10 Questions with Women's Cross Country Runner Carolyne Chelulei
9/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Sept. 2, 2009
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The USC Upstate women's cross country team returns six runners from last year's team. Sophomore Carolyne Chelulei is one of those six returners for the Spartans.
Chelulei finished in 56th-place at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships a season ago after posting a time of 21:00. She finished eighth at the Mercer Invitational when she posted a season best time of 18:52.
The Spartans opened their season last night at the Wofford relays. Chelulei and teammate Joan Tangwar finished in first-place with a time of 22:57. Upstate will return to action on Saturday when it hosts the 26th Eye Opener Invitational.
Chelulei recently sat down with Alex Edwards of upstatespartans.com to discuss her expectations for the season as well as her experiences at Upstate.
What adjustments have you made this season compared to your freshman year?
I have worked really hard to get ready for this season. I had some injuries that I had to overcome last season, but I feel that I am better prepared for this season.
What brought you to Upstate from Kenya?
I came to Upstate because of the opportunity to further my education as well the opportunity to compete.
What are the goals of the cross country team this season?
We want to run our very best each and every race as well as win the conference championship.
What is the biggest difference between training in Kenya and here in the U.S.?
Training in Kenya was harder than here in the U.S. because of the drastic climate changes.
Why did you choose to choose nursing as your major?
I chose nursing because I enjoy helping and caring for people and I felt that was the best choice of major to allow me to do something I love.
What is your mentality before a race?
Sometimes I find myself nervous, but as soon as the race begins I am over the nervousness and I am able to give my all and run a good race.
What is your favorite thing about Upstate?
I really enjoy the community as well as the professors that teach my classes.
When you are not in class or training, what do you find yourself doing?
I usually find myself reading inspirational books.
What do you like most about new assistant coach Carson Blackwelder?
I really like the training strategies that coach Blackwelder has laid out for our team. I feel that his strategies will help our team's performance this season.
If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would you use and why?
I would use laughter as a word to describe me. The reason I would choose that is because I enjoy laughing when I am spending time with my friends.
