Part I: Marie Lawrence, shortly after the race
Fast-Women.com: Reports indicated that during the West Regional race, you waited for Collier a bit and encouraged her. Was it hard to leave her behind this time?
Marie Lawrence: Kind of, but I wanted it, so I just went for it.

FW: We heard that during one race this season, Collier went the wrong direction and when she caught back up to you, you offered to sing her a song...
ML: Oh, that was at Nevada Union, we were supposed to go [one] way on the first loop and up the hill on the second loop. They sent us up the hill and someone was yelling at us, so we turned around. I was in front of her because she had [been ahead], but we came down and she passed me again... I started singing a song, yeah (laughs).

FW: Were you not pushing yourself very hard?
ML: Well I kind of was, it was hard to sing (laughs), I just took a lot of deep breaths.

FW: Do the two of you do all of your training together?
ML: Kind of. Sometimes I train with Daryan Glenn, and then sometimes I train with [Collier]... [Daryan] is part of another sister duo on our team.

FW: What have you thought of this whole experience so far?
ML: It's been an awesome experience, I'm just really glad I made it. I'm just going to wait a few more years, and maybe one year I'll take it.

FW: Is it hard to finish second, or is it mostly a feeling of happiness?
ML: It's a feeling of happiness, but it was hard, I was pushing myself a lot...

FW: How old were you when you started running?
ML: I was in seventh grade...

FW: Do you know what's next for you?
ML: I'm going to take about a week or two off and start training for indoor track. I have no idea what I'm going to do in track this year.

FW: What are your best times right now?
ML: In the 800, I've run 2:21, and then my 3,000 is 10:08 and my 1,500 is 4:45.

FW: Do you read about a lot of the girls you ran against today, are you someone who follows the sport pretty closely?
ML: Kind of.

FW: Was it intimidating to race people you've read about before?
ML: Yeah.

FW: Was it nice having your sister here, qualifying as part of a duo?
ML: Yeah, it was fun.

Part II: Marie and Collier Lawrence, several hours after the race
(We begin with Marie and ask Collier to join us midway through, once she's done giving an interview for her local newspaper.)

FW: Now that you've had some time to reflect on it, has anything changed regarding how you feel about your race?
ML: Kind of. I feel really good, it was a really good race. Now that I think about it, it's just like, 'Yeah, I had a really good race.' I'm glad that [it went so well].

FW: What was it like to be in the lead of a national championship race. Were you scared, confident...?
ML: I don't usually get scared when I'm running, so I was just like really confident. I was just like, 'This is fun, [I'll] take this as far as I can take it.'

FW: When [Katelyn Kaltenbach] went by you, was there just no way you could go with her?
ML: Yeah. I was like, 'No. Can't go with that kick.'

FW: Did you know who she was?
ML: Yeah.

FW: Do you follow running and know who your competitors are most of the time?
ML: I try to...

FW: Have you raced against many of these girls before?
ML: No, I haven't raced against any of them, I think.

FW: You ran at the Stanford Invitational, was that your only big out-of-state race?
ML: And Mt. SAC. It was the same course [the West Regional] was on...
[Note: She had the fourth-fastest time of the meet at Mt. SAC and finished second to sister Collier in her race by one second.]

FW: What's it like to come in and do so well as a freshman here, do you think it'll put a lot of pressure on you?
ML: No, every race, I just go out there and think to myself, 'I'm [here] to run my best.' If I don't do well, it was meant to be, because everyone has to have a bad race eventually.

FW: So, did you do any other sports or was running your first sport?
ML: No, first sport.

FW: Were you pretty fast right away?
ML: Well, in middle school, like seventh grade, I was okay. The I got to [Bruce Susong], the coach I have now, and that's when I became how I am today.

FW: Is Coach Susong the coach at Reno High School or is he an outside coach?
ML: He's the boys' cross country coach, and he's the Silver State Striders coach, which is just like a running program we have outside of school.

FW: So you train with them year-round?
ML: Yeah.

FW: What are you plans for indoor track?
ML: I don't really have any plans, just whatever Bruce wants me to do. It's really fun, too.

FW: Do you have any specific time goals?
ML: Not really. I've never really run indoor track before, except last year, but it wasn't competitive because I was only in eighth grade, it was just for fun.

FW: What's your best mile time?
ML: 5:08.

(Collier joins the conversation)

FW: Collier, when you crossed the finish line and heard that Marie had done so well, were you surprised, or what was your reaction?
Collier Lawrence: I wasn't really surprised, because I knew she was going to be up there. The minute she went by me and I was just kind of like... I don't know, I was really tired, I just wasn't in the race. But I knew she was going to be up there and I had a feeling that she was going to do really well, I actually thought she was going to win. That's the way she is, she has to win (laughs), or be right behind me... I figured she'd win, I was really surprised when she got second. I crossed the finish line and I was really happy for her.

FW: When the two of you are competing against each other and one of you has to finish second, is it easier to lose to your sister, or is it harder?
CL: Kind of both. Being the older sister, you want to win because you're older... You think that's how things should be, the older [sister] should go first, then the younger one. But, at the same time, it's kind of good because it teaches you how to lose and...it kind of helps, because at least someone in your family won. If you go 1-2 that's good, because you get three points for your team, and that's the best you can do.

FW: Did the two of you start running at the same time, or did [Collier] start earlier?
CL: Well, I did middle school running but I would just go to one day of practice [per week] and then just go to the meets. I wasn't really serious like [Marie] was in seventh grade. I didn't really start running seriously until I was a freshman. [Marie's] kind of been more serious longer than I have.

FW: In workouts, do the two of you normally run together?
CL: In speed workouts we're normally together, but on distance runs, I normally go a little farther than [Marie] does.

FW: Is that because of the age difference, is your coach trying to bring Marie along slower?
CL: Kind of. I normally run with the boys, because I do longer long runs than she does, and she just runs with the girls...

FW: How do you train?
CL: We do a lot of distance, and then near the end of the season we start tapering off and doing a lot of short, fast stuff. But mainly it's just putting in a lot of miles and getting our endurance up.

FW: What's your usual weekly mileage?
CL: I run about 45-50 miles a week, around there.

FW: What's the highest mileage you ran this season?
CL: During the summer, I think I hit 60-65 one week.

FW: (To Marie) What was the highest mileage you hit over the summer?
ML: About 50.

FW: What are you college plans?
CL: I've actually signed with Washington State, I'm just kind of glad it's over with.

FW: (To Marie) Is it going to be hard for you losing your sister as a training partner next year?
ML: Yeah. I've cried twice already... We have this banquet and there was like a dedication to the seniors and [Collier's] came up and I started to cry.

FW: The two of you seem like you get along pretty well...
ML: Yeah, sometimes we fight just about stupid stuff, like, 'You're wearing my shirt!'

FW: (To Collier) So what are your goals for track season?
CL: I'm going to some big meets, I think we're going to Arcadia and Mt. SAC, and I'd like to do really well at those meets. Our coach has us set up to...he wants us to break the mile and two-mile state records. I'd like to do that, because I missed the mile record (5:03.0) last year by .14...so I have to get it this year. I'd like to have a good season and [set] some new PRs.

FW: (To Collier) How did your race go today? You don't seem thrilled, what happened out there?
CL: I was just really tired and I wasn't really into the race. I didn't run like I normally run. Normally, I'm up with the front pack and that's just the way I run. I didn't think that we were running that fast, but I just wasn't really there... I was just tired, I kept hearing [Marie's] name on the speaker. The first time they said it, though, they thought it was me and I was like, 'No! I'm back here.' It wasn't the race that I'd hoped for, but you have to get over that and [move] on to the next thing.

FW: Did you parents come to the race?
CL: My mom and my coach came down.

FW: Are there any other Lawrence siblings?
CL: [Marie] actually has a twin brother.

FW: Does your brother run too?
CL: No, he wrestles.