13 Questions with Texas A&M sprinter Jeneba Tarmoh

You might be hearing lot about Jeneba Tarmoh after her blistering individual and relays races at the NCAA Championship that helped Texas A&M defend their NCAA crown.

Is Tarmoh the next great collegiate sprinter?

The Aggies travel to Eugene to defend their title. Enter Tarmoh. In just her first season at Texas A&M after transferring from Tennessee, Tarmoh narrowly placed runner up (22.92 ) in the 200 meters to teammate Porscha Lucas, ran 11.13 to finish third in the 100 meters and ran pivotal legs on the victorious Aggie 4×100, and 4×4 relays teams.

The Texas A&M sophomore talks abou running for Texas A&M, her educational pursuits and the lesson she learned this season.

PRJ: Winning the 100 meter in 11.00 (wind-aided) at NACAC against top international talent from North America, Central America and the Caribbean – does that make your title mean more? Of course winning always has a positive effect on a person. But what makes my title mean the most is the time I ran.
JT: Of course winning always has a positive effect on a person. But what makes my title mean the most is the time I ran.

PRJ: What’s it like to be the NCAA Champs?
JT: It’s a honor, not many teams have the talent and depth Texas A&M has. I never thought that I would be part of a team that has so much talent and it makes me feel blessed to be part of it. The feeling still has not sunk in.

PRJ: How confident were you that Texas A&M could overcome such a talented Oregon team after finishing second to the Ducks at the Pepsi Invitation back in April?
JT: I was very confident, I know that Oregon is a talented team but I also know we are just as talented.

PRJ: What amazing runs you had in the 100 and 200 meters – how do you feel about your races at the NCAAs?
JT: PROUD! Like many athletes my journey over the course of the year made me doubt my ability to attain the goals I set for myself. But a person comes to realize that the journey they go through is what makes the end product mean what it does.

PRJ: How did the team react to losing Gabby Mayo in Eugene?
JT: The team was sad for the most part, but we are aware that Gabby is not what makes the team good. We all practiced hard when it was time to, so therefore we all have trained to compete hard under every circumstance good or bad.

PRJ: What about Coach Henry? How much does it mean for you to give him back-to-back national titles and the first in school history?
JT: It always a good feeling to please some else. It made me happy because when Coach Henry smiles it means that someone has really touched his heart and it felt good to see him smile ear to ear.

PRJ: You lose some runners next year but you have some help on the way?
JT: We have plenty of help on the way and by the grace of god we also have athletes coming back stronger than last year mentally and physically.

PRJ: You were at Tennessee before transferring to College Station? Were you nervous at all about the transfer?
JT: Of course. In my mind I was afraid the team was too good for me and that I would not be able to contribute. But the reason why Coach Anderson recruited me was because I can contribute and I was wanted.

PRJ: What is campus life like at Texas A&M?
JT: For the most part it is fun. I have friends who make life so much more exciting.

PRJ: Have you thought about what you might get your degree in?
JT: I made up my mind about becoming a psychologist in high school and I’m still sticking to it. I’m almost done now so there’s no turning back.

PRJ: So when did you start running?
JT: I started running my freshman year in high school when I was 14 but it took me many years to get serious about the sport.

PRJ: What are you doing outside of track?
JT: I do everything a girl my age does. I watch tv, read, and just relax with friends and family.

PRJ: What has this last year taught you?
JT: Everything happens for a reason. God always has a plan. I learned to stand still in the midst of a trial, I hated that I had to sit the year out, but looking at how this year turned out I’m glad because I learned more about myself as a child of God, and as a person.

Day 1 Wrap Up 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championshps

Torrential rains greet athletes to the northwest

Eugene, Oregon-Wednesday played into every stereotype of northwest weather. Athletes were met by cold weather in the 50’s and heavy rains during the first day of NCAA competition.

Unexpected Events
There are three sights that few would have predicted they would ever see at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

That the women’s 800m final would be without BYU’s Lacy Cramer. The 2010 NCAA 800m indoor champion did not make the cut to the finals finishing last in her heat running 2:15:92.  And 2009 runner up in the men’s 100 meters, Ahmad Rashad was charged with a false start, failing to make the 100m finals.  The USC senior was expected by many to place high and contend to win the race.  Lastly, Gabby Mayo injured her quadriceps muscle after the West regional meet and coach Pat Henry made the call to not run the hurdler and relay runner.

Field Events
Arizona State’s senior Ryan Whiting is cementing a career that will go down as one of the greatest in NCAA history.  Winning the NCAA men’s discus title with a 193 feet, 9 inches goes a long way completing that mission.

Going into the competition it would not look to be an easy feat with Kansas freshman sensation Mason Finley throwing so well during the later stages of the season, however Whiting prevailed in the end.

Junior Amber Kaufman of Hawaii managed  to win the high jump with a leap of 6-feet-1 ¼ inches.  Finishing second was Arizona senior Elizabeth Patterson with a jump of 6-0.

Southern Illinois sophomore Jeneva McCall won the discuss Wednesday with a throw 54.98 meters.

Going the distance…
Lisa Koll won the 10,000 meters by a jaw dropping twenty four seconds in 32 minutes, 49.35 seconds ahead of teammate sophomore Betsy Saina who was second.