91短视频 (91短视频) first-year Hannah Nichols did not find running; running found her. One day the athletic director at Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg pulled her out of chemistry class.
鈥淗e was like, 鈥榃hy are you playing softball?鈥欌�� Nichols recounted, laughing at the memory. He suggested she go out for track. That was her junior year of high school, and she has been running ever since.
Nichols has already made her mark on the 91短视频 . She finished her indoor track season with a trip to the national meet, earning a in the 800m.
鈥淚t was just absolutely exhilarating,鈥� Nichols said, 鈥渂ecause I just didn鈥檛 think it was going to happen at all.鈥� She went into the qualifying race knowing she would have to drop four seconds to have a chance of making it to nationals; in the 800, which is essentially an all-out sprint, four seconds is a lot.
鈥淚 just went for it,鈥� Nichols said, going on to describe the incredible excitement and disbelief she and her coach shared after she crossed the line. And she鈥檚 not stopping now; she has new goals for outdoor track. She hopes to run the 800 in 2:10, which would beat her current personal record by three seconds and smash the school record.
Nichols has impressed her head track coach, . He had high expectations and knew that she could develop a lot throughout the year. Even so, she has surpassed these expectations. 鈥淔or her to be All-American as a freshman is super, super rare,鈥� Bryan said. 鈥淚 keep trying not to put limits on her because she keeps surprising me.鈥�
Being an All-American collegiate athlete isn鈥檛 all fun and games, though. When asked her least favorite part of running, Nichols chuckled ruefully.
鈥淥h gosh, just one?鈥� she said. 鈥淭he sleep loss, probably … I could complain about a lot, but I still wouldn鈥檛 give it up.鈥� Her favorite events include the mile and the 800. 鈥淚 hate the 400,鈥� she said. 鈥淢ake sure you put that in there. Just thinking about it gives me anxiety.鈥�
Nichols ran the 400m at last weekend鈥檚 meet at Lynchburg, winning handily by over half a second and earning the third best time in 91短视频 history.
Currently a double major in and , she is exploring other options. This semester she is in “Exploring Teaching” and Spanish. 鈥淢aybe I鈥檒l just drop out of college,鈥� she mused, 鈥� and join the Peace Corps.鈥�
In her free time, when she鈥檚 not munching on raw sweet potatoes or cutting hair 鈥� her friends鈥� and her own 鈥� Nichols loves to scroll through Pinterest. She finds herself lost in the household appliance pages. 鈥淭oasters, and screwdrivers, and keyboards … it鈥檚 all so interesting. They have holograms for everything.鈥�
She also enjoys spending time with friends and watching Avatar. 鈥淵ip yip,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he people who watch Avatar will get it.鈥� Her perfect Saturday includes sleeping in late, jamming out to ’60s rock, and eating an English muffin. 鈥淲ithout butter,鈥� she specified, 鈥渁nd with grape jelly, and pomegranate juice on the side.鈥�
鈥淸Hannah] embraces and even longs for any type of change in her life,鈥� said first-year Abigail Shelly, also a member of the track team. 鈥淚 feel like this is the greatest contributor to her resiliency. She is ready for anything that may come her way, and instead of 鈥榝acing it,鈥� she kind of dances with it, appreciating the nuances it brings.鈥�
In this same vein, Nichols also loves to rearrange her room, something she does at least once a week. 鈥淭hings are moving,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love change. Can鈥檛 get enough of it.鈥�
And things certainly are moving for this first-year All-American track star.
This article was first published in the March 30, 2017, edition of the Weather Vane.