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Camille Peisner's Best Marks
60 - 7.93
100 - 12.28
200 - 24.08
400 - 54.31
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Q) Talk about the recruitment process - what other schools were you looking at, and how did you come to choosing Stanford?
My top two choices were Vanderbilt and Stanford. I did some zoom calls with both of those schools and found that I really connected with the team and coaches at both, which made the decision really difficult.
Throughout the whole process I kept telling myself that I would be able to follow my gut and choose based off the culture of the program, but when I could see myself being happy at either program, I had to switch my thinking. It was in this reflection that two main things stood out to me about Stanford.
The first is that my high aspirations align with those of Stanford. Coach Coop, the sprints coach at Stanford, told me in one of our first phone calls that he wanted to win a women's NCAA championship while he was a coach there. Even if it doesn't happen while I am there, I want to surround myself with individuals who are striving to be the best. The high expectations and passion for excellence is what drew me closer to choosing Stanford.
Secondly, Coach Clark, the head coach at Stanford, is trying to build a team that is deep across all event groups. This was super appealing because I believe this mentality creates a greater team unity and offers a chance to compete in some scored-meets, which I get very excited about!
Q) What do you plan to study at Stanford?
I am not 100% sure what I want to study at Stanford. After college, I want to go into business with an emphasis on sports marketing. I'm in the process of talking with my future academic advisor to see what the best route is to get there! I'm exploring communications, economics, or making my own major.
Q) What event do you see yourself focusing on at Stanford?
I am excited to compete in whatever Coach Clark and Coach Coop see fit! From the 4x100 to the DMR, I LOVE relays and hope to contribute to Stanford in that way.
Individually, I see myself focusing on the 400m and 200m. I come from a sprint-heavy program at Valor, so I'm eager to see how my 400m times respond to some more endurance work!
Q) You've had success in every event from the 100 on up to the 400 - what would you say your favorite event is, and why?
My favorite event is the 400m because of how challenging yet rewarding it is. There is no worse feeling than the last 10 meters of a 400, but there is no better feeling than looking up at the clock to see a 400m PR.
I love the fact that the 400m requires both speed and special endurance training yet also extreme mental toughness and some strategy.
Q) You've consistently made gains each year across every event - what would say attributed to such consistent improvements?
That's a hard question with all the variables that go in to success on the track. If anything, I would attribute good work ethic to consistent improvements.
I enjoy pre-season (almost) as much as competition season because it is when the foundation is built for future gains.
The best advice I can give is to ensure that all your thoughts and actions - from 200m repeats to the weight room to taking appropriate off days--align with your aspirations.
Also, I am thankful for my Coach Kula who I have been training with for almost seven years. Being his athlete for so long, he knows how my body responds to training and has helped me develop my speed, which translates into PR's across events.
Q) The first result we have on you on MileSplit is a 50.57 300, third-place finish at the Fort Collins Track Club Indoor All-Comer in January of 2014 - what do you remember from this competition?
To be honest, I remember nothing from this competition!
From my early years in track back in 2010, I remember being so anxious about practices and races, and I was racking up the 8th and 7th place ribbons.
Looking back, I don't even know why I continued to compete. It must have been a good thing!
I eventually grew out of this phase, somewhere around the time when I decided to focus on the 200 and 400.
Now, I see track as my passion with a greater purpose behind it. I think it's safe to say that I'm SO glad that I stuck it out!!!
Q) What got you interested in competing in XC/Track in the first place?
I think it was a commercial for the Olympics that prompted me to type "youth track teams in CO" into google (10 years ago!!!). Little did I know how great an impact that single google search would have on the rest of my life! I'm so blessed that it did.
Q) Favorite book:
My favorite book is "Grit" by Angela Duckworth - I think the psychology behind success is so fascinating!!
Q) What would your favorite high school moment be?
My favorite high school moment was breaking the 4x400 meter state record with Valor my sophomore year. Despite being exhausted from the state meet, we were propelled by each other's adrenaline and our determination to capture the record. It was so special to set it and to celebrate with our entire team as both the boys and girls won the 5A team championships!!
