Sarah O'Sullivan: Mountain Vista To Colorado

Q) Talk about the recruitment process - what other schools were you looking at, and how did you come to choosing the University of Colorado?

Starting over junior year, I reached out to coaches from a lot of different schools because there's just so many options out there! After some emails, I narrowed it down to three main schools: Furman, Indiana, and CU. I took an official to both Indiana and CU but ultimately the beautiful location, trails, academics, and team culture made CU the best option for me! 

Q) What do you plan to study at Colorado? 

I plan to study Integrative Physiology at CU because I think that learning how the body works and responds to movement (especially related to athletes) is super interesting! 

Q) What event do you see yourself focusing on at Colorado?

I would say that I'm probably going to be focusing on the 5k, but I'm definitely very open to trying the steeplechase as well! 

Q) You've had success in the 1,600 and on over to the 5k, which event would you say is your favorite, and why? 

Honestly, my favorite event changes with the season that we're in. I love the 5k in cross country but am definitely ready for a change once track season comes. In track, my favorite race is definitely the 1600 because it combines endurance with speed and is super fun! 

Q) You've been incredibly consistent throughout your entire high school career - what would you say attributed to such consistency? 

I think that a huge part of staying consistent is trusting my coaches and their training plans for me. During freshman year I definitely wanted to run more than I was supposed to, but holding off and steadily increasing my mileage through the years has definitely paid off!

Another huge factor is doing the "little things" as my coach would call them. Drinking lots of water, getting the right amount of sleep, stretching, and listening to my body before injuries come are major parts of staying healthy during the season and off-season. 

Q) The first result we have on you on MileSplit is a 9:50 2,400, fourth place finish at the Platte Valley XC Invite in August of 2014 - what do you remember from this competition?

Honestly I really remember it smelling like horse poop and seeing lots of corn. Other than that, I would say that it was definitely one of the races that made me realize that running could be really fun even though I had no clue what I was doing at that time!

Q) What got you interested in competing in XC/Track in the first place? 

Watching my brother run for Mountain Ridge (my middle school) and Mountain Vista a few years before I did definitely got me super excited about running! Seeing how close the team was and how much fun they had was something that got me to start!

My dad also ran in high school and college so he also played a major role. Now I can't imagine what my life would be like without running and all of the people I have met through it! 

Q) Favorite book, musical artist, and movie - GO: 

Honestly, I'm not too sure if I have a favorite book. My favorite musical artist is probably Thomas Rhett or the band Old Dominion because I love country music! My favorite movie might be Blades of Glory, Kingsman, or Miss Congeniality which are all different but I'm very indecisive. 

Q) Could you share any goals you have for your final track and field season?

My main goal is definitely to stay injury-free this season! I can't wait for Jenna and Maddie to be back racing with me too! Other than that, I'm definitely hoping to go sub-5 in the mile, getting PRs in the 800 and 3200, and being apart of the 4x800 team (and maybe race a few 4x400s). Since this is my last high school season I definitely want to enjoy it and have tons of fun racing with my team! 

Q) What would your favorite high school moment be?

My favorite moment of high school was probably winning state my sophomore year! I remember everyone being super excited to race and even making our coach participate in a dance party on the starting line (just ask him about the coinciDANCE). We got to race some other really strong teams and ended up winning which really made us realize that we could be a nationally-competitive team! I think that it just really exemplified the fact that racing should be fun and that you just have to trust your training and the results will follow!