PreRaceJitters.com Interview: Trey Harts Bringing Sprinting Back To Baylor
May 28, 2009 by Jay Hicks
Photo by Baylor Sports Information.
He left big shoes to fill. Michael Johnson in 1990 was the last sprinter donning the green and gold to win an NCAA 200 meter title. That is until Trey Harts enrolled at Baylor. The school has a reputation in the 400 meters and mile relay that includes Baylor’s mile relay earning All-American honors for 29 years in a row and 19 NCAA titles along with a string of NCAA 400 meter champions.
Harts wanted to have em’ on their feet and cheering again on the national stage for the Baylor sprinters. The Lake Charles, Louisiana junior has guided the Baylor 4×100 meter relay to 39.25 seconds this season and the fouresome are currently ranked among the elite relay teams, positioned to contend for an NCAA 4 x 100 meter relay title.
In March, Harts wrote his name in the NCAA history books, winning the 200 meters at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Harts put down a personal-best time of 20.63 to win the event, and in the process produced the second-fastest time in Baylor history behind Michael Johnson 20.59 set at the NCAA Championships in 1989.
Harts presence in Waco, Texas is a common denominator to the return to these glory days.
PreRaceJitters caught up with Trey Harts and here is what he had to say:
PRJ: Congratulations on breaking Michael Johnson’s 200 meter stadium record at the Michael Johnson Classic this season. What experience did you get from running against former Baylor athlete Jeremy Wariner for the first time, along with Olympic gold medalist Reggie Witherspoon and former U.S. indoor national champion Michael Rodgers? What did you learn from racing against this group of experienced professional runner that will help with upcoming national competitions?
TH: Running against Jeremy, Reggie, and Mike was a great experience. They are some young and talented runners and I look up to each of them. One thing that I noticed about them is that they always seem to find a way to stay composed before a race. I know that is something that I need to do in the future as I run against them later on in my career.
PRJ: Throughout this season at different times, you have talked about bringing attention to Baylor’s sprinting program. What does it mean to bring attention to your school with what you have been able accomplish so far during the 2008 – 2009 season?
TH: Having more recognition come to Baylor’s short sprint program really means a lot to my coaches, my teammates, and myself. We take just as much pride in our events just like the quarter milers do. Every prestigious athletic program has to start out at the bottom and earn its respect and my teammates and I decided to take the first step in truly earning that respect from the track and field community.
PRJ: Last year you put up some impressive numbers, running 10.31 in the 100 and 20.44 at 200. So far this season you’ve run personal bests at both races. What has been the key to your success and improvement this year?
TH: The key to my success this year, in my opinion, has been me staying focused on my long-term goals. I try to be as consistent as possible in all my races. I know that it is difficult to actually PR in every race at every meet but putting forth that effort helps me accomplish my consistency goal.
PRJ: During the indoor season you ran the 60 meters, 200 meters and lead off leg of the national championship 4×400 meter relay. What has been the thought process throughout the outdoor about you running on the mile relay?
TH: As it stands right now, I do plan on running on many more mile relays, if any at all, this season. I enjoy running the mile relay but I also want to finish a season healthy and compete at the U.S. Championships and I have found it difficult to stay healthy when I run the 100m, 200m, 4×100m, and 4×400m every week during the outdoor season. If I am ever needed to run on the 4×4, I will not hesitate to step in but until that time comes, I will cheer my teammates on from track side.
PRJ: You find yourself running a number of different races throughout the season. What is a typical week of training for you and how do you mentally prepare yourself to compete in such a variety of races?
TH: My week of training is very different from my teammates. I do a combination of running on the track and running barefoot in the grass. The grass runs were implemented in order to reduce the pounding on my shins but it seems like they have also served to help my acceleration. The runs on the track are longer than my grass runs and they help with speed endurance.
PRJ: Going backwards for a moment. You won the NCAA 200 Meter Indoor Title, how would you describe this season so far?
TH: This season has been so much more than what I could have ever hoped for. I normally go into a season just wanting to perform better than I did the last season; I never start out thinking about winning championships. I just happened to be ready to run fast enough to win a national title this season.
PRJ: Who has had the biggest influence on your track career so far?
TH: My parents are the biggest influence on my track career. At every meet, at least one of them are present. They have never forced me to stick with running track but they have always challenged me to be the best at whatever I do. They are the reason that I have discipline and dedication to my sport.
PRJ: How do you see the final stages of the 2009 outdoor season?
TH: I try my best not to predict how the rest of my season will go; I take things day by day. All I can say is that if I am able to stay healthy, I will run faster than I have ever run before.
PRJ: What is your most valuable asset as a sprinter?
TH: I think my most valuable asset as a sprinter is my versatility. In high school, I competed in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. There are not many people who can run all three of these events well and I take pride in being one of the select few who can accomplish this.
PRJ: You have the final stages of the outdoor season this year and your senior season next year of eligibility remaining. What do you want your legacy at Baylor and on the collegiate running scene to be when your career is completed?
TH: The sport of track and field for Americans has recently been tarnished with steroid scandals from former great athletes. I want future track and field athletes to see that you do not have to cheat in order to be great and with a little bit of hard work, discipline, and luck the possibilities of what a person can do are limitless. I want my legacy to be a clean one that can be admired and respected.
PRJ: Trey thanks so very much for your time and we wish you the best of luck with the rest of your season.
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i am proud of this kid. I have met a lot of sprinters and im looking forward to meeting Trey.