Interval Session #54 - Victoria Lucas By Dave Devine, May 8, 2008 In yet another case of "soccer's loss is track and field's gain," Midland TX senior Victoria Lucas turned her frustration with an annual late transition from spring soccer to outdoor track into a full-time focus on high jumping which has transformed her into the best female vertical leaper in the nation. While the lanky, athletic Lucas has continued to play volleyball, she gave up soccer after a disappointing end to her sophomore track campaign, and never looked back. At the 2007 Texas State Meet, she waged a 5A battle with Marshall sr Brittani Carter (then the US#1 high jumper in the country), coming up with a with a big 6-1 PR (#21 all-time performer) to win, and heading to the 2007 Nike Outdoor Nationals as the top seed. There she fizzled to 10th after going light on her preparation, but learned from the experience and roared back last winter for her first national title at the 2008 Nike Indoors.  This spring she again leads the nation with her US#1 6-00.25 clearance, and enters this weekend's TX state meet seeking a title defense and a new state record. DyeStat Assistant editor Dave Devine hangs out on the high jump apron with a Texas senior showing some serious ups.

1) You've had a great year so far, highlighted by your first national title at Nike Indoor Nationals and two 6-foot clearances outdoors. As you head into the Texas State Meet, what are your goals for the weekend, and how do you put this meet in perspective when you have hopes that extend deeper into the summer? Going into the state meet as the defending state champion, not only would I like to defend the state title, but I am also hoping to jump my best in order to set a new state record and a new personal record. I really have nothing to lose and my plan for this season has been to peak this summer around the national meet, so I guess this is kind of like a big meet in preparation for upcoming meets. 2) Speaking of that Nike Indoor performance, how did it feel to win the national title in Maryland? Did you know any of the girls you were jumping against, and was there a definite plan or strategy heading into the competition? It felt great to win the Nike Indoor Nationals, especially after my performance at the national meets last summer. I was much more confident going into the Maryland meet this year because I had actually been training, as opposed to the national meets last summer when I got a little lazy and took a little too much time off. 3) I remember you saying that when you traveled to your first national championship, the 2007 Nike Outdoor Nationals, where you had the best mark heading in, you hadn't exactly prepared the way you should have for that level of competition (something about water-skiing up at the lake?). How has your approach to elite competition changed in the last year, and when did you realize that high jumping was something really worth pursuing? Last summer I didn’t really know what to expect going into the national meets because I had never participated in track meets that weren’t high school-related. I was used to my season being over after the state meet, taking time away from sports and spending my summers at the lake, being a bum. However, this year I fully know what to expect and realize that this is a great experience and is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There’s no reason not to pursue my career after all of the work I’ve put into it, and I have high goals. 4) I recently read that your first athletic love was soccer, and track and field used to take a backseat. Was it hard to give up soccer to focus on track, and how did you come to that decision? I grew up playing just about every sport possible. Track didn’t come into the picture until 7th or 8th grade, and it was just the next sport to participate in on the list. During high school I continued to play volleyball and soccer, trying to fit track in at the end of soccer season, which gave me like a week until the district meet. My sophomore year I began getting a little burned out on soccer (which I had played since the age of 4) and decided that I might as well put a little more time into focusing on track just to see what would happen. My junior and senior year I was a two-sport athlete (volleyball and track), so I had a whole track season to prepare, and it looks like it worked out for the best. 5) Can you talk about the coaching you receive there at Midland HS? What does a typical week of workouts look like for you? Do you lift weights? Lots of plyometrics or drills? Do any running? I am lucky to have great coaches who support me every day. I haven’t really started a disciplined workout routine. I’m pretty sure that will start next year. 6) You're very close to the qualifying standard for the Olympic Trials. Is that a goal for you this season, and if so, are there meets you plan to attend in the post-season where you hope to chase that qualifying mark? It’s definitely something that I am hoping to achieve by the end of this season. Obviously, my goal is always to PR and if I do that I will automatically go, since I’m only ¼-inch (like the width of my fingernail) away from the A-standard Olympic Trial qualifying mark. There are really only like three, maybe four meets before the Trials, but it is something that I am definitely striving for at every competition. 7) I know you're excited to be heading to the University of Texas next year on scholarship. What attracted you to Texas, and what things are you looking forward to about being a freshman there? My brother and sister attend/attended The University of Texas, so going to school there has always been in the picture. Austin, Texas is a beautiful city and it has a really great and unique atmosphere (plus the lake isn’t too far away). I am looking forward to experiencing the next level in track and high jump, something I have never known. Getting to be a part of such a prestigious program, realizing my full potential, being a Longhorn. It’s definitely going to be a difficult transition, but it is such a wonderful opportunity and I know that it will be a great experience. 8) What's life like in Midland, Texas? When you're not high jumping or traveling somewhere to compete, how do you spend your free time at home? This entire year is kind of a blur with it being my senior year, because I am constantly busy and on the go. Midland is actually right in the middle of being a small town or big city. It has a population of 100,000, quickly growing, and has your usual bowling alley, putt-putt, movie theatre, mall and even a drive-in theatre. Other than that there’s not much entertainment and a typical weekend in Midland usually consists of driving around, going to someone’s house and hanging out at T-n-T, the local donut shop. You might imagine it to be some little podunk town with dirt roads, but it’s not the stereotype small town that appears in the movies. Photos: Vic Sailer, photorun.net

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