Milesplit Utah Feature Athlete of the Week: Sarah Feeny
This week we are doing a special version of the feature athlete of the week. We selected a boy and a girl from the same school who both caught our eye with high performance and great sportsmanship. Sarah Feeny and Jordan Cross: They're both very fast and they're also some of the nicest people you'll get a chance to talk to.
We got the chance to sit speak for a bit with Sarah Feeny and ask her a few questions about her season so far and her goals for the future.
Sarah Leading the pack in the 1600m at the UHSTCA Championships - Photo by Kyle Perry
So Sarah, It’s been a great season for you so far with a win at the UHSTCA Championships and at Simplot. Were both meets Pr’s?
Yeah I Pr’d at both of them, a Pr first at the oval and then another one at at Simplot! (4:57.35 at UHSTCA and 4:56.26 at Simplot)
So you’re going in the right direction?
Yeah! Improving.
So tell me a little bit about how the race played out at Simplot
Well I let the other girls lead, I just stuck right behind the first girls but then I realized I needed to pick It up so I just took the lead and no one really went with me…
At what point did you take the lead?
It was at least 800m into it or maybe before that I can’t really remember
And then you finished in 456?
Yeah it was 4:56
Are there any more races for you this Indoor season?
Not indoors, I’m just gonna go for outdoor season
And whats you’re first meet outdoor?
I’m actually not sure yet, maybe a city county meet, or a dual meet, and then I might do the Pineview invitational, but I’m really not sure yet. Later in the season I want to run Arcadia, that’s probably the first big invitational
And what do you want to run there?
Probably the 3200
What would your goal be there?
My pr is 10:51 but I wanna this season get under 10:40,
but at sea level I think I can even get faster than that.
Well that would be cool, That would be smoking fast,
and so what’s your overall goal for the 1600 this year?
I wanna break the state record at least for 3A and maybe all divisions, I think the record is a 4:50 so if I could get under that that would be great.
And what do you like more, Track or XC?
Its hard to say, I think I like the races more in track because I think its mentally easier in a way, but I like in cross country how it’s all distance runners and you’re always together and you know every one better, it’s a closer atmosphere.
Your team at Ogden, who should we be watching for?
Jessica Sams and Melissa Garrett, they have both been doing very well and improving a lot, Jessica was 6th in the 2 mile at Simplot and got a good pr.
One more girl is Avery Calton, she’s also really good, she will be good in the 800.
How do you like your chances for a team title?
I’m not really sure, our distance is really good but we don’t have a lot of throwers or jumpers, and only a few sprinters. Last year we won on distance and some sprinters but this year we lost some seniors, so I don’t know if we will win again, but it’s not impossible
For all the girls you compete against, who are a few of the girls you like to race against?
I really like racing with Summer Harper, I’ve gotten to know her very well with all the trips we’ve been on with like nationals and everything and I always see her at big races, her whole team is really fun. Also Emily Rich was really fun racing the mile with, because I didn’t really know anyone at Simplot in my race except for her so it was good to have someone that I knew.
When it comes to racing, what’s your favorite race day meal?
I don’t have a specific one, if it’s a morning race ill just eat like oatmeal for breakfast, and if its later ill just eat like a sandwich with some meat on it, and the night before the race I will usually eat like a pasta.
Do you have anything in particular you like after a race?
I drink a lot of Gatorade before and after the races…. Sometimes after the meet is over I like to get ice cream, just to celebrate I guess. Its not really healthy but I like it
Well every runner has something like that that they crave after a meet, that’s why I ask.
Is there a piece of favorite running gear you have?
Well I just like my shoes, they’re pretty nice, but not really anything specific. Oh I do always have my watch on but I don’t really use it in races very much
What’s the hardest workout that you’ve ever done?
Well yesterday we did a hard workout, I think it was especially hard cause we were tired from Simplot, but we did 6x1000. I don’t know if it’s the hardest ever but it was pretty hard because we had just raced Simplot and my legs are still pretty tired.
And do you have any running related funny or crazy stories?
A couple times we have run into dogs. One time we were on the golf course in Ogden and there was this dog, and we were running around trying to ask everyone we saw and trying to find the owner. It was a pretty fun run because it was different than our normal routine.
Did you ever find the owner?
I think they took it to the clubhouse and the owner came and picked it up but I had left at that point.
Any other stories you want to tell?
Not really running related, but my favorite thing is riding roller coasters, at Footlocker regionals we went to magic mountain and it was probably one of the best days of my life.
Every ride there is a big roller coaster, so after qualifying for nationals that was fun.
After arcadia I would like to go to like Disney land or something but probably not, I wish.
Previous Featured Athletes
Kramer Morton - Alta High School