Gabriella Converse, junior, girls 400m record holder

Q: Tell me your thoughts when you crossed that finish line.

A: I was very happy. I saw that time, and I thought, ‘Yes, let’s go.’ And I could hear all my teammates cheering. Such a good feeling.

Q: And going into the race, you heard the PA announcer say that you were chasing a school record. You look pretty happy and excited getting ready. What were your thoughts at that point?

A: I think this entire week, I had my mind set on this. It was going to be the day, so I think I was ready. I wasn’t nervous. I thought ‘let’s go out here and do this.’

Q: How have your times this season been, compared to what you did in Indiana?

A: Well, I would definitely say it’s a big step up. I had a very good cross country season, so that kind of boosted me. I’m excited to see how the rest of the season goes.

Q: You mentioned cross country. Has there been a difference switching over to track season?

A: I feel like the team is mostly the same with different coaches, which is a new change, but I think we’re good at getting it done with hard work and very excited to see how this goes. 

Q: And then last week at K-State Relays, you took the 4×800 record with some of your teammates from cross country. What was that experience like? 

A: It just felt nice to be able to do something cool with my friends. 

Q: How special is it to have so many of your friends and teammates from cross country also here with you on track?

A: It’s nice to see the same faces. We really get to know each other through practices and workouts. We grow together.