Andrew White is a junior at Fort Mill High School. White has a 2004 database best of 16:35. White came in second at the Sparkle City Classic on Sept. 15 where he set his 2004 best.
scrunners: When did you start to run for Fort Mill?
white: I started running my eighth grade year when I moved to here three years ago from Louisiana.
scrunners: Following your race at the Sparkle City Classic, what would you like to achieve this season, as you came in second to Dorman\'s Ben Sloan?
white: Well I just want what any guy in the state wants - to win the Team State Championship.
scrunners: Who do you train with in the summer?
white: I usually train with just about anybody from our team, but most of the time with Stephen and Chris Powell, Travis Owens, and Michael Raines. This year we wanted to do it a little different from the past few years so we did fewer miles than some of the previous summers, but much faster than before.
scrunners: Do you prefer to run cross country or track, why?
white: It has hardly changed my training at all. I mean, some guys are geared toward the terrain of the Sandhills better than Fort Jackson, but it all comes down to where you've had your better races. Personally, I enjoy Fort Jackson, because of the faster times, but the Sandhills is a great course too. Both have their places, but it mostly depends on which season I\'m in. I like track for its variety, but when do you well in cross country, you do well against everybody, not just the athletes that run the mile or two mile.
scrunners: When did you start run?
white: I started running when I was about 10 or so.
scrunners: What do you remember and how old were you when you ran your first race?
white: It was a little one-mile race for my school – nothing very special, but it showed me that I could be good at running because I did well for my age.
scrunners: Does anyone else in your family run, or did they run?
white: I've got a grandfather that still runs almost every day.
scrunners: Did any of your parents run at the high school or collegiate level?
white: No.
scrunners: Have you thought about running in college?
white: I've thought about it, and I would definitely love to run in college. Even if I don't get a scholarship or anything from it, I still want to run just because I'm a competitive person and I enjoy it.
scrunners: From your 2003 cross country season, what do remember the most and what do you want to improve on for 2004?
white: Definitely it's the feeling at the end of the season of being completely burned out from not enough strength work and weights.
scrunners: What was your biggest challenge in 2003-2004?
white: Staying up near the top of the state and proving that I can run with these guys and I'm not just a one–hit fluke.
scrunners: In track, what do you want to remember the most and what would you like to improve on come the spring?
white: I want to work on my 800-meter time and try to get that under two minutes, but I'm going to try and improve on the two-mile. The biggest disappointment of last track season was not qualifying for state by missing it by so close a margin.
scrunners: What do you look for in a coach and what do you expect a coach to look for in you?
white: I look for a coach that has discipline for us but knows how to have a good time and knows how to make sure everyone's doing their part on the team.
scrunners: Have you ever been injured? Explain?
white: Well, I don\'t get injured often, and luckily I really haven\'t had a huge problem with injuries at all. My knees give me a little trouble every once in a while, but just about anyone that runs has achy knees every so often.
scrunners: Where do you like to train around Fort Mill?
white: We run at the Anne Springs Close Greenway just about every day, and its just miles of wooded trails that we do most of our long runs on.
scrunners: Who has been Fort Mill\'s team rival and do you have an individual rival?
white: Our team rival is probably Northwestern, and I'd have to say my biggest rival individually is Brandon Hudgins. He's a pretty tough guy and knows how to race.
scrunners: How did these rivals\'s develop and when do they become most intense?
white: Fort Mill and Northwestern have been close rivals for as long as I've been here, but the one with Hudgins is just because out times have been so close for the past year or two.
scrunners: What kind of race strategy works best for you? Explain. If a race scenario changes from the expected how do you alter your plans.
white: Depending of the course, we usually try to get up with the front guys and hang on. If there's a rabbit or a really advanced runner in the race, we try to keep the pace that we're used to and work from there. We have a few where we experiment with pacing and working as a pack though.
scrunners: Does Fort Mill have a team tradition prior to a meet?
white: We ususally play a little game of frisbee the day of or before a big meet.
scrunners: What would you say is the most prestigious meet you have competed in? How did do you fare?
white: I\'d say that Great American is the biggest, and we did well as a team, but I didn\'t do as well as I\'d hoped. This coming up year i\'m hoping to do very well.
scrunners: Do you have a favorite running book or movie, if so which one and why?
white: Once A Runner is an awesome book for anyone who enjoys the sport of running, because it just tells truthfully what training for the biggest race of your life is like.
scrunners: When not running what do you do for fun?
white: I hang out with my friends or go see movies most of the time.
scrunners: What keeps you motivated to get out the door on a daily basis for school, running and life?
white: Thinking about how many people I'll disappoint if I don't keep going. My parents, coaches, friends would all be let down if I just gave up.
scrunners: What do you see happening with the sports of cross country and track and field in the future and how would you like to be involved?
white: Cross country seems more and more like track meets in the woods because everybody wants to run a faster course. I think that it's going to keep on that path until some people realize that its not all about how fast you run.
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Bio Info. Full Name - Andrew Richard White Academic Interest - Brother/Sisters - Nathan (14) Hannah (9) Hobbies - Music, hanging out with friends Date of Birth - 06/05/88 Personal Bests - 800 - 2:02 1600 - 4:38 3200 - 9:53 5000 - 16:09 |
scrunners: When did you start to run for Fort Mill?
white: I started running my eighth grade year when I moved to here three years ago from Louisiana.
scrunners: Following your race at the Sparkle City Classic, what would you like to achieve this season, as you came in second to Dorman\'s Ben Sloan?
white: Well I just want what any guy in the state wants - to win the Team State Championship.
scrunners: Who do you train with in the summer?
white: I usually train with just about anybody from our team, but most of the time with Stephen and Chris Powell, Travis Owens, and Michael Raines. This year we wanted to do it a little different from the past few years so we did fewer miles than some of the previous summers, but much faster than before.
scrunners: Do you prefer to run cross country or track, why?
white: It has hardly changed my training at all. I mean, some guys are geared toward the terrain of the Sandhills better than Fort Jackson, but it all comes down to where you've had your better races. Personally, I enjoy Fort Jackson, because of the faster times, but the Sandhills is a great course too. Both have their places, but it mostly depends on which season I\'m in. I like track for its variety, but when do you well in cross country, you do well against everybody, not just the athletes that run the mile or two mile.
scrunners: When did you start run?
white: I started running when I was about 10 or so.
scrunners: What do you remember and how old were you when you ran your first race?
white: It was a little one-mile race for my school – nothing very special, but it showed me that I could be good at running because I did well for my age.
scrunners: Does anyone else in your family run, or did they run?
white: I've got a grandfather that still runs almost every day.
scrunners: Did any of your parents run at the high school or collegiate level?
white: No.
scrunners: Have you thought about running in college?
white: I've thought about it, and I would definitely love to run in college. Even if I don't get a scholarship or anything from it, I still want to run just because I'm a competitive person and I enjoy it.
scrunners: From your 2003 cross country season, what do remember the most and what do you want to improve on for 2004?
white: Definitely it's the feeling at the end of the season of being completely burned out from not enough strength work and weights.
scrunners: What was your biggest challenge in 2003-2004?
white: Staying up near the top of the state and proving that I can run with these guys and I'm not just a one–hit fluke.
scrunners: In track, what do you want to remember the most and what would you like to improve on come the spring?
white: I want to work on my 800-meter time and try to get that under two minutes, but I'm going to try and improve on the two-mile. The biggest disappointment of last track season was not qualifying for state by missing it by so close a margin.
scrunners: What do you look for in a coach and what do you expect a coach to look for in you?
white: I look for a coach that has discipline for us but knows how to have a good time and knows how to make sure everyone's doing their part on the team.
scrunners: Have you ever been injured? Explain?
white: Well, I don\'t get injured often, and luckily I really haven\'t had a huge problem with injuries at all. My knees give me a little trouble every once in a while, but just about anyone that runs has achy knees every so often.
scrunners: Where do you like to train around Fort Mill?
white: We run at the Anne Springs Close Greenway just about every day, and its just miles of wooded trails that we do most of our long runs on.
scrunners: Who has been Fort Mill\'s team rival and do you have an individual rival?
white: Our team rival is probably Northwestern, and I'd have to say my biggest rival individually is Brandon Hudgins. He's a pretty tough guy and knows how to race.
scrunners: How did these rivals\'s develop and when do they become most intense?
white: Fort Mill and Northwestern have been close rivals for as long as I've been here, but the one with Hudgins is just because out times have been so close for the past year or two.
scrunners: What kind of race strategy works best for you? Explain. If a race scenario changes from the expected how do you alter your plans.
white: Depending of the course, we usually try to get up with the front guys and hang on. If there's a rabbit or a really advanced runner in the race, we try to keep the pace that we're used to and work from there. We have a few where we experiment with pacing and working as a pack though.
scrunners: Does Fort Mill have a team tradition prior to a meet?
white: We ususally play a little game of frisbee the day of or before a big meet.
scrunners: What would you say is the most prestigious meet you have competed in? How did do you fare?
white: I\'d say that Great American is the biggest, and we did well as a team, but I didn\'t do as well as I\'d hoped. This coming up year i\'m hoping to do very well.
scrunners: Do you have a favorite running book or movie, if so which one and why?
white: Once A Runner is an awesome book for anyone who enjoys the sport of running, because it just tells truthfully what training for the biggest race of your life is like.
scrunners: When not running what do you do for fun?
white: I hang out with my friends or go see movies most of the time.
scrunners: What keeps you motivated to get out the door on a daily basis for school, running and life?
white: Thinking about how many people I'll disappoint if I don't keep going. My parents, coaches, friends would all be let down if I just gave up.
scrunners: What do you see happening with the sports of cross country and track and field in the future and how would you like to be involved?
white: Cross country seems more and more like track meets in the woods because everybody wants to run a faster course. I think that it's going to keep on that path until some people realize that its not all about how fast you run.