Instant Reaction: Shortly after her college commitment party on Tuesday evening at the Old Bag of Nails pub in Westerville concluded, we tracked down Olivia Pace to discuss her big decision.
The Westerville Central senior and Ohio Heat veteran will be taking her talents to Los Angeles next year to join the University of Southern California Trojans program.
Factors which led to her siding with USC included the vision that Director of Track and Field Quincy Watts has for the program and the warm welcome she received from current team members when she took her official visit.
Fellow Ohioan Justin Braun also offered Pace some guidance and advice as she navigated her way through the decision making process.
Pace, the three-time reigning OATCCC 60m state champion and the 2023 OHSAA Division I long jump state champion also considered the University of North Carolina, TCU, Ohio State and Ole Miss during her recruitment search.
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Interview Topics
- 0:00 - Olivia unveiling her college choice
- 1:00 - Talking about the National Letter of Intent period opening on Wednesday
- 2:20 - Reviewing some of the other schools she considered
- 3:25 - Detailing why USC is the best fit for her athletic development
- 4:15 - Ohio familiarity with Justin Braun
- 5:20 - Commenting on USC moving to the Big Ten conference
- 6:15 - Her official visit to USC and how welcomed she felt by the team
- 7:40 - What her biggest excitement is about competing at the NCAA level
- 8:35 - Where her commitment ranks as far as accomplishments to this point in her career
- 9:30 - Sending out thanks to the support network who have helped her along the way
- 10:35 - Episode wrap-up
