Circleville sophomore Maddux Bigam is returning to the Division II state cross country championships after finishing 10th last Saturday in a regional meet held on the campus of Pickerington North High School.
Bigam ran a time of 19:36.68 and moved up 10 spots in the final results from when she finished 20th as a freshman in 21:20.01.
The Circleville sophomore will also look to move up the standings from when she finished 85th in 20:12.8 last season in her first state meet appearance.
The Division II state championship race is slated to begin on Saturday at 1:45 p,m. on the course at Fortress Obetz.
Question: Discuss your strategy coming into the regional race?
Answer: My strategy coming into the race was to stay in the top 10 and ultimately qualify for state.
Question: How does it feel to qualify again for the state meet?
Answer: It feels amazing to have qualified for the state meet again. I have my coaches to thank for this, especially Coach (Jason) Wells who has dealt with health issues and has shown up for the team and me.
Question: How do you feel like you have improved between your appearance in the state meet last year and when you will return to Fortress Obetz next weekend?
Answer: Last year when I made it to the state meet it was all about getting the experience of running in a high-level meet. This year, however, my ultimate goal is to be All-Ohio.
Question: What does your training regiment look like during the offseason and then during the season to be a state quality runner?
Answer: I put in base miles and speed work over the summer and in the winter.
Question: Discuss how you keep motivated when you are pushing the edges of your endurance with your training?
Answer: I remind myself that the pain is temporary but having the regret of not giving it my best is forever. I also stay mentally positive with myself and try to block out any negative thoughts.
Question: Talk about competing against some of the top runners and teams in our area?
Answer: My district and region have some of the best runners in the state, so it’s good to face that kind of competition before getting to the bigger meets. Fairfield Union, Unioto and Zane Trace are some of the teams that I really enjoy competing against.
Question: What do you like about cross country?
Answer: I love the feeling of racing and the way it makes me feel after running fast. I also love the people who run cross country they make it really fun to run.
Question: What are your expectations for the state meet?
Answer: My expectations are to try and stay within the top 25, ideally the top 15 so I can get on the podium.
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