Name: Coulter Clement, Water Valley 2020
Personal bests: 5k- 18:20.23
3200- 11:05.13
1600: 5:03.16
Academic interests: I enjoy anything to do with math.
Hobbies: My hobbies are singing and playing guitar, hanging out with friends and family, and playing basketball and disc golf. And of course, running!
Favorite quote: "Do Life Big."
How did you get involved in the sport? When I was younger, my dad told me that he thought I should run track one day, and I never really thought about it again until the summer going into my 7th grade year. My brother and I heard that our school was going to start a Cross Country team, so from that day forward I began to run.
What is your favorite race and why? I love every race because they all bring something different to the table, but my favorite one would have to be the 1600. I love how it is a distance race, but it is not too long. You can run faster than in other races, and you can give it all you have because you only have to run four laps.
How do you look at
being ranked as the top in the state in the your event? I am so thankful
to be ranked in my events this year, and I am honored to be in that position. There
is a lot of tough competition in our state, and I do not take that for granted.
Do you have a specific motivation? My relationship with Christ is what
pushes me to keep going. It motivates me to persevere even when the going gets
tough.
What has been your biggest challenge in the sport? There are plenty of challenges to overcome when you are a runner, but injury has been something that is challenging me as of right now. I have strained my hip flexor and quad muscle this season and injured my IT band, so I am still trying to fully recover and get back to normal.
What do you hope to achieve in the future? I really hope to win a state championship in the future. It has been a dream of mine for many years.
What do you hope to achieve the rest of the season and at State? I am hoping to qualify for state in both the 1600 and the 3200 this year. I have never been to state in both events, so I am hoping to accomplish that goal. I also am hoping that I can break 5 minutes in the 1600. I keep getting close, but I have not done it yet.
Walk us through a race for you (from pre race until post race). On race day, I tend to get a little nervous before I start. I will warm up a good bit and stretch before my race begins. Before I get on the starting line I always pray. I pray that God will give the strength to finish the race and run it well. It applies to both the physical race and the "race" we call life. After the race, I will stretch again and normally drink as much water as soon as possible.
What goes through your mind? When I run my mind can wander quite often. I try not to focus on my time because it tends to slow me down. So I will focus on the competitors and the goal I'm trying to achieve. I also like to pray when I run because I have someone to talk to.
Do you play other sports? How does track help you with other sports and vice versa? Track, Cross Country, and Soccer are the sports I participate in. I believe that track helps me in both other sports because they all involve one of my favorite things- running.
How do you look at being top-ranked in the state? I am humbled to be ranked at the top of our state. There is great competition, and I do not take that for granted.
How and when did you start training for track and field this season? I have been training for track season since around February. I haven't been able to "seriously" start training because of my injury, but that is when I began to focus on track.
What do you enjoy the most about the your team? There is so much I love about my team, but what I enjoy most is the "family-like" relationship we all have. We all are there for each other, and when we are together it is always a good time.
What team goals does your team have? This year our team has 14 people that advanced to North Half. Last year, we only had 3 people make it. So our goal is to get as many people to the state meet as possible.
What do you feel you have learned from your coaches, teammates and the sport? Perseverance, strength, hard work, and support are all things I have learned.
What would like to see happen in the future in the sport? I would love to be able to continue running after high school.
If there is one thing in the world you could do, what would it be and why? I would love to be able to grow the track and XC programs in my school. We typically have a very small team and not much interest for the sport. So I would love to be able to get others interested in running competitively.
