Photo by Megan Zeller
Alexa Parks of Palisades had never competed indoors before last weekend. She made the most of her first appearance in an indoor meet. The senior and Penn State-signee jumped 5-8, a US#1 and just off her personal best, at the Armory for the AT&T Hall of Fame Invitational.
Parks answered some questions for us on her first indoor expereince and being No. 1 in the country. Read her thoughts below:
PennTrackXC: Was Saturday your first indoor meet ever? If so, talk about the decision to start competing indoors in your senior year.
Alexa Parks: Yes, Saturday was my first ever indoor meet. I wanted to compete in indoor track last year but basketball and school consumed too much time for me to do so. But this year I decided to find some meets I could go to on weekends when I don't have basketball. So I haven't been able to go to more than 2-3 winter track practices this year but I am still competing.
PTXC: 5-8 is just off your outdoor personal best. How good did it feel to jump that high in December?
AP: I set a goal before the meet to jump at least 5'6" so I was very surprised when I jumped 5'8" with only 3 track practices that I went to two weeks before the meet. I was very happy with my performance, it felt good to jump that high this early in my senior year.
PTXC: How was competing at the Armory? What was the energy of the facility like?
AP: It was very different from what I'm used to but it was very exciting having a bunch of people there so it helped with the adrenaline. Being able to compete in the Armory was an awesome experience and I'm excited to go back.
PTXC: You are US#1 right now. How good does that feel?
AP: It feels amazing to be US#1 in high jump! It's very exciting and everyone in my school is congratulating me so it feels really good to be recognized for my hard work.
PTXC: Are there any meets we can expect to see you at soon? What are your goals for the rest of the winter season?
AP: I'm currently looking into entering into more meets at the Armory but haven't found one yet. I will definitely be at the indoor PA State competition at University Park in February and NBN Indoor in March!
PTXC: You recently signed with Penn State. What made that the right school for you?
AP: Penn State has so many opportunities for me academically and athletically. Also, the team really felt like a family and everyone was very nice so it felt like a perfect fit.