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| Hannah Wright (clemsontigers.com). |
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Full Name~Hannah Louise Wright Alma Mater~Wren High School Mascot~Hurricane College~Clemson University Academic Interest~English -------------------------------------------- Event PR's: 5k: 18:58.94 2 mile:11:54 1 mile: 5:40 Brothers/Sisters~ Rebecca(21) Luke(15) Calvin(12) Harrison(10) Caroline(7) Hobbies~ Running, hiking/backpacking, rock-climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, reading, playing piano, art and traveling. |
Hannah Wright: I started running (on my own) during seventh grade, and I began running cross-country in eighth grade.
scrunners: What made you decide to run?
wright: My older sister Rebecca started running, and like most younger sisters, I wanted to do whatever she did. So I decided to try it! I also had always been athletic as a kid and the thought of running competitively really appealed to me.
scrunners: What sports did you play before running?
wright: I played church basketball for a couple years and I played roller hockey for several years on a team in Greenville. I was quite the tomboy.
scrunners: Who else in your family runs?
wright: My mom and my older sister both run.
scrunners: Do you remember your first competitive running event? What was the
name, explain how you did and what you remember the most about it?
wright: My first race was the Spring Water four-mile run in Williamston. I think I finished in just under 32 minutes and I was second in my age group. I remember a lot of things about this race, from munching on "Oh's" cereal in the car on the way, to the cool morning air during the race, to the feeling of accomplishment when I finished.
scrunners: What is your most memorable during your running tenure at Wren?
wright: I remember all the races I set personal bests in, obviously, and all my state meet races, but I also remember the times just doing training runs with my teammates, talking each other's heads off and laughing about stupid stuff.
scrunners: What kind of training did you do while at Wren?
wright: During cross-country I ran about 35-45 miles per week, with hills and tempo runs added in towards the end of the season. We did running drills and strides almost every day. Frisbee on Friday of course. I ran less miles and more speedwork during track.
scrunners: How has the training changed since you are preparing for running as
a Clemson Tiger?
wright: I'm doing some higher mileage weeks.
scrunners: Explain to the scrunners audience what race strategy works best for you? When has the
strategy had to change (for you) and how did you adapt to the change? How did
you end up doing at this event?
wright: I prefer to run a negative split race, even if it means not being the leader until the end. Of course, the danger in that is that if the others run harder than you think, and you get too far behind, there's no way to catch up. That's happened to me before. I've also had some great races where I went out hard and stayed in the lead the whole time. I think you just have to adapt your strategy for each race.
scrunners: What goals are you setting for college, socially, as a NCAA D-1
athlete, and academically?
wright: My goals aren't very specific as far as college running goes right now. I have heard that a lot of girls expect dramatically better running immediately in college, and they're often disappointed because it takes some adjusting. So, with that in mind, I guess I'm planning on running consistently good races and improving my times. I always aim to do my best and push it my hardest. Academically, I hope to study hard and do well in my classes, and socially I guess I hope to make some new friends!
scrunners: What made you decide to attend Clemson?
wright: It appealed to me in a lot of ways. It's a strong school academically, I would be able to run, and financially it was better for my family.
scrunners: What other colleges did you look into?
wright: Covenant College, Appalachian State and Furman.
scrunners: How many state meets (track and cc) did you compete in? How did you
end up in these meets?
wright: I competed in five state XC meets and I was all-state for three of them, with fourth place being my best finish. I competed in three state track meets, with fourth place in the two- mile being my best race.
scrunners: How have your times changed since when you started to run for Wren and during your senior year?
wright: My times went from my first year running mostly 22's with a best of 21:50. During my second year running I ran 19:51 at state and finished seventh. I never drastically improved again, but I ran some good races my other years.
scrunners: What was your favorite track event? Why?
wright: The two-mile because I think the longer the better.
scrunners: In high school, the 5k was run during cross-country. How do you feel
you will do when adding 1000 meters to the 5k (6k) in college?
wright: I don't think I'll mind it because I've always liked the longer races. I wish we ran the 10-mile. Okay, maybe not...but I do like it when endurance plays into the race.
scrunners: What else are you looking to achieve in college, besides running?
wright: I want to really learn a lot about a lot of things! I plan to major in English, so obviously I can't wait to study all about that, but I also want to do things like improve my French and even study abroad.
scrunners: What events would you like to run in college during the track
season?
wright: I haven't yet decided if I'm running track.
scrunners: During high school, how did you balance sports and academics?
wright: I just used my time wisely. When I had practice I concentrated on running, and when I had time to study I studied.
scrunners: How is the way you balanced your activities in high school going to
help you while at college?
wright: I think I have some good time management skills that I'll take with me to college.
scrunners: When did you start to work at Fleet Feet Sports in Greenville? Have
you learned anything new since you started at the store?
wright: I started working at Fleet Feet the summer before my senior year. I definitely have learned more about running shoes and how they work, what the differences are, etc.
scrunners: Was there one time (s) during your high school seasons that you
became discouraged at practice or a competition? How did you overcome this
setback?
wright: Oh, I definitely have been discouraged plenty of times, like I'm sure everyone else can say. Whether it's being beat by a teammate or just realizing you didn't push it like you could've can be very discouraging. You just have to put these things behind you and let them motivate you for the future.
scrunners: What keeps you motivated throughout each season?
wright: The thought of the final race keeps me motivated, and I'm pretty self-motivated anyway.
scrunners: Explain to us what is involved in the preparation for a meet.
wright: If it's a big race I run easy the day before, eat healthy, get sleep, mentally prepare, etc. The day of I try to relax by listening to good music on the way.
scrunners: What running camps have you been to while at Wren? What did you
learn at the camps? Were they individual or team camps?
wright: I went to one camp (as an individual): The Nike running camp in Asheville the summer before my senior year. I learned a lot about nutrition, training and racing strategies, and other stuff.
scrunners: What kind of training shoes do you wear?
wright: I switch around all the time. Right now I'm in the Mizuno Mercury.
scrunners: What kind of racers do you wear?
wright: A Brooks spike and a New Balance waffle.
scrunners: Who did you usually train with at Wren?
wright: I trained with my sister (Rebecca) and Meredith Craig my first few years. I ran with Sunday (Ford) for the last few (years). I've been blessed with great training partners...it doesn't get much better than training with Sunday Ford. She is such a great runner and person, and she constantly pushed me.
scrunners: Did you train with anyone this summer? Who, how is it helping
you?
wright: I've done some training with various runners on my high school team, but I've mostly run on my own. It's always helpful to have someone run with you because you can push each other and at the same time enjoy each other's company.
scrunners: What kind of surfaces are you training on?
wright: Mostly road, with some trail and grass.
scrunners: What kind of cross-training do you incorporate into your training
during
seasons or between each season?
wright: My cross-training is kind of sporadic. I like to do anything outdoors. I just try to get out as much as I can.
scrunners: How much rest do you take between each season? Is it active rest?
wright: I don't ever take off completely from running like I should. I usually just run easy for a couple weeks after each season.
scrunners: Have you thought about what kind of running you would like to do after college?
wright: I definitely plan on still running after college, but I also would like to start doing more triathlons and try some adventure races. I am also interested in biking, road and mountain.
scrunners: Are you more of a high mileage distance runner (distance days) or more adaptable to speed days?
wright: I'm definitely more of a distance runner.
scrunners: A coach/athlete relationship is vital to building a team. What do you look for in a coach and what do you expect a coach to look for in you?
wright: I look for a knowledgeable, motivating, and compassionate coach. I expect a coach to look for an athlete who is hard-working, motivated, positive, and is willing to be coached.
scrunners: When you ran at Wren how was the team changed?
wright: Our team at Wren has changed a lot. When I first started we were all friends, but there were definitely two groups, an older and a younger. I feel like my last few years we have all gotten really close. I think we have such a great team. Everyone is very involved in their teammate's running, and it's just a really encouraging atmosphere. We have a lot of fun together.
For more information on Hannah Wright visit: clemsontigers.com