Cassey Fischer

Junior

Henry County High School

Personal Records

800 -- 2:36.80

1600 -- 5:48.58

3200 -- 12:32.85

5000 -- 20:27.67*

*HCHS school record for XC

Cassey Fischer, a junior who runs for the Henry County High School cross-country and track teams, is returning to racing after a stress fracture sidelined her for much of the pre-season. She recently ran a personal record in the 800 meters at 2:36.80 and is aiming to lower her times in the 1600 (5:48.58) and 3,200 (12:32.85) this season. Headfirst Magazine interviewed Cassey the day before she competed at the Christian Academy-Louisville Invitational on April 16.

Headfirst Magazine: Thanks for taking the time to talk to Headfirst. So, how old were you when you started running and what attracted you to it?

Cassey Fischer: I was 12 years old, in the seventh grade, when I joined the Henry County cross-country team, but I remember running a road race with my aunt Sarah when I was in elementary school and really liking it. Sarah ran for Henry County and Campbellsville University and she kind of got me started into it. I liked it right away.

HM: You've been running for five years now, what keeps you motivated?

CF: What gets me ready to train and race is I want to see how far I can push myself, see how fast I can go and how much better I can get. That's what I focus on in training, getting better. I just like to push myself.

HM: Which race do you consider the most memorable for you?

CF: It wasn't my best race, time-wise, but my regional cross-country meet last year was my most memorable one because it was kind of unexpected of me at the time to run that fast. I was only one second away from my own school record, and I dropped a huge amount of time from my best that season. It also qualified me for another state meet so I was happy about that. It was an exciting day so I would say that one was my most memorable one.

HM: Talk a little about the recent stress fracture. How was your return to training?

CF: Well, my training was going very well before the injury. It was the best I had been training at that point in the year and I was really looking forward to the upcoming season with high goals. So when my foot started hurting and I found out I had a stress fracture, it was really tough on me. I couldn't run at all for six weeks, which showed me how important running is to me and how bad I want it, and that has motivated me since I have been back. I started training again in early March, just a few weeks before our first race, and it has actually been better than expected.

HM: Yeah, you've steadily improved with each race. Do you feel like you're getting into shape?

CF: My fitness has definitely improved much faster than I anticipated. I was upset with my first few races because of my times, but my coach kept telling me that the times would come as the fitness improved. Over the last few weeks I've definitely noticed a difference, and maybe I didn't lose as much of my fitness as I thought. My last few interval days have actually been faster than I've ever run them before so I'm very happy about this.

HM: The recent personal records in the 1,600-relay (68-second split) and the big jump in the 800 meters (2:36) indicates the speed is there. Has this been a focus for you and what have you done to help improve that?

CF: That has been a focus for me this year. My coach decided that we needed to improve my speed so that I would be more comfortable going out at faster paces, and so that's what we've been doing in training and even in races. I've been running a lot of 1,600-relays this year and even ran the open 400 for the first time. I can tell a difference. Now I feel more comfortable going out faster in the 800, which is also helping my 1600. It's also built more confidence in my speed, my ability to start a race faster and have a kick at the end.

HM: Now that you're trying all these races, which distance do you consider your best race? And which is your favorite?

CF: Well, my favorite is definitely the 3200 because I like the longer distances. But my best right now is probably the 1600 because I lost out on a lot of my base training so don't have a ton of endurance right now for the 3200, and I don't have natural speed to do really well in the shorter races. I would say the 1600 is more of my focus this year.

HM: So what are your goals for this track season?

CF: As far as times go, I want to get my 800 down to 2:32, my 1600 to 5:35, my 3200 to 12:20. I also want to qualify for state in all three events, if that's what my coach and I decide to do at our regional meet, and finish in the top-8 at state in one or more of those.

HM: Looking ahead to next year, what are your expectations for your senior year?

CF: Well, I really want a top-10 finish at state so that's something I'm really going to shoot for. And I also want to run sub-20 in the 5K. Those are my two goals for cross-country. And in track I want to get under 12 minutes in the 3200, and improve all my other times. I think it comes down to consistent training. If I can stay healthy then I know I can reach those.

HM: Do you plan to run in college?

CF: Yes, I do plan to run in college. I'm looking at my options right now. I'm just going to see how much faster I can get, keep looking at different schools and make that decision when I feel confident in one school.

HM: Final question, track or cross-country? Why?

CF: Definitely cross-country! It's longer races, which I really like, and we don't just run in circles. Also, the cross-country team is so much closer because we all have the same mindset and we're all training for the same thing. Cross-country is tough, it is hard at times, but it is a lot of fun.