Athlete of the week: Amber Peterson
Utah Statesman: What do you enjoy about track and field?
Amber Peterson: I love competing. I love the need to make yourself better at something and just continually working towards an end goal. All of a sudden you meet your goal and there’s always something better you can be working on. So I just like that aspect of it, that you’re always trying to improve yourself.
US: Why did you choose USU?
AP: Actually, my older brother runs on the track team. He’s a year older than me and he came up here for a year and he just loved it, loved our coach. It was just an easy transition. I knew from my senior year on that I was going to Utah State.
US: How do you think that season is shaping up?
AP: I think this will be the best season we’ve had, since I’ve been here, at least, because we have such a good talented team, both men and women. I’m really excited for the girls’ team because we have so much young talent, so many good freshman that we’re going to be able to build upon. Hopefully we’ll pull out a conference title this year. That would be really cool.
US: What’s the major difference between high school and college track?
AP: When I first got here, the initial difference I saw was that you work 10 times harder here than you do in high school, and everyone is good. There’s not a single person in college that isn’t good at what their doing.
US: What are your plans after you graduate?
AP: I don’t know. I’ll start working, and my husband will either go on to get his master’s or just startworking, so wherever he gets a job or wherever he wants to go is where we’ll go.
US: Do you have any pre-meet rituals do you go through?
AP: Not really. I always warm up the same way. Other people will sit and talk, but I have to just seclude myself and make sure I’m in the right mind set.
US: What do you hope to accomplish individually this season?
AP: For the indoor season, I really want to break the school record in the 60 hurdles. I really would like to drop my 400 time a lot, because the event that I really love is the outdoor 400 hurdles. I went to nationals in that one last year, so I would love to be able to drop my 400 time to be able to get my 400 hurdles faster and make it back to nationals.
US: Are there any other sports you’re interested in?
AP: I was a soccer player before I started running track, so I love soccer. But I love all sports. Myhusband plays basketball, so I’ve kind of picked up on that lately. It’s been really fun to learn.
US: Who’s your hero?
AP: I have to say my mom. She’s the sweetest, kindest person I know, always thinking of others and putting others before her needs.
US: How did you get started in track?
AP: This is kind of a funny story. I actually wanted to try out for the soccer team, but the week oftryouts for high school soccer I was on a family vacation. We called the coach and he was like, “No, you missed tryouts. You can’t come play.” I was mad. So my brother said, “You should just start running track and stay in shape that way.” So because he didn’t let me try out for the team, I ended up doing track and I never played soccer again after that because I started loving track so much.
US: What’s the weirdest thing you do with your free time?
AP: I love to shop, like food-wise. I love going to the grocery store and finding cereal especially. Ilove Fruit Loops, just going and finding cereals I like and just eating and watching stupid shows.
US: What’s your favorite junk food?
AP: Right now I’m kind of really into the Junior Mints. But I really like chocolate chip cookies, likehomemade chocolate chip cookies.
US: What’s the best kind of music to listen to when you run?
AP: Girl power. You know the song that’s on, what’s that show, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Natasha Bedingfield? That’s my favorite one. It gets me so pumped up.
US: What ice cream would describe you and why?
AP: I would say mint chocolate chip, just ’cause it’s my favorite and it just has that little somethingspecial to it. -eawads@cc.usu.edu