Mary Mac Collins (Northridge): Female Athlete of the Week
Mary Mac won the Northridge XC Invitational on Saturday running a AL #2 time of 17:31.
Congrats on your PR yesterday! Walk me through how the race unfolded for you.
Thank you! So the goal going into the race was just to go out and have fun and run fast while doing so, but also try and break the course record. From the gun I just went out and pushed the pace the entire race. I really relied on what my coach and dad were yelling at me from the sidelines. With about half a mile left, I didn't think I was even going to break 18 but I just continued to talk positively to myself and pushed that last bit of the race. I knew I had to give it my all to break the record. Unfortunately, I came up a few seconds short, but I'm proud of how I ran and setting a new PR!
What got you into running?
I originally started running in 7th grade to get in shape for basketball, but I also was pretty good at our mile run in elementary school so I wanted to give cross country a go. I was a lot better at running than basketball so I switched to just running cross country and track. But I didn't take running seriously until my sophomore year.
You recently just committed to Auburn. What made you want to commit there?
I absolutely fell in love with what they are building there! Throughout my whole recruitment process, I knew I wanted a place that felt like family and it truly feels like a family there. The support that all of the coaches and athletes have for each other is incredible. It just checked all of the boxes that I was looking for in a program, from athletics to academics to campus life. Plus the group of girls and guys are amazing! I was welcomed with open arms and already felt a part of the team from the minute my visit started. And Coach Kindt is absolutely incredible. We clicked from the moment he started recruiting me. He believes in me and my potential and I fully believe in him and what he and Coach Burrell are building at Auburn.
When you think back over your career, what's one of your favorite memories?
One of my favorite memories was at Outdoor State my sophomore year. Our team was in a tight race for the state title and my last event I had was the 800m. The 800m is not my strongest event so I was nervous going into it, knowing how much my points would matter. My teammate Betsy Vise was also running the 800m and without each other's support, we couldn't have done what we did. We were both seeded towards the back of the pack, which added to the nerves but once the race started we both just went out with confidence knowing what we had to do to help our team. We ended up getting 2nd and 4th and both ran huge PRs. The joy after the race was the best! Immediately after we finished, we ran to each other and hugged to celebrate what we had accomplished.
What gets you out the door on the hard days?
What gets me out the door on the hard days is knowing that I want to be the best runner I can be and I have lofty goals I want to accomplish. I also know that when I'm not working, someone is and that pushes me to be the best I can be.
What are some of those lofty goals through the rest of your high school career?
For cross country, I would love to break 17:20 and win a state title. I also want to qualify for Eastbay Nationals. For track, in the 3200m I want to break 10:20. In the 1600m I want to run 4:50 and in the 800m I want to run under 2:15. I also want to win state titles, as well as help my team win another title for the Indoor and Outdoor seasons.
What's your favorite place to train?
I love to explore new places wherever we travel! But if I have to say a favorite place, I do enjoy running at the beach!
If you could run with any professional runner who would it be?
Colleen Quigley.
What's your favorite training shoe and racing shoe?
My favorite training shoe is the New Balance 1080s and my favorite racing shoe is the Nike DragonFly.
Track or XC?
Track.
What's your favorite event?
The 3200m.
If you could go back in time to any time in history, when would it be?
I would probably go back to the late 1800s/early 1900s.
What's your favorite cheat meal?
My favorite cheat meal/desert is Nutella Pizza!
What's something that you want to leave behind after your time at Northridge?
I want to leave a positive example for the young girls that are coming up and will go to Northridge one day. I want them to know that no matter what sport they are doing, if they work hard and truly believe in themselves and what they are doing, they can be successful.
