You swept the Montana state meet last weekend - the 800m, 3200m and the 1600m. What was that like?
State was really fun this year. I went into it knowing it was my last state meet so I really wanted to give it everything I had.
Coach Blankenship said it was an especially gutsy performance in the 3200m, which is an event that you're not necessarily as confident in.
I think in past years, the 3200m has been the event that I do to try to get the team points but not one that I focus on as much. This year, I think I did more training in the off-season that helped my 32. It still wasn't the main event that I was focusing on but earlier in the season, I figured out that I could run a lot faster in the 32 than I had ever run before. It was cool to go to state and know I had a shot at doing really well.
[The 3200m] was right before the [400]. This year they had three events on the same day: the 800m, the 3200m and right after, the 400m. That was gonna be a little bit tough but I didn't end up running the 400m since I false started. I was pretty bummed about that but also I guess everything happened for a reason and maybe the 400m didn't go as planned because I needed that strength for the 1600m the next day.
Despite that, you came back and ran 4:43 the next day.
We went through the 800m not super fast but I wanted to pick it up as best I could and run as fast as I could. I was happy to be able to push the last 800m and get a fast time. [Editor's Note: Aragon set state meet records in all three events; she ran 2:05.65 in the 800m, 10:23.31 in the 3200m and 4:43.51 in the 1600m, respectively].
Can you talk about your breakout year in general, specifically your 4:11 1500m? What has this meant to you?
Going into every year, you want to be able to PR and do better than the year before. But especially senior year, you want to be able to leave behind the best you've got. I think especially the 4:11 was really, really exciting and to get to go out and run with all those girls who push me to be better. Even the girls in the state like Annie Hill and Carly Smiedala have pushed me so much over the years, so it was nice to get one last state meet.
I was at Payton Jordan and you not only ran super fast [4:11] but crushed a lot of pros. Did that surprise you?
It definitely surprised me. Going into that race, I'd run 4:16 the year before and like I said, every year, you want to do better than you've run in the past. So my goal was to run faster than 4:16 but I didn't know if that meant 4:15 or 4:14. I went into that race knowing I wanted to run fast but didn't know what fast was. I think sometimes going into a race like that is so much better because I didn't have a limit on myself. I went in there without too many thoughts on my mind, just hoping to see what time the race pulled me to and I was really happy about that.
Watch Aragon's 4:11 1500m below:
I remember watching you finish and just thinking, 'oh my god, not only did she beat them, she left them in the dust!'
I felt a lot better than I thought I would. I expected to just be hanging onto the back the whole time and never feeling comfortable and I felt a lot better than I expected with 600m to go.
You're only two seconds away from the Olympic Trials qualifying standard of 4:09.5. What's it like to be that close to competing at the Olympic Trials?
I think it would be so crazy to get to compete at the Olympic Trials. I'll see how the rest of the season goes but if I got the opportunity to compete, that would be super special. Obviously, it would be just for the experience but to get to run with those girls and in that situation where it's more about place than time, it would be cool to see what that kind of race is like.
Watch the interview video after Christina Aragon's 4:11 1500m win at Payton Jordan:
What are your goals for the Great Southwest Classic?
I'm running the 800m there and hoping to at least run faster than I did last year. It's always kind of weird to turn around from the weekend of your state meet but I'm just hoping to run as close as I can to my PR.
Why the Great Southwest Classic?
My sisters always went to the Great Southwest Classic and we have family in Albuquerque, so it's fun not only to be able to run but to have your whole family there supporting you. That makes the meet extra special for us. We have a lot of friends there, too, and having all those people there to support you, it helps a lot and that's one of the biggest draws for us.
Your sisters and dad ran at Notre Dame and your mom was a great runner as well. What's it like to grow up in a running family?
It's cool when we go on vacations, I'll get to run with my sisters. It's nice to always have a running partner no matter where you go. It's been a big part of our family, not the sole focus, but it's a fun thing to be a part of. There's always a lot to talk about with running and we can all connect and be together through it. Even running road races as a family is cool, too.
Your season's not done yet. You've got Great Southwest, Portland Track Festival, Brooks PR and beyond. What are your main goals for the rest of the season?
I'm really excited. I'm hoping to get some PRs and I'm really hoping the 1500m will go well at Portland Track Festival and then the 800m at Brooks PR and I'm gonna go to Junior Championships and do my best. I'm hoping to improve with each meet and with my times from last year.
