Tatum, you are on a roll outdoors, running 10.26 for 100m and 20.78 for 200m in the same meet!
MileSplit - What are your initial thoughts on how you are progressing so far this season?
Tatum - So far this season I feel like I am having a great year. At first it started off a little shaky with me coming off of an injury from football and running 6.84 to open up my indoor season, but since then its been going great. Training has been going well and I'm happy how I ended the indoor season with a 6.63. For outdoor season its been different since I'm not running high school track but I started off well opening up at the Oregon Relays with a 10.46 and 21.41 and in my 2nd meet I broke the state records running 10.26 and 20.78.
MileSplit - What stands out as the most exciting thing this year with what you have accomplished on the track, indoor or out, with Simplot, Brooks PR, and now the outdoor bests?
Tatum - The biggest accomplishment for me has been my 200 time I just ran because going into this year I only saw myself as a 60, 100m guy and I wanted to prove that I can run a good 200 also.
MileSplit - What goals have you thought about for the 2013 track season? How fast do you think you can go?
Tatum - My goals for this season are to be top 5 in the 60, 100, and 200 and I hope to run 10.09 and 20.5 wind legal before this year's over.
MileSplit - When & how did you get started in track & field?
Tatum - I started running track because I lost a bet on a high school basketball game with one of my good friends so I had to come out and run, otherwise I don't know if I would have.
MileSplit - Person/people most influential to your success in track & field?
Tatum - The people that have been most influential for my success in track have been my coach Mike and my parents because they have guided me through this process and helped me become the runner I am today even if I won or lost.
MileSplit - Keys to your successful training program?
Tatum - A key to my successful training program has been having a great training partner who can push me everyday in practice while battling the weather of Seattle.
MileSplit - Your favorite track & field meet?
Tatum - My favorite meet that I have run in has been the Brooks PR invite because every year I have gone there and PRed, and it's a great time to show what you're made of because you're running against the best.
MileSplit - Your favorite performance in track & field?
Tatum - My favorite performance in track and field was seeing Usain Bolt run 9.58 because it's my dream one day to be the fastest person to ever run track in the 100m.
MileSplit - Your favorite performance from another HS athlete?
Tatum - My favorite performance from another high school athlete has been when my future teammate Bernie Montoya ran 4:01 in the mile last year as a JR.
MileSplit - Your favorite performance from a Collegiate or Elite athlete?
Tatum - My favorite performance by a college athlete was by Michael Berry when he ran 44.75 in the 400 last year at NCAA because its crazy to see how far he came after running against him in high school.
MileSplit - Fellow athlete(s) you most enjoy competing against?
Tatum - The two people I enjoy running against the most are Cameron Burrell and Lavonte Whitfield because every time I run against them it pushes me to be the best I can be and it's always a close race that goes down to the wire.
MileSplit - Your greatest experience in track & field so far?
Tatum - Greatest experience in track and field was running at the University of Oregon for the first time because it was the first out of state meet I went to and there was a large energetic crowd.
MileSplit - What are your long-term goals in track & field?
Tatum - My long term goals for track and field are to be the fastest person in the world at some point in the 100m and 200m dash.