplish with the rest of the track season?
gale: I feel like I've accomplished a lot since last year. I've decreased my time a lot, but it would be great to break 5:22 in the mile. I focus mainly on the mile, and I hope to place atleast third at state.

scrunners: How do you see yourself accomplishing these goals?
gale: Coach Clevenger is always helping me out and giving me advice. I will be taking more recovery days as the season dwindles down to the important meets, and just focusing on staying healthy so I can run my best.

scrunners: As a senior, what do you want to accomplish during your last track and field season?
gale: I've never went to State in track, so I'm excited about the opportunity.

scrunners: Did you start run cross country or track first?
gale: Track.

scrunners: How has your training changed from when you started to run to the present?
gale: When I first started track I wasn't serious at all. I never ran except at practice, and I never competed in any races outside of school. In the eighth grade I almost quit. My junior year I started cross country, and that's when everything turned around. I started to really enjoy running, and that year is when I started training and racing on my own.

scrunners: What kind of training did you do this past summer in preparation for the cross-country season?
gale: I focused on mileage. I started with 45 mile weeks and by the time the season rolled around I was up to 60. I didn't do any speed work. Our cross country team went to the Appalachian State University running camp.

scrunners: How much rest did you take prior to the start of track, after cross-country and how did training change to prepare for track, with winter training?
gale: After cross country I took about a week off. The coach from Charleston sent me a work out for the winter that I stuck too. I started doing more speed work like fartleks and 400 meter repeats.

scrunners: When you leave Pickens in May, what will you remember the most from being a student-athlete, academically, socially, and athletically?
gale: I will always remember the year our 4x400 team broke the county record. All of my coaches mean so much to me. They all have encouraged me along with my teachers. I think its important for teachers and coaches to realize what an important role they play in people's lives because they have made so much of an impact on mine. I can't forget all my friends at Pickens high, my teammates, and my wonderful senior class!

scrunners: What has kept you motivated to get out the door everyday for practice and life?
gale: The desire to get better for God, myself, and the people who are counting on you like coaches and teammates. Sometimes I have to remember that I'm not going to feel wonderful everyday, and those are the days you have to think of those things more to motivate yourself. My running partner, Julie Seils always helps me get out the door. She has a great attitude towards life and running.

scrunners: Have you ever been injured, if so, what and when did this happen?
gale: One year I had something called compartment syndrome, but thankfully it went away without any real complications.

scrunners: How did you stay motivated during this time?
gale: I remembered that I was going to get better soon, I just had to recover to be able to train again.

scrunners: Who has been your biggest individual and team rival at Pickens?
gale: Stephanie Gammon from Daniel and the Barker sisters from Easley are awesome runners. I'd have to consider them my toughest rivals. Daniel is probably Pickens' biggest rival.

scrunners: How did these rivals develop and when do they become most intense?
gale: Daniel always has great runners. We're always close in competition. Around county and region is when everything becomes really intense. Both teams are looking to qualify for the next level.

scrunners: What do you look for in a coach and what do you expect a coach to look for in you?
gale: I think that its important for a coach to develop a bond with their runners and to look out for their best interests. I also think its important for a coach to want to push their athletes to their limits. I expect a coach to look for determination and intergrity in athletes.

scrunners: As a senior, do you hold a leader position on the team, that helps younger runs with training and also with learning about the sports?
gale: We don't really have captains at Pickens. I think the older runners set an example by working hard and improving. The younger runners can look at the older ones and see the things they do and hopefully learn that way. I've gotten close to a lot of the younger girls on the team, and I enjoy helping them and answering their questions.

scrunners: If there is one thing in the world you can do, what would it be and why? How long have you wanted to achieve this?
gale: As far as running goes I think a long term goal for me is to qualify for Nationals one day. I know its going to take a lot of work and time, but that would be my ultimate dream come true. I haven't taken running seriously until recently so its a fairly new goal I've set. I love kids and one day I hope I can make a difference in children's lives that are troubled... any way I can.