Hannah Freeman ran just over 2:12 in the 800 at the state meet from spring of this year. Photo by Alan Versaw.
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Hannah Freeman's Best Marks
400 Meters - 58.61
800 Meters - 2:12.83
1600 Meters (Indoor) - 5:19.67
5K Cross Country - 19:30 (at altitude)
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Tell us first what made Colorado State University the right decision for you.
I traveled out of state to a few other universities but I really couldn't picture myself going to school at any of them. Visiting Colorado State was like a breath of fresh air. The coaching staff is really friendly and approachable and the team was super welcoming. Also, I love the atmosphere of Fort Collins and could easily picture myself going to school there.
What will you be studying at CSU?
I am planning to go into the pre-physical therapy program at CSU. Technically, I'll be under the health and exercise science major with concentration in sports science.
You didn't start out high school running cross country but showed up on the cross country team your sophomore season. How did that change come about?
Before my freshman year my coach, parents, and I decided that it would be a good idea to wait for my body to mature before participating in cross-country. Also, I wanted to swim for Fairview freshman year and the preseason overlapped with XC.
Your performances in high school have been pretty evenly split between 400s and 800s. Which of the two do you prefer, and why?
That's tough. I mainly do the 400 for speedwork, but it's always been fun. Unfortunately, I have a lot of trouble setting up the blocks because of how nervous I get before the race, so as silly as it sounds, I like that the 800 is a standing start. I enjoy doing the 800 too because it's a really mentally and physically demanding race and each race is an entirely unique experience.
Pick a favorite moment for us from you high school track and cross country experience.
My freshman year, I went with my relay team to New Balance Nationals. It was an incredible experience to be mentored and guided by the seniors on the team, and I loved the whole experience of traveling and preparing for it together. We ended up setting two school records and all three of my teammates went on to compete at DI universities.
Are there any goals for your final season of high school track and field that you're willing to share with us?
Yeah! I'm aiming to run sub-2:10 in the 8 this year, and I'm really hoping to score a golden ticket to Brooks PR following state. We should be putting together another strong 4x800 team for Fairview this year and it would be awesome to best our runner-up finish from last season.
