Post-Race Interview with Jackie Zeigle, December 8, 2001

By Alison Wade

Jackie Zeigle finished fourth at the Foot Locker West Regional and seventh at Foot Locker Nationals. Her twin sister Laura finished 12th at the 1999 National Finals and third in 2000 but did not qualify in 2001.

Jackie Zeigle on her way to a seventh-place finish at the Foot Locker National Finals. (Alison Wade/New York Road Runners)

Jackie Zeigle Bio

Congratulations on a great race, you were seventh?
Yeah, I'm mad.

Why are you mad?
Because I wanted to at least finish in the top five. But it's okay... My first goal was just to make it here, I didn't care if I got eighth at the West Regional. I just didn't want to run hard there, because there's only a week to recover. I didn't run very hard at the regional and I made it. I knew I wanted to get top five here though, it was a long-term goal. But oh well. It's really fun here. I'm glad to be here.

Had you ever been here as a spectator before, when Laura qualified?
No... I would have felt stupid going when Laura qualified and I didn't.

Was it hard for you this year, qualifying without Laura?
Well I felt bad for her because she was the fastest returnee from last year's race. I knew she really wanted to go out with this race. But she's here, and it's like she's with us. The girls love her. I felt really sad for her, but it's not like we're attached.

I noticed that you two were running around the course yesterday and it looked like she was giving you pointers?
Yes. She told me everything. Before you come around that little turn and come into the finish, she told me, "No one kicks here because they don't realize the finish is right there, but you have to go here." She told me where everyone dies and where everyone goes hard. It helped me a lot.

So you thought about her advice during the race?
Yeah. But during the race, I felt like everyone was going a little fast. They were going a good pace and I was way behind. I was thinking, "Okay, I hope some people die right here." I thought I'd get a lot more people at the end, but oh well...

Have you thought any more about where you want to go to college?
It's so hard! (At this point, Sarah Schwald who is standing nearby, subtly slides a Wisconsin business card Zeigle's way and the two share a laugh.) We've only taken one official and one unofficial visit. I probably want to stay in the west, like BYU or Colorado. I like altitude training and it's closer to home, because I like where we live. I would hate living here (in Orlando) because of the humidity. But I have no idea, I don't want to say yet. I still want to take visits.

Do you think you and Laura will go to the same school?
Yeah. Probably. If she wants to go somewhere else or if I do, we're not inseparable. But a lot of the coaches want us together

Did you feel like you were running for Laura at all out there today, trying to hold up the family tradition?
No, she would have done way better than me. She was happy for me. In the race, I heard her the whole way. I could hear her voice, she's like "[high pitched sqeaking noise]."

I saw her running everywhere during the race, she probably got just as good of a workout in as you did.
She started running two days ago, she already took her break... When she got here she was like, "I want to run!"

Do you know exactly what happened to her during the West Regional?
Yeah. She had a back injury in early November. We don't know how it happened, it was after a race and she tried to start running and could barely walk... I think it was a muscle. It wouldn't let her run fast because it hurt too much. She took some time off to let it heal. In the morning (before the West Regional) it was really awful. During the day it kind of got better, but in the race, going into the second mile, she dropped out. I think the hills hurt it.

Last year Laura ran USATF Junior Cross Country Nationals and didn't, do you think you'll do that race this year?
Yeah, probably. And we're going to do some indoor meets. Indoor is kind of a train-through. I like indoor but we just train through that for outdoor because I want to be strong for the spring.

What's your goal for the outdoor season?
Well, I want to probably go under 4:40 in the mile. I want to really do well in the mile. I really don't get to run the two-mile that much so I'd like to get back to that... I'm really excited for track.