Tar Heels Strike Again with Another Commit - Lucy Biles to UNC!

Lucy Biles, a 9-time state champion from Utah, verbally committed to UNC this past week to join a growing list of top national talent being added to the Tarheel women's XC lineup in recent years. Biles shares her reasons on picking UNC and how her recruting process went below.

First off how does it feel in the same week to win your 3rd straight state title and also make your college decision?

So after winning state for the third time, I was pretty excited. Winning state is never something to brush off, so I was able to dwell in that moment for a little while. After state, I went on a visit to Oklahoma State, which was a blast. But as I got to think about things, I knew where I was going, so I made the announcement. With that it lifted a huge load off of my shoulders because for the rest of my senior year, I can know where I am going and who my team will be, which makes it easier to focus on the season and school. Having that done with made me a lot less stressed. But as I told Coach Reckart (of UNC) that I would be running for her, the butterflies were so real and I couldn't stop smiling the whole day because I knew that I had made the right choice.

What schools did you end up taking visits too and what did you enjoy or learn about taking those official visits?

I took 3 of my 5 official visits. I went to UNC, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. I had a blast on all three of them. Even though they can be exhausting, I would suggest that when on the visits make sure you have an open mind about things. Along with that I learned that you should keep in mind all of the questions that you have had in the past. As you meet with the team, you will be able to ask them and get first hand responses. When I was a junior, I thought for sure that I would take all five visits, because why not, right? Well after my first and second visit, it was kinda tiring. The days were so long and you realize that these coaches and teams take so much time to have you there that you want to make sure that you have an interest in that school. Another thing is to make sure that you are caught up or ahead in all your classes because missing school so much takes a huge toll and adds extra stress. I think the biggest thing is to enjoy it, because you only get to do it once.

UNC had a great recruiting freshmen class last year including several Foot Locker finalists that you met last year in San Diego. Was that nice to be able to connect with girls from that meet on your visit?

Yeah, that freshman class of girls that UNC got is amazing. My mom and I had been talking about it and we were looking at the teams and seeing that group of girls on that list was really nice because I had already had the chance to get to know them at Foot Locker, so I already felt like I was friends with them, which made me feel a lot more comfortable.

What were the biggest factors on you deciding on UNC?

The biggest factors that made me chose UNC... Well there are a lot. When I got there if felt like home. I felt really comfortable around the team and coaches. The campus is amazing and easy to manage, and the area is amazing as well. The program is great and will continue to grow, which was a huge factor. I also have family really close to campus as well.

Many kids in Utah stay west, not far from home or in-state, but your choices of school were all over the country and eventually a school on the East Coast. Why were you so open to look to out of the area schools?

I think I was so open to looking East and far from home because I really want to have a different experience. The schools on the West Coast and in-state are all amazing. But I wanted to be more independent and see what was out there, so going far from home was always what I wanted to do.

What kind of adjustment do you think it will be for you from training and often racing in a more mountainous, altitude, and cooler state for high school to a more flat, sea level, and humid state in college?

The adjustment for training might be a little hard, but I will eventually get used to it. To subsidize for the hills I will probably add a little more volume and intensity, but I trust my coaches and know that they will do everything they can to help me improve. The humidity will be the hard part, but I'll get used to it eventually.

Do you feel the college decision over now takes a lot of pressure off you in the post-season to perform and prove yourself at a meet like Foot Locker? Can run a bit more relaxed and free as well as confident?

Knowing where I am going to be running takes off a ton of stress and give me more room to focus on the next important race. I found it really hard to juggle so many different things at one time, so having one of the heavier things gone makes it easier to focus on what is now the most important thing. Which is a meet like Foot Locker.

What are you hoping to accomplish and gain from your 4 or more years of college running at UNC?

Running for UNC, I hope to be an All-American and hopefully have a solid team. But mostly, I just want to be able to do the best I can do at that time. As long as I feel that I have done the best I could, then I couldn't ask for anything more.

What is one piece of valuable advice you would give to other high school careers who are still currently or will eventually embark into the college recruiting process?

The one piece of advice I would give is to enjoy this time. It only happens once and it happens fast, so soak it all in as it is happening and just have fun, but remember the end goal. It's a fun time, but also a very, very important time in your life.