Running With Cross Country

Oct. 6, 2010

Throughout the 2010 season, SoonerSports.com will sit down with members of the OU cross country program to provide insight into practice, competition and a few fun facts you should know about each team member. This week we sat down with junior Jessica Engel.

Being your fourth year at Oklahoma , have you taken on a leadership role?
"We have a lot of new girls. We have a few transfers and two freshmen and there are only four of us that have been here longer than two years. I definitely think I'm taking on more of a leadership role and I enjoy it because I like being supportive to my teammates and helping them out."

What are your goals for the season?
"Right now I am just planning on racing at the Big 12 Championship and NCAA Regionals. Depending on how fast I recover from my injury, I'm hoping to place in the top 20 at the Big 12 Championship. The big goal right now though is the team goal. We have a pretty solid team if we can keep everyone healthy and get everyone ready to go, so hopefully as a team we can place in the top six. That is our big goal as a team and to have one of the highest finishes that OU's ever had."

What is do you most enjoy about competing?
"You get to test yourself and you work really hard to see how fast you can get. Competition is your big test to see how much your work pays off. I like seeing how much I can improve myself and to see what things I can do different to keep improving."

What do you like most about being a Sooner?
"I love competing as a Sooner because there's so much school pride here. There's a lot of pride in our school and all of our sports, and it's cool to be part of a community like that. Every time you put on the Oklahoma uniform you think about how many people out there support the school, and support the track programs and support all of the sports."

What is your favorite thing about the team?
"We all get along really well and when we get together we all have a lot of fun. I'm pretty sure we are always laughing, but there are times when it's just time to focus and concentrate on running and workouts. We just have a lot of fun hanging out."

10 things you should know about Jessica Engel
1) Her favorite food is anything her mom and dad make.
2) Her least favorite food is sardines.
3) Her favorite sports team is Oklahoma.
4) If she could have dinner with three people it would be her grandma, mom and sister.
5) Her favorite thing to do in Norman is go out to eat with friends.
6) The most played song on her iPod is a rock song.
7) Her favorite TV show is The Office.
8) Her favorite pair of shoes are her running shoes.
9) The website she visits most often is D2L or Facebook.
10) Her favorite athletes are Kara Goucher and Lisa Cole.

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