Pre-Race Interview with Heidi Magill and Amber Harper
By Becky Orfinger

Amber Harper (left) and Heidi Magill. (Photo by Alison Wade/NYRR)

We sat down with West Region teammates Amber Harper and Heidi Magill on the day before the race in San Diego. Since they are both from Utah, Harper and Magill have raced against each other many times over the years and know each other well.

Fast-Women.com: So, is your experience at Foot Locker Nationals this year different than last year, when you were a first-time qualifier? [This is Harper's second consecutive trip to nationals and Magill's first.]

Amber Harper: It's exciting, but it's definitely different this year. Part of it has to do with the fact that it's in a different place, but I think different people make it different also. This year, everyone seems to be doing their own thing more. Which is totally fine, but it's just something I noticed.

F-W: What do you guys think of the course?
Heidi Magill: I think it's an okay course -- not my favorite, but I'll be able to say more after the race tomorrow. The hills aren't too bad.

AH: [interjecting] Yeah, not like some of the hills we have in Utah. All of our courses in Utah are hilly. Big, big hills.

That's right, I forgot about that. Speaking of Utah, it's been a long time since your state meet, right?
AH: Yeah, a month and a half.

F-W: How do you deal with the time in between the state meet and regionals?
HM: I take some time off. I take about five days off and then start running again. Just to let my legs recover a little.

AH: Yeah, I take about a week and a half off between.

F-W: Heidi, you're only a junior. But as a senior, Amber, you must have some idea where you'd like to go to college.
AH: I'm not sure yet. It's really hard, because I hear different things about every college from everyone. It makes me wonder what I should do.

F-W: Do you want to go far away, or stay close to home?
AH: I don't really have a preference. But it would be nice to be close to home, I guess, because my family could come and watch me run. And my brother [former Foot Locker finalist Golden Harper] goes to BYU. He loves it there. I think it would be really fun to go to the same school as my brother -- he's like my best friend.

F-W: Heidi, I know you are an 800m specialist, but was this your best cross country season so far?
HM: Cross country, yes. I am an 800 meter specialist. I love the 800. I love the last 800 of the cross country race -- I just love it.

F-W: What about the mile?
HM: I've actually only run the mile once. I'll probably run it some more this year, but focus more on the 800 and 400. I'll run some miles to help my 800 and some 200s to help my 400 time.

F-W: Do you have any goals for tomorrow?
AH: I really have no idea how I'll do. Last week [at the West Regional] I didn't go all out, because I didn't want to beat myself up for this week. It's hard only having a week between. But since I didn't race hard last week and it's been such a long time since the state meet, I hope my body remembers how to run all-out again.

(Interview conducted and posted December 13, 2002)