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Celebrating Colorado's college-bound track and cross country athletes:</h3>
Ashlyn Hare is tied at the top of the list of returning high jumpers in Colorado this year. Photo by Jeff McCoy.
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Ashlyn Hare's personal best mark:
High Jump - 5-8
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It's a long way from Colorado Springs to Nashville. Tell us about what led to the decision being Vanderbilt.
Basically every school that contacted me was on the East Coast, so I took a visit over spring break last year to look at a ton of schools. Vanderbilt actually was never on my list! I emailed the Vanderbilt coach over summer because my dad asked me to, and after I went on my visit I loved it! Nashville is a different, but awesome, city.
What is your planned course of study at Vanderbilt?
I'm a huge history nerd, so I'm planning on majoring in American Studies and, hopefully, I will go to law school after that.
I believe you've played volleyball at Rampart as well as high jumping. At what point did you decide it would be high jumping for college instead of volleyball?
I started high jumping in 6th grade, and I've always preferred that over volleyball. While volleyball is a fun second sport, I like the individual aspect of high jump. Being able to control my jumping and the outcome is a huge difference from relying on teammates. I also like that talent in track is measurable as compared to different sports.
You had a great state meet battle last spring where three of you cleared 5-8 and had to sort it all out on misses. That was also a new high jump PR for you. Tell us a little about how big meet atmosphere and tight competition can change the game in high jumping.
High jump is such a mental sport, and competitions can be really long. I think a ton of athletes struggle with having a winning mentality, especially when there are so many people watching. Big meets can be really nerve-racking and make or break your performance. It's all about going into the competition with confidence and focus.
Is it possible we'll see 5-9 or 5-10 this year?
Of course! I'm shooting for 5-10 at the very least, and I want to get consistent at 5-8.
Have you begun working on your high jump training again yet, or are you still taking some time off from that? When do you expect your first competition to be?
I took a week long break after volleyball, and I'm starting my training up this week. I'm lifting with my school coach, and I'm also doing indoor with Speed T&F. I believe our first meet is in January.