Name:Alyson Churchill
School: Florida State
Sport: Indoor, outdoor track, and field along with cross-country
Bio:Churchill attended high school locally at Chiles, where she was the2016 Florida HS 3A XC individual State Champion (17:55). Shealso helped Chiles bring home the 2018 FHSAA 3A XC team title before finishing as the runner-up in 4A in 2019
Churchill was also the 2017 Track & Field 3A individual runner-up in both the 3200 metersand 1600 meters(4:57) as the freshman finished fourth at the 2019 Track & Field 3A in the 800 meters(2:14).
Not only does Churchill run with the indoor and outdoor FSU team, but she also participates in cross-country running as well. From March 11-13, Churchill willparticipatein theNCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Churchill recentlyspoke to the Democrat before this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships.
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Why did you decide to attend Florida State?
"I visited Florida State in the fall of my senior year and really liked the team's vibe. I also really liked the campus, and I'm from Tallahassee.The idea of staying close to my family was cool to me too. It was a combination of a lot of different things."
Did you consider moving away to attend college?
"I did consider it, but as it got closer, I wanted to stay close. I really didn't visit any other schools super far away. I thought about Florida."
Was it something other than FSU's location that stuck out for you?
"I loved the team and just the team vibe. That is something that I love being on the team. Being able to train with all of the girls and my friends here have been really nice."
How different has racing during a pandemic been for you this year?
"It has definitely been an adjustment. Classes being online and in front of a computer. Ithas been hard in some ways, but I guess it has been that way for everybody."
What's been the toughest adjustment for you during this time?
"In general, I just have a hard time with change, so I don't think it was anything in particular."
How did you get into the world of track and field and running?
"I started running in seventh grade. I tried out for the cross-country team because my parents told me I had to play a sport in middle school and cross country was the only sport that no one got cut from the team. So I went with that, and I really liked it as I had a really cool coach in middle school, and I just fell in love with running. I kept doing it as I did it in high school, and I haven't stopped ever since."
What was it about track and field and running that you enjoyed as a kid?
"I think just kind of the freeness of it and just being outside. Just something about running that makes me feel free in a way that nothing else does."
You participate in indoor, outdoor, and cross-country running, can you talk about the demands it can take on a student, especially in a year like this?
"I think that's been an adjustment too with just trying to balance schoolwork and training and everything. But I think it is so helpful just having the team because everyone is doing it. I think that has made it a lot easier than otherwise, it would have been."
How do you balance training and your education at the same time?
"Definitely has been stressful in some ways, so I just have to keep telling myself 'do your best,' and that looks different on different days. But I think just trying to keep a balance of schoolwork and training and giving it my all."
What are the major differences for people who don't know between indoor, outdoor running, and cross country?
"Cross-country is typically a fall sport, and it's on a trail, 5Kor 6K for women in college. Indoor track is typical winter and early spring, and then we go to outdoor track. But because of the pandemic, cross-country nationals are actually later this month. It has been a little bit weird because I've been training for indoor track along with cross-country, which has been cool in a lot of ways. Indoor track is like 200 meters, so that's different, and it is my first time running indoor track. Outdoor track is 400 meters, and it is a little bit of a different feel."
How was the experience competing in the ACC Championships recently?
"It was really cool as I did the 3K, and it was a really cool experience."
When you're not running or studying, what are your favorite hobbies?
"I love being outside, so anything like that. I like cooking and baking a lot, so I play around with that."
What do you like to bake or cook?
I like playing around with different things. I'm a vegetarian, so with cooking, I like to experiment with just different stuff. And baking anything.
Reach Antwan Staley at astaley@tallahassee.com or follow him on Twitter @antwanstaley.
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