Mary Kate Vaughn
Oakwood, Oakwood, OH
HS Class: 2016
Personal Bests
- 1,600 Meter Run 5:03:42.00
- 5,000 Meter Run 18:09.00
OHRunners: Mary Kate. Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you. As a Freshman this year, you are running well. You have the State’s leading time with a PR of 17:37.00 at the Alliance Cross Country Invitational. In this years Centerville Stampede you won, besting Hannah Meier of Gross Point South (MI). Hanna is one of Michigan's premier HS distance runners. ((Hannah Meier, senior, Grosse Point South HS, Grosse Point Farms, Michigan. Hannah was 3rd in the Michigan State Cross Country Division 1 Championships in 2010 and 2011, with a best 5k XC time of 17:21.20. In 2012 track, she was the New Balance Indoor National mile champion, (4:42.60), 2nd in the USATF Junior Nationals 1500m (4:18.44), and a semifinalist in the World Junior Championships. Hannah also has an 800 PR 2:08.44.) https://mi.milesplit.com/athletes/1079408-hannah-meier
Before we discuss this season however, I would like to congratulate you for yor accomplishments in the 2012 Middle School State Championships. In the 800m you were second to Sarah Reeves, a 7th grader at All Saints, in a very close race. Sarah ran 2:21.28 to your 2:21.98. Both of you broke the Meet record of 2:24.63 set in 2011 by Morgan Smith of Cortland. In the 1600m, you bested Sarah, running a 5:09.23, breaking by 10 seconds the meet record of 5:19.02 set in 2007 by Halle Richards. After a great double, you came back and won the 3200m in a time of 12:03.65.
As you look back at those Championships, what were your expectations going into the races?
Mary Kate: Going into that meet, I had really wanted to break 5:00 in the 1600, and also break the meet record in the 800. My coach had prepared me very well to PR in both events, so I was a little disappointed with my 1600 time. As I look back on it however, I am very happy with it because of the awful conditions we had that day. One of my goals was also to win all three events, but Sarah ran a great race and led me to a PR in the 800, so she deserved to win it.
OHRunners: Sarah Reeves is still in Middle School as an 8th grader this year. Had you raced against Sarah prior to the MS State Meet?
Mary Kate: I didn't realize it then, but I just recently realized that I did race against Sarah in the Centerville Stampede last year during cross country. At the Middle School meet, I didn't know who she was, and she surprised me a little during the 1600 when she was only a few meters behind me until the last 200, and then again when she was right up with me, and then passed me in the 800. (In the 2011 Centerville Stampede MS Race, Mary Kate finished 1st in a time of 12:02.83. Sarah was 5th in a time of 12:32.)
OHRunners: Did you run XC and track as a 7th grader? When did you first start running and how old were you in your first competition?
Mary Kate: I started running the summer before 7th grade. I loved soccer, and my mom had to push me out the door to go run. I started running cross country in seventh grade because my mom ran when she was in high school and she wanted me to try it out. I started the cross country season and loved it, but 2 weeks in, I got a stress fracture in my shin. I was not able to run the rest of the cross country season, and I never got to run in a cross country meet that year. I ran track in 7th grade, and my first competition was our first meet of the season. It was a really cold Saturday, and I ran the 1600 and the 4X400.
OHRunners: What did you do after last season’s MS State meet? Did you take time off or did you continue running through the summer? What kind of miles did you run during the summer? Any pace work or just base work? Did you run any 5K's?
Mary Kate: After the middle school state meet, I took about ten days off from everything. Then, I did about three weeks of easy, base mileage. After that, I had three moderately hard days a week which included a long run and things such as fartleks, tempo runs and hill workouts. I ran the Americana 5k in Centerville on the 4th of July with some of my teammates.
OHRunners: In the early XC season, you have proven that you can win at the varsity level. Going into this season, what were your expectations? Did you expect to be as successful as you have been so far?
Mary Kate: Going into the season, one of my main goals was to break 18:00. I also wanted to place in the top three or at least somewhere towards the top in the majority of the meets I’m in, and I really want to qualify for the State Meet with my team. I didn't expect to be running as well as I have so soon, and I didn't really think that I could run sub-18:00 this season, so I was very surprised when it happened. Also, our team has been running even better than I thought we would be half-way through our season, so it looks like we will have a good shot at qualifying for state.
OHRunners: How have you found the transition from the 2-mile run to the 5K run?
Mary Kate: I didn't find the transition very hard. I had done a few races last year after my cross country season that were 4k's so that introduced me to racing more than 2 miles. I am more comfortable with longer distances, and I have been putting in more miles than last year to build up my endurance to handle the longer distance. The hardest part of the first few races for me was having to run the second mile of the 5k knowing that you still had one more mile left to run. The two mile in Junior High seemed much faster-your adrenaline from the start carried you through the first mile and then you could push through the second mile knowing you were almost done-whereas the 5k requires you to pace yourself.
OHRunners: Pace is very important in a 5K Cross Country run. How comfortable as a Freshman are you with pace? How much pace training are you doing? As a Freshman, you are running new courses and against competition that you are not familiar with? How comfortable are you in leading a race and running out front?
Mary Kate: Pacing is one thing that I need to improve on. I am getting better every race with being able to feel my pace and not go out too fast or too slow, but I still need some work. I think I will get more of a feel for it the more I race and the more experience I have. I have not really been doing any pace training this season. I am comfortable leading during the race because I have gained some experience through my races last year. I have had a few problems this season with going the wrong way on the course. (Mary Kate won the Bob Schul Invitational, but was DQ'd for taking a wrong turn.)
OHRunners: How do you mentally prepare for your races and what are your race strategies? Are you visualizing your races? Can you break down a typical race for us? i.e. start, first 400, first mile pace, second, third and finish?
Mary Kate: The night before a race, I try to visualize how I am going to run the race in my head. As I warm-up before my race, I try to relax and remind myself that I am a good runner and that as long as I try my best, my race will be successful no matter how I place or what my time is. I think of all the workouts and preparation I have done for a race and I like to feel that I am well prepared. At the start of the race, I use my adrenaline from the start to get out fast to avoid being stuck behind a lot of people. After a couple minutes, I settle into my race pace. So far in my meets, I have been going through my first mile pretty quickly, and then I relax and try to cruise through the second mile, trying to make sure I don't slow down too much. As I pass the second mile mark, I keep thinking to myself that I only have one more mile left and that I need to give it all I have. With about half a mile left, I try to pick up my pace steadily, building into the last 200 where I just have to push through the exhaustion and pain to finish as fast as possible.
OHRunners: How would you describe you as a runner?
Mary Kate: I would say that I am a confident and hard-working runner. I like to push myself while out on my runs, and I enjoy workouts because I know that they will make me a better runner.
OHRunners: What were your expectations as a freshman going into the Centerville Stampede?
Mary Kate: Going into the Stampede, my expectations were kind of high. I had raced really well the past weekend and my first goal was to break 18:00 again. I also knew that Grosse Pointe South, Springboro, Centerville, and Lebanon were going to be running with us along with other strong girls from other division one teams, so my second goal going into the meet was to be competitive with the other girls running. I wanted to try and stick with them for as long as I could and hopefully give them a close race.
OHRunners: Were you aware of who the leading runners would be. I.e. Hannah Meier (#931 in the South Jersey) and Jacquelyn Crow of Lebanon.
OHRunners: Can you take us through the race? Start, 1st mile, 2nd mile and through the finish. At what point did you take the lead and realize that you could win it?
Mary Kate: At the start, I went out fast to avoid getting stuck behind the pack because within the first 200 meters, the course really narrows. Up until the first mile, I was running with a pack of 5 other girls, with all of the other runners fairly close behind. We went through the first mile in 5:36. Through the next mile, Hannah and I ran side by side with neither of us really taking the lead. Our 2nd mile split was 11:23 and with about 3/4 mile left in the race, I took the lead trying to get the inside on one of the turns on the course. I tried to gain as much distance as possible because I knew she has an amazing finish. I never really realized I could win because the whole last part of the race, I was pushing myself to go faster because I knew that Hannah had the speed to catch me. I was never sure how far ahead I was or how fast she was running, and I wasn't sure I was going to win until I crossed the finish line. I think I caught Hannah a little off guard, and I know she was tired from traveling. I think under different circumstances, the race would have been closer. Grosse Pointe South won the meet with only 33 points, which was impressive. In addition to being talented they were all nice girls. I also thought that the other top girls from Dayton performed well against a nationally ranked team. The entire day was a great experience.
OHRunners: What are your expectations for the remainder of the Cross Country Season?
Mary Kate: One of my big goals for the remainder of the season is for our team to qualify for the state meet, and I would love to see us place in the top five there. I also want to continue to run more sub-18:00 times, and I hope to be a contender for the state title.
OHRunners: I know that it is a little early to talk about the track season, but let’s talk a little about what we may expect from you. First, do you participate in any other sports during the winter, or do you think that you will compete in some races in the indoor season?
Mary Kate: In the past, I have not done any other sports in the winter. I usually just run and build up my base for track season. This year, I may swim for fun on our swim team, but I still need to talk it over with my track coach and decide what will be best for me. I do not plan on competing in any indoor races, and if I compete in one or two, it will just be for fun and to experience the indoor track environment.
OHRunners: At the varsity level, it is very difficult to compete in the 1600, the 800 and the 3200, including participation in some of the distance relay events. Will you lean more toward running the 1600 and the 800 or do you think your concentration will be focused more on the 3200?
Mary Kate: My coach and I will talk and decide on what event I will perform the best in before track, but I am sure this coming year I will be trying all three to decide which to focus on in the years to come. I am thinking I will be a better 3200 runner because my endurance is better than my speed, so as the races get longer I become more and more competitive.
OHRunners: Thanks Mary Kate. We will be watching for you the remainder of the XC season and at State and will look forward to seeing you run this Spring.