2005 USA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Interview with Jenny Barringer
by Ricky Quintana

Jenny Barringer competes in the junior girls' 6K at the 2005 USA Cross Country Championships. (Photo by Alison Wade/New York Road Runners)

Two-time Foot Locker finalist Jenny Barringer qualified for the World Cross Country Championships for the second year in a row by placing third at the USA Junior Cross Country Championships on February 12. Barringer is a senior at Oviedo High School in Oviedo, Florida.

Ricky Quintana: How does it feel to make it?
Jenny Barringer: It feels amazing to have it all over with. I always go into a race confident that I will do well. The feeling of actually qualifying and having that all over with is a great feeling.

RQ: I know you had put a lot of eggs in this basket going in. You've been thinking about this race a long time. How did it feel when you actually got to run the race?
JB: Going out there, especially the first 2K, I really felt like I had a lot of pressure. I was confident, but I was real nervous... I felt well, but you know you have 6K to cover. In 6K, lots of things can happen. I saw Zoe Nelson in front of me the first 2K and I'm thinking to myself, 'Don't let this be a repeat of Foot Locker.' There was a lot of nervousness. For one, my performance at Foot Locker was not up to par [she finished 10th after placing third one year earlier]. It was not what I would have liked up there. Coming back off of that was a little nerve-racking. And also being out with such great competition. Last year, I came out to this race. I didn't know anybody. I was just kind of out there just seeing what this was all about. I ended up doing real well. This year, I'm looking out and I know half of the girls competing. I know all kinds of people in Orlando planned their whole spring vacation [around] whether I qualify or not. The first 2K loop, those things were running to through my head. There was a huge group and I kind of got to relax behind them. I took a deep breath and didn't think about that stuff anymore. I just got out there and thought, 'This is what I love to do' and I just started racing and it felt great.

RQ: From the reports I got, you were there the first 2K and then you dropped back.
JB: I went out strong. I went out hard. A lot of that is nerves. I had put a lot of eggs in this basket. I went out hard. At the 2K mark, I did fall back. There was a huge group in front of me and I thought, 'I just need to relax and get myself together and let these girls do a little bit of work while I sit back here and enjoy the ride for a little while.' And I did. [Around] 4K, I moved back up. A lot of it is a blur. We were coming up on a hill and I just maintained pace and ended up in second. So I thought 'This is a good move for me. This is great. If they are getting a little tired and I've just been cruising for a whole 2K.' I was real confident that if I could stay relaxed and hold on for the last 2K, I would do well. Of course, Erin [Bedell] and I came on the last 200m and kicked down quite a few people. I think she and I both ran a lot harder and put a lot more in than we realize we had. She put on a great kick at the end.

RQ: At Great American, something similar happened.
JB: It's pretty funny you say that because Erin, right after the race said, 'Jen, the only reason I kicked so hard was because I saw you in front of me and I knew if I could take you down that would be a big step for me.' And I said, 'When you passed me, I thought Here we go again! It's Great American all over again.' And so, I went with her. At Great American, it was my second race of the season. I was coming off of surgery. I wasn't feeling well and didn't think I could run with her. This time I did and she and I raced in. She ran an excellent race. She ran real smart. She and I went back and forth a few times. And she had a real strong kick. That encouraged me to run real hard in the end too.

RQ: Looking back at your Foot Locker race, was that an anomaly? Was that just a bad race?
JB: If I ever have been overconfident, I was at that race. I think I just went out and had a lot of pressure on myself. I can't say that anyone put a lot of pressure on me, but I was worried myself. I knew that I had trained really hard and knew that it was something I could do. I could take a national championship if I really went out there and raced well. I don't really remember being nervous before the race and that really worried me. I think I might have been a little too confident. I went out really hard. All of the sudden, when you are surrounded by a bunch of girls who are just as good as you are and they're all working hard, you realize this is going to be tough. It was a really, really tough race for me. It was really hard to fall back to 10th. I really felt like that whole race for me was a struggle. So when I came out today, that was a big key for me. I don't want to have to struggle and fight through this whole thing again. I just wanted to remember how much I enjoy running and get out here and compete hard. That's exactly how it happened.

RQ: Last year, you finished 35th at Worlds. What do you expect at this year's championships?
JB: Last year, I placed fourth at the qualifiers. From there I said, 'I want to go out there and maintain my fourth position and score for the team.' Again, I definitely want to maintain that goal. I want to go to the World Championships and score for the team. The top four runners who come in score. Goals beyond that, time goals, they depend a lot on the conditions of the course. Other goals, my coach and I will sit down and talk about. There are several different goals that we go after. It's just an honor to be part of this team and represent Florida and the United States. I just want to go out and do well and [improve] on what I did last year.

RQ: How will this affect your track season?
JB: I will definitely be training for the 6K all the way up until March 19, when I run. Of course it's going to affect track, because I'm going to be training for longer distances. But I enjoy longer stuff anyway. Last year, it went well. I went straight from the World Championships into the Florida Relays. I plan to do that again. We'll just start working on turnover stuff and different things. I don't know. This year is so much different because this year, I'm also having to make a college decision. Track season is coming up. Track season is a little bit secondary to everything else.

RQ: Is Colorado still one of your college choices?
JB: Right now, Colorado, Duke, NC State, and Columbia. Those are the four coaches that I'm keeping in touch with. I plan on making a decision in the next week or two.

RQ: Did you get to speak with [Colorado freshman] Liza Pasciuto?
JB: Yeah. She and I were excited that we both made the team. She and I talked a lot. She's a great competitor and a great girl. I admire her racing style. She comes on strong real well in the end. I'm really excited to be part of the World team with her.

(Interview conducted February 12, 2005, and posted February 15, 2005.)