Caisja Chandler of Euclid High School competes in the 100m and the 200m distances.
Caisja Chandler is a junior from Euclid High School who specializes in the sprint distances. Chandler qualified for both the NEOITC All-Star Meet and the OATCCC Indoor State Championship in 2017 and she has her sights set on posting impressive results during the outdoor season. Caisja Chandler recently took time to speak with MileSplit Ohio about what she has accomplished so far in her track career and what her goals are moving forward.
MileSplit Ohio: Describe your indoor season. Did your results live up to your expectations going in? What are you most proud of from what you accomplished and was there anything that you felt could have gone better?
Caisja: My indoor season was an improvement from last year, as I ran faster times as a junior than I did as a sophomore. The results from my indoor season did live up to my expectations, as running faster times and making it to State's was all that I had hoped to accomplish. I am most proud of placing 3rd overall in the 200m dash at the D1 OATCCC Indoor State Championship.
MileSplit Ohio: What events are you focusing on during the outdoor season? Talk about what goals you have in place that you hope to accomplish.
Caisja: The events that I am focusing on during the outdoor season are the 100m and the 200m races. I want my times in both events to drop. Running 23+ seconds in the 200m and 11+ seconds in the 100m is what I am expecting of myself. I am also aiming to make it to State's again and I'm planning on performing well there.
Caisja Chandler is hoping to set new P.R.'s in the 100m and the 200m races.
MileSplit Ohio: Discuss what your typical week of training resembles. Who are your key training partners and do you have a favorite work out that you rely on leading up to an important race?
Caisja: My typical week of training involves working hard everyday and getting into the weight room for strength work. My key training partners are the girls from Euclid High School who compete on the 4 x 100m and the 4 x 200m relay teams. They are: Kristan Ross, Lamiya Jernigan, Charlara Sutton and Rayshayla Perry. I enjoy hard training days because I know that those are the ones that will lead to me performing better on race day.
MileSplit Ohio: Who has helped you to reach the level that you've attained to this point in your track career?
Caisja: My mom is my biggest inspiration because she ran track and she was competitive both in the state and in the country. My family, my teammates and my coaches (Coach Nosse, Coach Kerr and Coach Yoe) have all helped me to become the runner that I am today.
Caisja Chandler enjoys competing in team relay events with her Euclid HS teammates.
MileSplit Ohio: What are your long term goals related to track?
Caisja: My long term goals related to track are running for the college of my choice and I also hope to compete in the Olympics.
Caisja Chandler hopes to one day compete on the international stage.
Caisja Chandler often runs the anchor leg for Euclid High School's relay teams.