Barringer Breaks Own Collegiate Record, Looks Towards Olympic Trials
Posted June 28th, 2008 at 2:15 PM by Cheryl Lowe
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Interviews, College
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Jenny Barringer, a cross country and track star at the University of Colorado at Boulder, won the preliminary and final races in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase event at the 2008 NCAA National Championship Track and Field meet on June 13 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Barringer, 21, also managed to break her own collegiate record, finishing the finals race on June 13 in a wicked fast 9 minutes and 29.20 seconds. When Barringer ran the race up front and alone since the gun start, she did not know that she was on pace for the 2nd fastest ever 3,000-meter steeplechase run by an American woman, and that she missed the US record by only a few tenths of a second. Lisa Galaviz set the US record of 9:28.75 in Belgium last year.
“I wanted to win, take home another national championship and set the collegiate record,” said Barringer about her 2008 performance. The collegiate record time to beat was 9:38, and Barringer’s coach, Mark Wetmore, had a finishing time of 9:41 down on paper. “It was a realistic pace with a kick, within range of the record,” stated Barringer, who will be a senior this fall.
Last year at the 2007 NCAA Track & Field National Championships, Barringer lost a shoe during the 3,000-meter steeplechase and it cost her a chance at defending her title in the event. “I was really nervous from last year’s unfortunate event, said Barringer. One of my first goals going into the race was to avoid getting my shoe clipped. I wanted a clean race and nothing to go wrong.”
Barringer was shaken up by the experience of having to drop out of last year’s race. “Sitting there watching everyone run away was a really upsetting for me,” Barringer expressed. Despite her nervousness, Barringer definitely redeemed herself this year with her 9:29.20 personal record.
The women’s steeplechase event is a relatively new to the world of track and field. It was not until 2005 that the IAAF added the women’s steeplechase to the IAAF World Rankings Program, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing this summer will be the first time that the event is included. “[The women’s steeplechase] is fun because it’s a newer event,” said Barringer. “It’s great to be at the beginning of the event’s history. This is the first time that it is being taken seriously, and the women in this sport are doing amazing things right now.”
Barringer hopes to do well at the Olympic Trials race and qualify for Beijing. She is currently ranked 23rd in the world for the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.
“I’m well suited for the steeplechase mentally and physically,” said Barringer. “I have a mental disposition that works well in cross country and it crosses over for the steeplechase.”
Running goals aside, Barringer is also an accomplished student and hopes to advance her eduation by possibly attending law school in the future. Barringer, a native of Oviedo, Florida, is studying Political Science and Economics at CU Boulder, and is currently working as an intern for a Congressman in Colorado this summer. “I have an interest in political issues, and I love what I’m studying,” said Barringer. Barringer has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women’s track & field/cross country team as selected by CoSIDA.
The Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, will be an exciting experience for Barringer this summer, and she looks forward to racing at Hayward Field. “There’s a certain magic there that isn’t at every track, and I am looking forward to going back to that,” said Barringer. Barringer has run at Hayward Field only once before at the 2008 Oregon Relays, where she won the women’s 1,500-meter race in 4:17.19.
How does Jenny balance everything going on in her life this summer, and handle the pressure of racing at such a high level? “I don’t think about it a lot, and I try to stay busy. Almost every day I go to to work, church, and mentoring. I try to find balance in life every day,” Barringer stated. She also manages stress by spending time with her family and friends in Boulder. “They are important to me,” said Barringer.
Jenny is inspired by a lot of her role models, including fellow CU Buffs that have graduated and now race professionally. “I thank athletes like Sara Slattery and Kara Goucher for paving the way in the program [at the University of Colorado]. We’ve shared the same workouts and the same miles,” said Barringer.
Deena Kastor is another inspiration for her. Barringer and Kastor were both on the United States team at the 2007 Track & Field World Championships in Osaka, Japan. “I have a lot of respect for Deena Kastor. She’s really made a name for herself,” said Barringer. “In high school, I never dreamed that I could be on a team with her.”
Up ahead this year, Barringer looks forward to another opportunity at the NCAA cross country title, and to get some more good times down on the track. She hopes to keep running for a long time and she hopes to inspire other women to excel in track and field. “Keep it fun,” advises Barringer. “And remember that race day is pay day.”
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Tags: american record, Boulder, Jenny Barringer, Lisa Galaviz, NCAA nationals, steeplechase, University of Colorado
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