Personal Statement
MY NCAA ELIGIBILITY NUMBER IS 1710948109.
MY MILESPLIT.com STATS PAGE: http://md.milesplit.com/athletes/6359729-pamela-obrien/stats#.WkWa5iOZNBw
________________________________________***UPDATES ARE BELOW MY BIO***________________________________________
Numbers & Perspective
I've maintained over a 4.0 since Sophomore year, taking multiple AP and Honors classes into my senior year. I study hard and I run harder. I'm a team captain in both cross country and track, and I'm only just beginning my second season of distance running. I continue to dramatically drop times, and didn't even find my best event until Regionals last year. I'm confident I could run sub 60 in the 400m with a little added work. I'll also probably be sub 2:20 in the 800m this year without making it a priority of focus. My goal this 2017-18 indoor track season is a sub 5:00 mile. My goal for outdoor is to continue my progress and win at the State Championships. My 5k time is probably about an 18:30 on a fast course, but that is estimated based on finishing 17th on a tough course at States this year - after having missed the entire season do to back to back ankle injuries. I believe if I had been available for more than 3 races that I would have broken 18 minutes.
I am very raw and I don't train with a focus on a specific event. I just train with the rest of the distance kids at my school. I don't yet fully understand my pace or my required splits during my events. I continue to beat old PRs in mid-distance by as much as 3-11 seconds a clip. My finish at states for the 1600 was 5:10, even after falling down just prior to the finish line. I finish strong, run through the finish line, and I'm almost always put in as the anchor - even in events where I am not the fastest. I believe it's because of my fight and my ability to rise to the occasion. My coach says nobody will out-kick me. I'm wide open to being coached at the next level and I look forward to finding a team and a coach that can bring out my potential.
Background
I was adopted and moved to the US from Nigeria when I was 10. I didn't play sports and it took me a little time to get my feet under me academically. Up through my Freshman year my grades were a mix of As, Bs, and Cs, but by Sophomore year my academic focus really clicked into place. I've maintained over 4.0 since. I've experience a lot and grown a lot, and I feel my maturity, commitment to excellence, and perseverance in the face of adversity have all translated on the track. I am driven by a desire to win, but I am a good sport and a positive teammate. I am a mature leader with a quiet confidence. I describe myself as light hearted, happy, witty, and mature.
Thanks for your interest!
________________________________________***UPDATES***________________________________________
***17DEC UPDATE: Below are the links to my 1600m and Distance Medley (800m leg). For the Mile, pay attention to the way I poorly started, getting shoved to the back, only to sprint through the whole crowd half way through the first lap. Then watch the way she finishes, turning it into a complete sprint. I was pacing off the #1 seeded girl, but she ran slower than expected. I'm could've done more this race. For the distance medley, I believe I begin around 5:08. I starts somewhere mid to last place, and then proceeds to sprint past everybody before handing the baton off to her teammate in 1st place. This was after my 5:15 performance an hour earlier in the 1600m.
1600m: http://md.milesplit.com/videos/237906/girls-1600-heat-3
Distance Medley (800m & ~5:08): http://md.milesplit.com/videos/237903/girls-distance-medley-relay-heat-1
***15 NOV UPDATE: I placed 17th at the State Championships with only two competitive runs under my belt and 7 weeks of missed practice. My time of 20:01 doesn't sound as impressive out of context, especially since I began the season shooting for a sub 18min and ended the season hoping for a sub 19min as a result of my injuries. But anyone who knows that course knows it's an extremely difficult one! Plus, 3 of the 4 girls that finished right behind me had mid 18 PRs... So I'm happy with the abbreviated progress. I'm certain I'll be pushing the 18 barrier next year. The question is still "where's my limit?" Time for indoor track... looking to break 5min this year.
***25OCT UPDATE: My first full out 5k since returning to the track (and second run of the season) was today at the County Championships. My ankles are still taped up, but I hit a new PR (19:39), helping my team earn 3rd place. 1st-3rd are neck and neck, and we are the best county in the state, so I expect our team's success will be most dependent on how well I recover and make up for 7 lost weeks, prior to States! I am 3 weeks out, but I'm shooting for dropping 40 more seconds. I'll come a minute short of my goal, but I kind of lost the entire season with back to back injuries. I won't be running at regionals because coach is holding me out to let my ankles fully heal.
***14OCT UPDATE: My first XC race this season was a PR, and it was so muddy that they cancelled the rest of the meet after our race. With better footing, my teammates dropped 30 sec from that race to the second race of the season. Frustratingly, I sprained my left ankle shortly after my first race of the 2017 cross country season and was out for a few weeks. On one of my first practices back, I sprained my right ankle on the same hill!!! I'll be doing a light run in the last race of the season in order to qualify for county, then... full speed ahead. This will likely prevent me from attaining my 18 min goal, but I'll fight to break 19 minutes by states.***
