Jordan Hasay-Running Down a Dream
By Keri Collins
With her long blonde hair, bronze skin, and bright smile, Jordan Hasay looks like a typical California teen. But not many teens—in California or anywhere else—have broken national running records or competed internationally in track and field before their junior year of high school. Jordan explains, “I try to be as normal as possible, but obviously this can be a challenge with my schedule. Sometimes it just means choosing not to go to the movies or hang out with my friends because I have a race the next day or a hard workout. However, I want to be the best runner and person that I can be so sometimes not being a “typical teenager” is OK with me.“ This ability to maintain her priorities is a key factor in her success, both in the world of competitive sports and as an honors student at Mission College Preparatory School in San Luis Obispo, California. As a kid, Jordan originally thought she’d be a swimmer like her mom. Who would have thought PE class could change someone’s life?
The Starting Block
Jordan’s earliest memories of running are from the first grade: “I remember that I was faster than most of the boys and I was also very competitive.” She joined a track team in elementary school at the suggestion of her PE teacher who noticed her speed. That’s when her now-legendary track career began; as a fourth grader she ran an amazing 6:16 mile and was in the lead for most of the race. “Then an eighth grader passed me at the end. After the race I told my mom that I didn’t know you were supposed to sprint at the end! I don’t think that I was even tired at the end of the race!” Jordan laughs.
As a seventh grader, at the USA Track & Field Junior Olympics, her first national competition, she set the national record in both the 1500 and 3000 meters. The next year she won both races again and broke her own records. But she gained notoriety in her first high school national race when she became only the second freshman to win the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championship.
Going the Distance
What does it take to be a straight-A high school student and internationally ranked athlete? Hard work, dedication, and a supportive family. “Running has made my family very busy and has brought us closer together,” Jordan says. While her mom drives her to practice, school, and swimming, her dad schedules the travel plans. “My brother Jedd is my biggest fan. He comes to all of the races. I’m blessed to have such a great family,” Jordan says.
She’s very committed to a nutritional plan that supports her physical training. “I run about 50-55 miles a week (six to eight miles per day) along with swimming three to five times a week, weight lifting twice a week, and biking twice a week. I try to eat a very healthy diet, a lot of meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, and granola bars,” she says. “It’s very important that I put healthy things into my body in order to achieve optimal performance. This is why I’d never think about taking steroids, drinking alcohol, or using other illegal substances. I don’t want to hurt my body because this would ruin my career. Many people in the community, along with my family and friends, are all supporting my career and I wouldn’t want to let them down.”
Running is important, but school remains Jordan’s top priority. “If I have a lot of homework and don’t think I’ll be able to finish it, I will skip practice that night. I think overall that running has made me a better person because it gives me self-discipline and self-confidence.”
The Finish Line
Good coaching and goal setting keep Jordan focused on a long career as a runner. “At the beginning of the season my coach and I talk about what my goals are for that particular season and what races I’d like to run. We think about long term goals—for example, the Olympic trial race.”
When she ran the 1500 meters in 4:16.98 at the USA Junior Nationals, she met the Olympic “B” standard qualifying time (4:19.0). Jordan explains how the Olympic trials work: “The field size is 30 women and those who achieve the ‘A’ standard (4:10.0) are accepted first. I’ll be accepted to run in the trials as long as no more than thirty women run faster than me. The top three competitors in each race advance to the Olympics.” Jordan is clearly ex-cited about making it to the trials, even if she doesn’t expect to qualify: “It will be a great experience for me to run in the race, and hopefully in the 2012 Olympics I’ll be up there with some of the top women.”
Though she hasn’t won an Olympic medal yet, Jordan won a medal in international competition. In the summer of 2007 she went to the Czech Republic for the International Association of Athletics Federation World Youth Track and Field Championships. She placed first in her heat for the 1500 and learned a lot. “In international racing the competitors are allowed to be much more aggressive,” Jordan says. She also saw firsthand some team tactics, with two Kenyan runners taking turns with the lead and blocking other runners: “I thought it was exciting—even though they blocked me a few times—because it’s all part of the sport.” In the final race she
finished with a time of 4:17.24. “I’m very proud to have placed second. It was an honor to represent the U.S. and do well.”
How does she deal with the pressure? “I focus on what I can do. Most of all I try to have fun and think to myself that I shouldn’t be getting stressed out about running around in circles.” |
