In a Lackawanna Track Conference meet against Dunmore, the sophomore won the 100, 200, 400 and long jump to help the Lady Chiefs post a 107-31 victory. Then at the Walter Godek Twilight Invitational, she was the lone three-event winner. Hill won the 100 in 13.01 seconds; captured the 400 in a school-record 58.70 seconds; and took the 200 in a school-record 26.05 seconds.
Family: Father, Graig; mother, Daniela; sister, Brooke
Coach: Linda Stephens
Thoughts on your performance: The Dunmore meet, I didn’t really feel good that day. It wasn’t my best performance, but I did it to the best of my ability. But coming out of that, it gave me some confidence. I felt really good Thursday night (at the Twilight Invitational) and I knew I was going to do something good. I just kind of felt it. I feel like I always am a person to run scared. That day, hours before, I kept telling myself that I’ve never really had a good opportunity to show everyone how much work I actually put in. The countless hours of training, driving everywhere, practice, after practice. I really just wanted to show everyone how much hard work I put into this. I’m not an ordinary person, I can do hard things. It was so nice to get that feeling of people knowing my name a little bit.
You won the 100 at the Twilight Invitational by .01 seconds over North Pocono’s Pia Zangardi. Talk about that race: Honestly, I thought Pia beat me. I thought I was definitely second. Then all my friends came over and told me I won and I was very shocked. I haven’t run the 100 (until this season) since my eighth grade. So I was coming in thinking I’m just going to have fun. I ran it and won and I was just ecstatic. I was so happy.
How did that help set you up for the 400 and the 200 later in the meet: After the 100, I was like, ‘This is going to be a great day.’ I had so much adrenaline coming off the 100. Then after I won the 400, I was like, OK, I’ve got to get a three-peat in the 200. And I won it.
How about setting school records in those two races: Going into the 400, I was going to look at the clock, but then I was like just push to the end and I don’t really care about the time. Then my teammates came rushing over to me and told me the time (58.70) and it was like a dream of mine. I had a hard time really breaking a minute and knowing I did 58 was like genuinely crazy to me. It was an insane moment for me. Going off the adrenaline from the 400, I told my coach and said, ‘Let’s set it a little lower.’ Obviously I want to break 26, that definitely is an upcoming goal. So I was like, ‘Let’s get 25 today.’ So I wasn’t really thinking of the school record. But I was just genuinely happy to break my own school record. I feel like that is such a cool thing to say.
Goals for the rest of the season: I have a lot of goals. This is kind of a longshot, but I want to win the 100, 200 and 400 at districts. I want to place at states in the 400. And probably to break 58 (in the 400) and break 26 (in the 200).
It seems like the 400 is your favorite event: Definitely. I just absolutely love it. It’s a full-on sprint, but It gives me a little more time to think situation-wise. It definitely is my favorite race. It’s definitely the one that hurts the most, but it’s a good one.
How did you get into track and field: My seventh-grade year, I didn’t want to run track. My mom kind of pushed me to run track. I didn’t think I would like it. I was really into gymnastics and I actually quit gymnastics to do track. But my mom was a track athlete, my dad was a track athlete and even my sister did it.
Other sports I play: Soccer, football cheerleading
Favorite teams: College-wise, Penn State. My family are big Penn State people. And pro, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite food: I love everything, but probably steak. It’s my favorite, especially after a hard practice.
Cake or pie: Pie, definitely. Apple pie.
Favorite school subject: Biology.
Athletes I admire: Anna Hall. I look up to her because she’s very God-driven. She talks about her faith and how it’s pushed her in her running abilities and excel. And then my best friend and teammate Naomi Rude. She’s a high jumper and she’s amazing. She pushes herself to her limits and inspires me a lot to push harder.
Superstitions and rituals: I actually have a lot, so I’ll give you my top three. I always eat pasta the night before every race. I feel like that’s kind of common. I wear the same hair ribbon in my hair. I eat the same lunch every time before a meet — rice with chicken and broccoli.
If I could have any superpower, it would be: Teleporting or reading somebody’s mind.
One word to best describe me: Passionate
App I use most on my phone: Instagram
Funniest teammate: I’ve got to say Naomi Rude. We could be in the hardest workout and she always makes me laugh.
Three people I’d like to have dinner with: Anna Hall, Tate McRae, Zach Bryan
Future plans: I want to go into the medical field and help people. I definitely want to run track in college. That’s what I’m pursuing and hopefully I can get some offers by the summer of my junior year.