An Interview with Tori Starcher

Submitted by Mike McMillion

Tori Starcher is a very young and talented runner who runs for her middle school. She is the top ranked distance runner in WV for middle school female athletes. Her times often rival many of her male counterparts. On June 25th-28th, at the 2015 Region 4 AAU National Qualifer, Starcher ran three personal records including the 800m (2:19.04 ), 1500m (4:54.89 ), and 3000m (10:42.03 ) at Laidley Field in Charleston, WV. In August, she will compete at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Norfolk, VA.

Most recently, on July 4th, she placed first in the female division and ninth overall at the 17th Annual Firecracker 4th of July 2 miler in a time of 11:48.5. I am very pleased to share with you an interview from Tori Starcher.

Coach McMillion – With the amazing times that you have been running a lot of people assume that you are much older, can you tell everybody how old are you?

Tori Starcher – I turned 13 in May of this year.

CM – What school do you attend?

TS – I attend Ripley Middle School in Ripley, WV.

CM – When school starts back up, what grade will you be going into?

TS – When school starts in August, I will be in the 8^th grade.

CM - What sports have you participated in as a youngster?

TS – I played soccer, softball, basketball, and ran track when I was younger. When I started Middle School I started to just concentrate on running (XC and track) as well as play basketball.

CM -When did you first start running?

TS – I started running around the age of 6 or 7 with Capital City Striders. I started out as a sprinter, then transitioned into distance as I started Middle School.

CM – Does anybody else in your family run?

TS – At this time only my younger brother. He just started last year with Middle School Cross Country.

CM – When did you first start to have success at running?

TS – I’ve done pretty well in my age group over the years, but the last few years, I really feel like I have started to excel a little more. I have set my expectations a little higher lately.

CM – Would you rather compete against boys or girls? Why?

TS – I would rather race against girls because that is who I’ll be racing against competitively to win titles, and I like to know where I stand with them.

CM – What is your favorite workout?

TS – My favorite workout is probably “Fartleks”.

CM – About how many miles a week do you run?

TS – In the past, I only ran around 25 miles a week, but since I have tried to step up my game a little- I am now running 35-40 miles a week.

CM – What is the race that you’re most proud of?

TS – I am proud of my performance in most of my races, but I am most proud of winning the Geico Classic my sixth grade year in my first every XC meet. The second best is breaking the course record my seventh grade year on the same race (only new name).

CM – Who would you credit your success too?

TS – I credit my success to my coaches and training at Capital City Striders and my hard work ethic that I strive to meet.

CM – Do you set any goals for yourself?

TS – Yes, In the next few years as I enter the High School Racing world, I would like to win as many state championships as I can in XC and track and field. My goal is always to better my time each time I run a race.

CM - This is your last year in middle school, are you looking forward to competing at the next level?

TS – Yes, I am excited to compete at the next level, and to see how I measure up to runners older than me.

CM – Do you have any upcoming races that you are preparing for? If so, what will you be competing in?

TS – I have the following races coming up in the next few weeks: USATF Regional Qualifier in Kentucky, the Short 5K at Cabell Midland, and AAU Junior Olympics in Norfolk, Virginia.

A few Quick Questions:

CM: What shoes do you train in?

TS: My Favorites are Mizuno and Brooks

CM - Favorite athlete?

TS – My favorite athlete is Steve Prefontaine

CM: Favorite song?

TS – My favorite song is “Hall of Fame” by The Script

CM Favorite color?

TS – My favorite two colors are blue and pink.

CM - If you could travel anywhere where would you go?

TS - I would like to go back to Atlantis in Nassau (Bahamas)

CM - Favorite catch-phrase/quote?

TS - “Be the Hammer, not the Nail!”

Coach McMillion - What makes Tori such a great runner is that she is mentally tougher than anyone I have ever met. She is a competitor, you put a goal out there, and she will attack it.

Thank you for your time Tori. Good luck this 2015 cross country season!