Sacred Heart runner Emma Seifried is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week

The Sacred Heart senior finished second in the Class AA 3,200 meter run and third in the 1,600 meter run at the PIAA District 1 Track & Field Championships May 18-19, and was a key component of the Lions’ state-qualifying 4×800 relay squad. Seifried is a former District 1 and AACA champion in the 1,600 meter run and the 3,200 meter race, and a three-time PIAA state runner-up in the 3,200 meter run. Seifried also has had a stellar cross-country career for the Lions, finishing one step behind the first-place finisher at the PIAA Class A state championships as a sophomore. This fall, Seifried will run for Temple University, and major in nursing.

 

Q: What was your goal/strategy at Districts this past weekend? What was your most vivid memory of Districts – can you share it with us?

 

A: Going into districts I focused on pacing myself better and working on a kick to help improve my final time. I think my most vivid memory of Districts was qualifying for States with the 4×800 relay team. Being able to move onto the state level with a relay is something I never thought would happen at Sacred Heart, but now that it’s a reality I am excited to see what we can do. 

 

Q: You mentioned that your best race of the spring season was the 1,600 meter run at the AACA Championships, in which you ran your best time for the year. What do you think was the key to your performance that day?

 

A: Going into the race I was focused on staying competitive and keeping up with pace, especially on the third lap. Having been able to do this and running against a field of competitive girls who pushed my pace, I was able to run a time in which I was happy to see. It was only a small improvement, but it made me hopeful that my training was paying off.  

 

Q: What (in your opinion) has been the highlight of your track career at Sacred Heart? 

 

A: I think the highlight of my track career at Sacred Heart is when I broke 11 minutes in the 3200 at States as a sophomore. I was able to run closely with the competition and finished with a personal best time. 

 

Q: You’ve also participated in other sports at Sacred Heart (field hockey, swimming). Do you feel participating in those sports has enhanced your running career, and if so, how?

 

A: I definitely believe participating in other sports has helped enhance my running career. Field hockey helped with my speed work and quickness on my feet which reflected in my training and racing. Swimming provided me some time to recover and get off my feet. Both sports were a lot of physical work, and as much as I love to run it is nice to take a short break and try different sports.

 

Q: Briefly describe for us your pre-race preparation (physical, mental) on the day of a race.

 

A: I don’t really have a pre-race preparation that I intentionally created to follow, but having competed for so many years a routine has developed itself. I wake up about two hours before I race and have a breakfast which is usually eggs. Then I change into my uniform and put on my sneaks before getting in the car to head to the course/track. When I arrive the first thing I do is get in line for a shirt, I actually have way too many shirts but I like to get one at each meet to remember I was there. After all this is done I begin warming up and I use self-talk to keep myself motivated and relaxed.

 

Q: Tell us a little about your running shoes, the type of shoe you favor and why.

 

A: I run in Asics GT 2000. I have been wearing these shoes since I started running so I am a little biased in only wearing this particular shoe. This brand also accommodates my narrow feet and arch, which provides cushion for my feet while I am running on harder surfaces.

 

Q: What’s your favorite running venue and why?

 

A: My favorite running venue is the old Hershey cross country course. I love to run hills and I am really sad the course changed because I prefer the old one. The course was challenging and being able to say I ran it provides a great feeling of accomplishment.

 

Q: What aspect of your running are you working on most recently?

 

A: Most recently I have been working on pacing. This is something I probably waited too long to develop, so it has been a bit challenging to adapt, but it is a continuing work in progress.

 

Favorite book: “Hunger Games Series—Catching Fire is my favorite though.”

Favorite author: Suzanne Collins.

Favorite TV show: “The Office is my favorite TV show, I cannot stop laughing when I am watching it!”

Favorite movie: “Thor Ragnarok—I love any Marvel/Avenger movie.”

Favorite athlete: “I love to watch Allyson Felix run, she is an inspiration to me and I am continually in awe when she races.”

Favorite team: “The Super Bowl champion Eagles.”

Favorite place to visit: “I wish I could go back to Monterosso because it was a beautiful place to visit when I was in Italy.”

Favorite pre-race meal: Scrambled eggs.

Person I most admire: “The person I most admire is my dad. He has been an important part of my training and racing throughout the years and I am grateful that he is so involved. He helps me improve on my technique and strategy. He also constantly researches training and racing methods for me to use to help improve my time.”

Family members: parents Greg and Marissa, sisters Gretchen and Hannah, brothers Wil, Matt, Owen.