Athlete of the Week: Sophomore women’s track Josee Simonson

Sophomore Josee Simonson recently had a few highlight meets where she had a lot of great results. She currently has the fourth fastest 800m time in the state, as she closes in on the top two. With her time of 2:18, she earned a spot in the Drake Relays, along with on the CF All-Time list. She also has been tremendously helping out in relays, many of which have also been achieving top state times and earning spots at the Blue Oval in Des Moines toward the end of April. 

For you, what was a highlight of your most recent competition? 

A highlight for me was running 2:18 flat in the 800, which was the exact time I needed to run to automatically qualify for Drake. Running sub 60 in my 400 split of the sprint med was another highlight for me this season. Also, at the meet prior to the meet at Kennedy I had ran my slowest time of the season. It was a great feeling to come back and run 2:18. 

What makes your sport special and different? 

To me, what makes track and field special and different compared to other sports is the wide variety of opportunities athletes have to compete. People from a variety of athletic backgrounds are able to compete together. Whether it’s jumps, throwing, hurdling, sprinting or running distance, there are events for everyone. 

How long have you been into this sport, and what were the early days of your participation? 

When I was younger I participated in Tiger cross country club, as well as a year of cross country and track in middle school. Although my early days in the sport were fun, my love for the sport has only grown as I have been able to compete at a higher level. 

How did/do you cope with any setbacks/losses you’ve experienced in your sport? 

When experiencing setbacks I use them as an opportunity to learn how to better myself and what I can do to improve in the next races. I also do my best to never let one bad race or time affect me.  

What has been a highlight for you/your team so far this season? 

One of the biggest highlights this season for me has been seeing the work my teammates and I put in during the offseason pay off. Training throughout the winter at times was very difficult, and there were many days I wouldn’t have gone out and run if it weren’t for my teammates, so seeing them continuing to improve has been awesome, knowing that all the work we put in is allowing us to compete better as we begin our outdoor season. 

Do you have plans to play this sport after high school? 

As of now, I have not really considered running after highschool but I’m open to the idea.

How has your team done so far this season, and how did the Kingston meet go? Along with waterloo?  

So far, as a whole the women’s track team has had a great start to the season. In our indoor season many people were able to learn a lot which helped us to prepare for our outdoor season. At Kingston, I got the chance to run my first sprint med with some great athletes, and it was an amazing experience as I had a PR in my 400 with a sub 60 time. Following the sprint med, I competed in the open 800 meter race with a PR and a Drake Relays qualifying time of 2:18. Ending off the meet running in the 4×4 I was able to PR once again. Overall the team and I had a very successful meet. On Tuesday we competed at the Metro meet with Waterloo East, West and Columbus. I was able to run in the Sprint Med again and we ran a season PR which currently places us in the top 24. Shuttle hurdle ran great as well qualifying for the Drake Relays breaking the list for top ten all time Shuttle Hurdle at Cedar Falls. The night ended great, as I was able to anchor the 4×4 to another Drake Relays standard. I am immensely proud of our team as a whole and cannot wait to see what we can accomplish. 

What are your goals for the rest of the year individually and teamwise? 

Individually, throughout the rest of the season I want to continue to pr in meets. Looking forward to postseason, I would love the opportunity to be able to compete in the open 800 meters at state and improve from last year. As a team I think we are capable of achieving a top place at state. I think our team has done a great job of pushing each other and we are capable of doing great things in all events.