McClellan named top Aggie
Utah Statesman: How good did it feel to have several hundred people supporting you last Friday?
Melanie McClellan: I love having home meets because it helps a lot to have people there yelling your name and encouraging you as you go along. It makes it a lot easier when you have the hard spots of the race to pick it up when there’s people there helping you along.
US: In that race, you were neck and neck with Ute Tiffany Rust coming down the home straight-away, how satisfying was it to be able to out-kick her?
MM: I was really nervous that she was actually going to catch me. If [the race] would have been much longer, I think she might have. But it felt good.
US: Losing the runners you did, did you expect the team to be as successful as it has been so far?
MM: During the summer, I didn’t know who we had coming in as our freshmen and recruits, and so I was a little bit nervous. But we have a lot of good freshmen and some of our girls from last year have stepped it up and done really well.
US: What is your favorite pre-race meal?
MM: If it’s a morning race, I like to have toast and peaches. If it’s in the afternoon, I don’t know.
US: What do you like most about cross country?
MM: I like seeing the dedication that some people have [for] the sport. You don’t get very much glory for running and its never been a popular sport to do, so those who do it are very dedicated to it. It rubs off on the other runners.
US: Did you go to junior college before coming to Utah State?
MM: I went to Southern Virginia College and then UVSC.
US: What is you music of choice?
MM: Right now, I like Christmas music. I could listen to that all the time. It’s getting close enough [to Christmas] that people don’t get quite so upset at me for listening to it.
US: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
MM: I would probably visit Europe.
US: If you could exterminate any insect, what would it be?
MM: Flies … I don’t know. No, mosquitoes. I don’t like mosquitoes anymore because they always get me.
US: What is your favorite smart-alec comment or practical joke?
MM: I’m not usually very good on my feet with things like that. Well, how about somebody else playing a joke that I thought was good? [Some people I know] wore fake rings. They would get cheap rings at Wal-Mart to make it look like they were engaged, though they really weren’t even dating anyone in the first place. That’s funny.