Kansas State University Athletics
NCAA Division I Outdoor T&F Championships - Akela Jones Quotes
Jun 11, 2015 | Track & Field
K-State Track and Field Quotes
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships (Day 2)
June 11, 2015
Akela Jones (Junior)
NCAA Heptathlon Champion
On how it was decided she would compete in her second career heptathlon...
"I originally couldn't do a multi-heptathlon. [Cliff Rovelto] is an awesome coach. He's a legend. With him, and with my ability and my talent, it's just like a dynamic duo. Moving forward, we have bigger goals ahead, with Worlds and Pan-Am Games, becoming a professional. We're taking everything easy right now, but we have bigger goals."
On how she felt this morning with a lead and her best event, long jump, still ahead...
"I went out there with just the focus of maintaining what I did yesterday. Yesterday, I had a fantastic day. I wanted to come out here and stay focused throughout the day. Not just focus on the long jump and what I am good in; I wanted to focus on other events this weekend. I did that and came out victorious."
On her leg being taped up in the 800m...
"Since this weekend, I have been doing such a phenomenal job. I've done a lot of personal bests, so that is something my leg has never felt before. [My leg] was just like, `Oh my goodness. This is somewhere we have never been before.' I just taped it up."
On the reaction back in her home country...
"Everybody must be going crazy. Barbados has not won an NCAA title since 1996. Almost 20 years later, this is phenomenal. This is amazing for my country. It just goes to show you can come from a small country and still be dominant."
On how far she can go in this event...
"I don't have any limit right now. I'm getting into the process of wanting to win and not just the outcome of winning. So I've been training, doing my therapy, sleeping well, eating well.
On if she expected to win the national title in the heptathlon...
"I knew this was inside of me. It just had to come out sometime. I've been training really hard and this is not a surprise to me or my coach. We know what we do behind the scenes. So this just goes to show I can do greater things in the future."
On being familiar with the venue...
"Hayward Field is such a historic place. So many great people come here and compete. It's good to come here and be a champion again. It goes to show it could be my favorite field."
On how nervous she was last night after being in the lead after day one...
"My nerves haven't been as active as they usually are. I was just so relaxed last night. I turned off social media, so I got to bed really well. My ice bath was really, really cold. I was tired, but I just focused on today."
On if she could break the meet record of 2:17 in the 800m...
"I'm always trying to break some record, create some history. That's what I do. I want to leave a legacy. That's all I come to do when I step on the track. [Two minutes and 17 seconds] was out of reach today, but it will definitely be in reach sometime in the future."