Why/how did you get started in track and field?

What’s your favourite spot to be in for the relay?
I like everything. If I’m in great shape, especially in the 4×400, you can run me anywhere. I really enjoy running the final leg ‘cause the pressure’s on. This year we kind of loaded the relay in the middle and towards the end, so we had all our strong legs that we ran all year go back to back-to-back. The guy we ran first, Brandon, at nationals had a great first leg. He didn’t even run on our team all year. In the shorter relays though I like to come out of the blocks, because we like to get the lead and maintain the lead.

What goes through your head as you’re waiting for the pistol?
You want nothing to be going through your head. It’s kind of one of those things when the gun goes you want your mind to be so clear that you don’t hear the gun, you’ve already reacted to the gun before you can even feel like you’ve processed that information. I remember when I was kid I got that nervous feeling [thinking] “am I going to do this? Am I going to screw this up?” As I’ve gotten older though I’m way more relaxed and if I’m prepared I’m excited to do it and there’s no real worry in it. But I look back and I almost wish that I could get that feeling that I had when I was kid. You think you hate it at the time, but the days that I get that now, I know it’s going to be a good day.

What are the perks of being a track and field athlete?
Where to start. The first thing every guy is thinking is the girls. You’re around great people. Another good thing is you get general fitness. Track and field athletes are generally the most fit athletes that you’re going to find. You can’t really compete unless you’re at the utmost, physical competitiveness. Track isn’t a team sport like ball games – which I love just the same – but it’s different in the sense that it’s just you and the facility you run in, or on the track it’s you versus yourself. They line up eight people in a race, but no one can cross into my lane and change what I do. That’s one of the big things that I like about track is that when I finish, positive or negative, the only person I can turn to say “what happened” or “congratulations” is myself and my coaches – there’s nobody else at fault really.

What was it like being on the same team as [former Mustang track and football athlete] Randy McAuley?
Randy McAuley is actually one of my best friends. We’re actually going out for a St. Patty’s day drink right after this. Randy started as a bit of a mentor to me — I was a bit of a wild goose in first-year. No one really knew how to handle me, and me and Randy just clicked right away – same personality, same interests, pretty much the same dude except one is a skinny white guy and one is a big muscular black dude. It was great. Randy can get around the track, get around the football field and get around downtown London better than anybody, so it was definitely a great few years with him.

Any crazy travelling stories?
I remember in my first year when we stayed over in Saskatchewan, at four in the morning me and another guy got hungry so we went down to the ATM, but for whatever reason we were just in our underwear. One of the other teams was actually waiting for a flight out in the lobby, and they ended up seeing us and taking pictures of these two dudes at the ATM at four in the morning, getting money out and it kind of created a scandal. Things went up on Facebook, and it was like “what were these guys doing, naked getting $100 out of the ATM at four in the morning?” There are endless stories and I can’t even say most of them. I’ve grown up a lot and kind of gotten away from that; I don’t party as hard anymore.

If you could be the best at any event, what would it be?
When I first started I could’ve done anything – well, I don’t think I’d be a great shot-putter – and I chose to do what I did ‘cause I wanted to be where everyone was watching, so I ran the 100m. And looking at me you’d probably say, “well I don’t think you made the right choice” and I’ve gotten that my entire career, but I’ve always just kind of striven to prove everybody wrong.

How do you stay in shape during the off-season?
I had major injury problems so I actually missed seasons at a time, so I did have a long off-season for a while. Ideally I would transition about a week after CIS championships and I would already be doing prep for outdoors, hoping to run again in May. This past summer I made the Canadian team and we were supposed to run into September, and I ended up getting hurt, so I missed that but I was training through September and then come October you’re already back in the university season. The off-season at most is probably going to be September for me, maybe a bit of August. I normally relax a lot actually – try to hit up the beach, just normal people stuff.

Has your sprinting ever come in handy in real life?
I haven’t committed any crimes recently that would need me to be running from the police. If you commit a crime as a sprinter you’re going to be pretty hard to catch, but I haven’t been doing that lately. I actually raced a guy in downtown London for 10 bucks, but that was years ago. It was just a random occurrence on the street.

What’s your favourite bar in London?
I don’t want to say anything run of the mill here … put in the Richmond Tavern.

How long have you been playing basketball and why did you start?
I started in Grade three. I had an older sister who played so I would go to her practices and I came to love the sport. I started playing competitively in Grade 10.
What makes this team different from last year’s?
A lot of things actually. This year we’re a lot more gritty and aggressive on defence. We’re still a great team but just a totally different style of play. We got a bunch of recruits and some transfers, which is nice. We have one coming in at Christmas and she’s from the States, and I know she’ll be a big help.
What does the team need to work on?
We definitely need to work on rebounding. Boxing out is number one on our list. We have to make that a point of emphasis to really box out and then once we grab defensive balls it gets our offensive game going. We have a few six-footers but for the most part we’re a small team […] so we just have to work [hard] all of the time.
How did it feel to become the all-time leading scorer in Mustangs history?
It was pretty awesome. I had no idea it was coming until the day before. It was really nice to have Michele Vesprini — the [woman] who had the record before me — [come] and [present] me with the award. It was really nice that she could come back and do that cause she was a really great player, one of the best in Western history, so that was really fun.
Any pre-game rituals?
Last year, with Bess Lennox, it’s really ridiculous but we’d listen to Soulja Boy and just laugh because it was ridiculous. This year there isn’t really a ritual that I do before the game, but I always eat the same bagel from The Great Canadian Bagel every game.
What’s it like playing for coach Stephan Barrie?
He’s a really intense coach for sure. We have a really good relationship on and off the court. He knows how to push players to the limit. He came in [during] my second year, so being with him for four years has really helped improve my game because he pushes me in practice. He’s a really good coach.
This is your last year at Western. What are your plans for next year?
I’m hoping to go play overseas for a couple of years. I think that would be really awesome. I’m not done basketball. Five years isn’t enough at university, so I just want to keep playing if I can.
Favourite basketball memory?
Last year was the first time in four years that I had won a playoff game. We beat [McMaster]. Every year we’d been second in the league [and] we got a first round bye, so I had never played in the quarter-final. Last year we got our bye and we actually won, which was a big accomplishment because we’d had that on our backs for four years and everyone knew it. Unfortunately we lost to Windsor in the finals, but we’re going to go get them this year.
Most embarrassing athletic moment?
In high school I got a pass and I was just holding the ball over my head to outlet the ball. A girl was running back on defence, and she didn’t really mean to but she pulled my shorts down. I had spandex on, but I was just holding the ball over my head and the refs didn’t know if they should blow the whistle or not, so I just passed the ball and pulled my pants back up. My mom was so embarrassed. I was in grade 10, so it wasn’t too bad, but it was pretty embarrassing. For a while everyone would ask if I had my pants tied, so I never made that mistake again.
What does the team normally do to stay entertained on the bus?
We watch movies a lot. We travel with the men’s team and it’s always a battle on the bus for who gets to pick the movie. We always have to watch, I don’t even know, stupid war movies or something and then they’ll get [upset] if we put on a chick-flick. This year we went with them to Laval, [which] was a nine-hour trip, so we went back and forth with movies. We do a lot of schoolwork too.
Best pump up music?
Actually, before games our coach makes a video — kind of a highlight reel of the game before — and it’s really awesome. He’ll have the plays from the game before to get you fired up and just to show you how good you can be when you play at your best. We always watch one of those before a game, which is really good.
If you had to choose, which of your teammates would you least like to encounter opposing you and why?
Jenny Vaughan. She’s a redshirt this year, and everyday in practice we […] have to go head-to-head. She’s such a competitor and she played down in the States too. She’s [a] transfer, so she can’t play for another year. She’s so competitive. We both are; so every day in practice you want to be on each other’s team so you don’t have to deal with each other.

Laura Barclay/Gazette

Laura Barclay/Gazette

In a dominant 101-47 win over the University of Toronto on Friday by Western’s women’s swim team, first-year science student Jennifer Trung won the women’s 100m backstroke final in 1:03.48, a gold in the women’s 200m medley relay and finished second in the 200m backstroke. Trung’s impressive time of 1:03.48 would have placed her in the final at last year’s CIS championships.

Because of her outstanding performance, the 17 year old was awarded with this week’s Purple Pipe. Trung took some time out of her day to sit down with the Gazette to discuss being a rookie, waking up at 4:40 a.m. and Wendy’s Frosties.

How long have you been swimming competitively and why did you start?

Since age 11 I think. My mom put me in ‘cause she was scared I was going to drown I think. She thought it was good exercise and it was just a fun thing to do.

What’s it like being a rookie for Western? Initiation?

The girls are really nice and friendly. I get along with them pretty well. It was intimidating meeting new people and being a rookie, but initiation wasn’t that bad. We had fun team bonding activities at the beginning of the season.

What does the team do to prepare for meets?

Apparently we have pasta parties before our meets. I guess we load up on carbs. To get into racing mode we do a lot more short sprints and stuff that mimics the race, so we work on our turns going to the wall and stuff like that. We practice our race strategy too.

How often do you practice?

There are different groups. I think I’m training nine times a week right now. On a Saturday we do a lot practicing and weights, so we’re there for hours. We do doubles [train twice a day] a lot. I don’t mind training. Sometimes in the morning it’s hard to get going, but for the most part it helps me with school stress and I feel better after practice.

What’s the atmosphere like on the team this year?

It’s really competitive. Because we have such a big rookie year, all of the girls are competing to get on the OUA team, and there’s only 18 spots. I think it’s good that it’s competitive ‘cause it brings out the best in all of us.

Being only 17 and competing against people that are several years older than you, how did it feel to win female swimmer of the meet last weekend against U of T?

I never really thought about it. I don’t know, I think swimming is different than most sports in the sense that most girls mature fairly early. They stop growing around 17, so age doesn’t have as much as a factor as it may for guys. The difference between a guy who’s 17 and a guy who’s 20 is huge. At nationals you’re still competing with adults because it’s open, so I’ve done it before. I don’t really notice age among girls. It’s a very mental sport though so age helps in that sense. We train a lot, and unfortunately you can’t do well in the sport unless you train as much as everyone else, which is a lot. So attending practices and focusing can be challenging mentally, and then it’s also a very challenging sport when your racing.

Any athletic role models?

Not really. I’m not a huge fan of Michael Phelps. There are definitely people I look up to though. Ryan Lochtey, but that’s not based on his swimming; it’s just ‘cause he’s good looking so it doesn’t really count (laughs).

Is your diet similar to Michael Phelps?

Okay I do not eat as much as him. I’ve had coaches tell me I should eat healthy, and I try to, but for the most part I just eat whatever I want. So if I want a Wendy’s Frosty, I’ll have a Frosty. I figure I’ll burn it off…or at least that’s the excuse that I use. I just kind of eat whatever I want; whatever makes me happy.

Describe a typical day in the life of a varsity swimmer.

It’s not really that interesting. We wake up to go to practice in the morning at around 4:40. Our practices are at 5:30. We train for about two hours, then go to classes, then a lot of the time in the afternoons we go back and practice for another two hours, do some homework, then go to bed.

Who’s the class clown on the team?

As a rookie I don’t really know most of the guys. A lot of the guys are really funny but I don’t really know them, so they’ll be telling a joke and I’m like laughing in the background. It’s really awkward actually. I think everyone’s pretty funny on the team, no major standouts.

What are your goals for this year?

I don’t like thinking about things too far away. I’m the type of person that takes it one day at a time. Some people are like “Jen are you going to be in the Olympics?” and I always say I’m just focusing on this year, what’s happening right now.

How long have you been playing hockey and why did you start?
I’ve been playing since I was four or five. My dad got me into it; he played professional hockey, and growing up in Brantford, hockey was always around.

What can we expect to see from the team this year?
We have a lot of returning guys. Losing in the national final game was probably the hardest thing our team had to go through, and we knew we would have a lot of work to do. We know how hard it was in the playoffs. We had a couple of big wins but it could’ve gone either way, so we know it’s not going to be a shoe-in to get to nationals again.

In terms of style of play, what will Western be known for?
It’s got to be offence. We have a lot of guys that can put the puck in the net; even our defence is going to be putting up numbers. We’re going to be a wide-open team, moving the puck and using our speed to play smart hockey.

What was it like playing in the OHL?
It was awesome. I started up in Sudbury then got traded to the west [division] in Windsor then went east to Belleville, so I was all over and met a bunch of awesome guys along the way. In the last year, we made it to the Memorial Cup. We had an awesome team that year.

Which NHL player do you respect the most and why?
My favourite player is probably Wendell Clarke. I’ve always been a Leafs fan, and he was a captain there. He put the puck in the net and he fought and he was just a tough guy. He just had a big heart and I admire that.

Favourite hockey memory?
Definitely scoring the overtime goal in the Memorial Cup in Kitchener two years ago.

The hockey team travels quite a bit. What does the team normally do to stay entertained?
At restaurants we’ll play little games like sneaking around the tables and putting butter or condiments on someone’s shoe to keep the guys on their toes. We usually go after the new guys on the team. We’ll always get a couple of laughs but nothing too harmful happens. When we went to nationals last year, guys [who] left their rooms open might’ve gotten their beds flipped apart.

When you go out, are you normally the wingman or the pilot, and what is your best pickup line/strategy?
Neither right now because I have a girlfriend. Before I guess it depended on whom I was with. I’m not really one for pickup lines but I guess I would just scout out the situation and play it from there. Maybe try to get them out on the dance floor and loosen up the shoulders.

Who’s the clown on the team?
We have a bunch of funny guys in their own ways. Our captain, Luc Martin, is pretty funny. He’s always trying to throw out clever one-liners that sometimes are, sometimes aren’t — but he’s pretty good. Kyle Lamb is always pretty good for a story. He’s always got something up his sleeve. Whether the stories are true or not, I don’t know, but he’s always got something to say.

Laura Barclay/Gazette

How long have you been playing rugby and why did you start?

Harwood: I started playing in Grade nine in high school because a friend of mine played and she thought I’d like it. I tried it out, and I loved it.
Goodrow: I also started playing in Grade nine. My homeroom teacher in Grade eight was the rugby coach and said “you’re playing rugby next year” and I was like “okay, great,” and the rest is history.

What did the team do to recover from the loss to Waterloo, moving on to beat Laurier 87-3?
Harwood: I think our coaches really picked up the tempo. We had been going a bit easier earlier in the season. They really just picked it up and showed us where we had to be at.
Goodrow: She [head coach Natascha Wesch] didn’t yell or get mad at us for losing. She automatically turned the focus to the next week and what we were going to do. I think that we knew that we had something to prove, and something to establish and improve on from the Waterloo game. The practices leading up to Laurier were very intense and very focused and we had a specific goal in mind.

Who is your biggest competition?
Goodrow: Guelph for sure. We’ve been going back and forth with them. In my first year we lost 7-4 in the [Ontario University Athletics] final, second year we beat them and last year we lost 14-0 in the OUA final.
Harwood: I think that in the past decade we’re the only two teams that have been the OUA champions.

The rugby team travels a lot. What do you guys do to keep yourselves entertained on the bus?
Goodrow: Movies.
Harwood: I do the Gazette crosswords.
Goodrow: A lot of people do the Sudoku too. A lot of the time our coach has us do unit thinking where we sit in groups and go through different scenarios as if we were playing, so that kind of gets your mind switched on for the game.

What is your most embarrassing athletic moment?
Harwood: I have two. One would be walking into a set of bleachers after a game and giving myself a concussion. The second would be walking into a hand dryer before a game and giving myself a concussion.
Goodrow: She had a goose egg on her head after walking into the hand dryer at Trent.
Harwood: Before the game I was trying to ice down my forehead. The bleachers [incident] was in the summer, a really hot day and I wasn’t looking where I was going. That was a bad one. My legs crumpled under me and I almost fell down, I couldn’t keep my balance.

Best London bar?
Harwood and Goodrow: Ceeps.
Goodrow: I’ve told everyone that I’m not graduating without going to Ceeps in sweatpants and a hoodie. You do not need to dress up for Ceeps but everyone always does, so one day I’m just going to go in grubs [laughs].

Best place to chill on campus?
Goodrow: I’m at Lucy’s a lot. It seems to be the kin/athlete hang out.
Harwood: I was in engineering in my first two years so I just lived in Spencer [Engineering]. But now I’ve been freed from there so I just kind of wander. I’m experiencing a whole new side of campus; it’s exciting. [laughs]

Any pre-game rituals?
Goodrow: For the team we have a specific taping time, then we have meeting, then we go out and do individual warm-up for 15-20 minutes, then we have team warm-up, split, and then we come together and we put our equipment on. And then we all stand on the goal line with our arms linked and the captain says ‘Ready’ and we step on the field.
Harwood: I really like pre-team warm-ups. One thing that drives me crazy is that we keep switching what stretches we do, so we’re not always doing the same thing and I can’t stand it. I love a routine before games. We do have a pretty good one, and it helps me to focus.
Goodrow: Tash sends out a lineup and then at the bottom it has all of the timing for the hour and a half before kickoffs

Riva took some time out of practice to discuss the Vanier Cup, mental preparation and Batman with the Gazette.

How long have you been playing football and why did you start?
I started playing football when I was in Grade 6. It’s been a pretty long time. I started playing just ‘cause I liked the sport. I wasn’t really into hockey or anything else. Football was kind of my thing. I started playing it — I was good at it and I just stuck with it.

Have you always been a running back?
Yeah, I’ve never switched positions really.

Western has had a perfect start to the season, going 3-0. In terms of style of play, what are some things to expect from the team this season?
Expect a lot of points on offence and no points given up on defence.

With such success so far, what do you guys need to do in order to avoid becoming complacent?
We need to just keep preparing for every team like it’s the Vanier Cup. We want to face Laval again and make it to the Vanier Cup and if we want to do that we can’t get complacent like you said. We have got to keep preparing every day like we do.

What does the team need to improve on?
Mental preparation, I guess. Eliminate the mental errors like coach always says. If we want to be great then we have to minimize mental mistakes. If we can focus on that in practice then we should succeed throughout the season.

You tied a Western scoring record last weekend. How did that feel? Anticipate breaking that record any time soon?
I didn’t even know it was a record ‘till someone told me, but it felt nice I guess, just ‘cause it helped the team win. I don’t really care about records. If I break it, I break it; if I don’t I, don’t. I don’t really care either way.

What’s your favourite part about football?
Winning games [laughs]. And spending time with the team after the game.

There’s been a lot of talk about this year being Western’s dynasty team. What makes this team more capable of winning the Vanier Cup than last year’s?
Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe it’s just a year of experience. We went to the Vanier Cup last year. We lost a lot of good players but we brought in some new, good ones too.

What’s the team doing to prepare for this weekend’s game against Guelph?
Same thing we do every week — watching film, putting in some new plays, exploiting their weaknesses and just trying to prepare hard like we do every week.

Once your time at Western is over, do you have any plans on continuing your football career?
I’m just going to take it one day at a time and see what kind of opportunities arise. Just go with the flow.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?
The night before I usually watch Batman: The Dark Knight. That’s kind of a ritual. Nothing really on the day of.

What is your most embarrassing moment in football?
Probably missing a block and getting the quarterback smoked while I’m falling on my face. Yeah, that’s probably the most embarrassing.

Of all your team members, who would you least like to come up against and why?
I would least like to come up against [offensive lineman] Ahmad Jaradat. If I was a defensive linemen and had to come up against him, I wouldn’t want to because he’s pretty physical and he’s one of the best linemen that we have.

CFL or NFL?
Whatever comes. I like them both equally.

What is your favourite sports movie?
Any Given Sunday.

What do you do on your day off?
Play with my dog and just relax.

Tell me something about yourself you’d never tell your teammates?
I tell my teammates everything. There would be nothing they’d be surprised about.

What are some perks that come with being a Western football player?
The Under Armour stuff that we get for free.