Chatting with Taren James
5/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track and Field
May 11, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Junior Taren James has had a great season. During the indoor season, James won two triple jump titles and one long jump crown. She also placed third at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in the triple jump. Recently in the outdoor season, James had a NCAA Regional qualifying mark in the triple jump at the Len Paddock Invitational, placing second with a jump of 40-11 1/2 inches. This weekend (May 13-15) at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, James will be competing in both the long jump and triple jump.
Q.What are you looking forward to the most at the Big Ten Championships?
A. Just getting team honors and doing really well, being able to reclaim my victories. I hope to get nothing less than in the top three in both events.
Q. Do you have any pre-meet rituals?
A. No, I just do the same warm-up and say a little pray to my brother who passed away a couple months ago.
Q. How did you get started in the jumps?
A. I started running track in ninth grade. I got out there because I played softball and all I could do was run fast, I couldn't do anything else. So in ninth and tenth grade I didn't really know what I wanted to do in track, so I did everything. At the end of my tenth grade year they taught me how to long jump. Miraculously, I could get high in the air. I didn't learn triple jump until November of my senior year.
Q. What do you miss most from your home town, Long Beach, Calif?
A. I miss the weather. One day in my freshman year when it was eight below, I called my mom and told her I was dropping out of school because it was so cold. I miss my family and friends, too, but I like it at State. It's good for me here.
Q. What is one thing you want to do before you turn 30?
A. Well I want to go to Japan and Australia someday. By the time I am thirty I think I will be married and have a successful career and hopefully be driving a 745 BMW. Actually a 750, might as well go all out.
Q. Summarize how your year went for you so far.
A. My indoor season went really well. I made some breakthroughs. My outdoor season hasn't been going as well. I had a good meet last weekend and I hope to turn it around this weekend and do what my body knows how to do and has been training to do for so long.
Q. If you could eat dinner with anybody, dead or alive, who would it be?
A. I would have to say my little brother. Last summer he drowned in an accident. He was only 15. He ran track, too, so I decided to dedicate my season to him.
Q.What was your favorite memory of the season?
A. I would have to say the Indoor Big Ten Championships because it was the first time my mom and dad got to come to Michigan. I only placed third, but I got to go do the whole medal thing and my parents got to see me.
Q. What are your summer plans?
A. I will be here for the first summer session, studying and training. Then I am going home for seven weeks after.
Q. What is one thing most people don't know about you?
A. Most people don't know that I love Celine Dion. I wanted to go see her in a Las Vegas concert more than I wanted to breathe, but her contract was going to be up before I turned 21. I was really upset, but my mom ended up taking us all out there to see her. Now that her contract is extended I really want to go back to Las Vegas.
