Yancey eager to run in both sprints

By Brad Morris

SportingPumpkin.com

Faith Yancey was able to display her explosiveness on the track last season at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium when she finished seventh in the 200.

The Circleville junior returns to the state’s flagship campus on Friday, seeking to qualify for the finals this time in two events, the 100 and the 200, as she tries to add more All-Ohio accolades to her resume during the Division II state track and field championships.

“I’m excited to see how I do in the 100 with not running it last year,” Yancey said. “As of right now, the 200 is my strongest race, but I have improved a lot in the 100 this year.

“My speed and explosiveness are my strengths as a runner and, overall, as an athlete in all of my sports. The 100 and 200 fits my strengths and really bring out my talent.”

Yancey is fresh off of setting a pair of new program records last Saturday in a Division II regional held at Muskingum University. She finished as a regional runner-up in the 200 in 25.31 and earned a bronze showing in the 100 in 12.43.

“For both races, I really just focused on having a good block start and keeping my form throughout the entire race,” Yancey said. “I was happy with my times for both races, but my running form fell apart towards the end and that’s something I wish I could’ve done better.”

Yancey is a three-sport athlete at CHS, also playing soccer in the fall and basketball during the winter, which she says affects the training regimen she can put together to excel in track during the spring.

“With being a three-sport athlete it’s hard for me to do a lot on my own for track, but all the sports help to keep me in shape,” she said. “I mostly do a lot of workouts in the preseason but when the meets start up I really focus on keeping my body healthy with lots of stretching.

“I also focus more on the little things, like block starts and my form. Those little things can make a big difference. It also helps that I was blessed with a natural ability to run fast which I am very grateful for.”

Yancey wants to break her own program records again this weekend and return to the podium.

“I want to get on the podium again and maybe even on a higher spot than I did last year,” she said. “I definitely want to PR and state is the time to do it with so much great competition to push me.

“For the 100, I would love to run a 12.35 and the 200 a 25.25 would be good.”