Women’s sprinter/jumper: Alli Watson (JR):

Palmer High School graduate Alli Watson is a first year track competitor. She specializes in field events like the jumps and hurdles. "I love running, it just makes me happy. Motivation isn't a big problem, because being able to run in college feels like a gift," she said. "My teammates are also a lot of fun, which definitely helps during the harder practices."

Working hard to succeed is part of the demands of a track team member. "We're doing a lot of speed/endurance training, so longer sprints, and a lot of technique work for the jumping events. We do plyometrics, lift weights, and try to get on the track – or the runway for the jumping events – as much as possible."

Though new to the sport, Watson has already learned what she sees as the key to her events. "Multi-events athletes have to be well-rounded because we compete in events all across the board, from throwing javelin and doing high jump, to running hurdles and distance events, so we're trying to build up endurance and get all of the different techniques down," she explained. "The goal isn't really to be an all-star at any one thing, just to be pretty solid in every event. That's the way to win points in the heptathlon and decathlon."

Personally, Watson is looking for consistency this year. "I'd just like to get better at all of my events, especially hurdles and high jump. I'm still learning most of them, so my goal is to improve every week."