Posted 11/03/06
UW-Platteville's Jessica Scott is a cross country and track standout from Kiel, Wis. As a freshman in 2005-06, she ran on the first Pioneer women's relay team to ever earn NCAA Division III all-American track honors. She and the 28th-ranked Pioneers compete at the cross country NCAA III Regionals Nov. 11 in Davenport, Iowa.
We'll start last year, with a successful cross country season and becoming an all-American in track. Did you expect that much success right away?
"No I didn't actually. I hoped for it, but I didn't know I could be quite that level in my first year. When I ran 2:13 (for a new school record in the 800-meter run) at Iowa State, it was a shock. The relay race was pretty awesome, too."
How do you feel when you run up against Division I runners and have people from Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa State or Iowa lined up against you?
"It's pretty cool actually that you get to race against Division I people. At Iowa State, we had 12 heats. It's fun to think that we're at their level. We're just as good."
You were a four-time top 20 state cross country finisher in high school as well as a state track champion in the mile relay. You must have had some other offers. What brought you to UW-Platteville?
"My brother ran here, and I wanted to go to a smaller school in-state. I'm in physical therapy, and I could have gone to other places for that, too, but I think it was the coaching staff."
With biology/pre-physical therapy and a chemistry minor and running two sports, how do you keep everything straight?
"I try to go to Otts (Ottensman Hall) and study instead of going home. Being time efficient is big. When I go to practice, I practice, and when I study, I make sure I study."
You have the regional championships coming up. What are your goals?
"I'm not going for any place. I just want to go out, run and have fun. That's what we all want to do, is have fun."
Will it help to have last year's experience going into the regionals?
"It helps a lot. We know what to expect, where to be and who is all going to be there."
Does it mean anything to you to be the first UWP women's team to ever be nationally ranked?
"It does. It shows that we put a lot of work into our program, and that we are committed to it. We can be up there and have shown the potential to be at the top level."
Interview by SID Paul Erickson