Spider of the Week: Amy Van Alstine

Question: You led for most of the 3,000m last weekend. Do you think it is mentally challenging to maintain a lead?

Answer: It's definitely harder to maintain a lead. I don't really like to lead, but for the Fred Hardy meet I was really comfortable because no one was sitting on me.

Q: What were your expectations entering last weekend?

A: Individually, I just wanted to be under 9:30. The weather was perfect for me, so I went into the race with a lot of confidence.

Q: Looking back on your Spider career, what has been your favorite memory?

A: My favorite memory was making it to Nationals this past fall in cross country. I had the best feeling when I crossed the finish line at Regionals knowing I was seventh place and had put myself and the team in the best position I could have. It also was really exciting when our men's cross country team made it to Nationals as well! It made the experience that much better for me.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I would really like to continue running competitively so I'm looking into that as an option. There are training groups which can help you see if you can run at the next level, so I'd really like to take my running a step further after graduating.