N.C. State track and field teams enter into the 2014 outdoor season with high expectations after a year that produced 7 All-American performances, and 9 All-ACC performers. One of the Wolfpack returning All-ACC performers, sophomore thrower SeQuoia Watkins, looks to improve upon last season’s success in this upcoming 2014 track and field outdoor season. The Technician caught up with Watkins to learn about the sophomore and to discuss the upcoming season.
Technician: Where did you attend high school and was the competition like?
Watkins: Competition in high school was pretty good but it was nothing compared to the competition I see now.
Q: Describe your transition from high school to college.
A: My transition was pretty easy. I attended the early transition program and I got to meet a lot of other athlete’s during that time. I am very social so getting to know everyone was not hard for me.
Q: Why did you want throw for N.C. State track and field?
A: I was always a Wolfpack fan growing up, partly because my uncle, Brendan Brown, ran track for State. I can remember watching him workout and practice, he was a great athlete.
Q: You earned All-ACC honors last season and you were a qualifier in the NCAA East Regional. What are your personal goals for the outdoor season?
A: I want to do a lot better than I did last year. I am a great athlete, and I know this year what it takes to get to nationals. I did not make it to the finals and I do not want to miss my opportunity this year. I am going to continue to work hard and put in the time to make myself better.
Q: What is assistant coach Tom Wood like, and what do throwers do during practice?
A: Coach Wood is not your typical coach. He is like a father figure and he cares about how you are doing personally, academically, and he strives to make us better athletes. I was highly recruited out of high school, and when I visited N.C. State, Coach Wood was one of the reasons I decided to come to N.C. State.
Q: There are 78 athletes on the roster; with such a large team is it hard to get to know everyone?
A: You would think it would be hard because our team is so big, but it’s not hard at all. We have regular team meetings and there we are able to introduce ourselves to each other. Those of us who have been on the team before become peer role models to our younger teammates.
Q: Many athletes have pre-game routines to get them ready to compete, what do you do to prepare yourself for a track meet?
A: Everybody on the team has a different way of getting ready for the meets. Runners like to shake but we throwers like to eat before a meet. When we wake up we put on loud music to get us hyped, were like a family within a family. We always support each other, last week my teammate Nicole told me she needed to hit 20’ to advance. She said if I can get 18’ she would get 20’, so I went out and did just that. Then she threw for 20’ just like she said.
Q: Besides track and field, what is your favorite sport to watch?
A: I would have to say basketball and football are my favorite sports to watch, and I like to play basketball.
Q: Do you have a favorite professional basketball team?
A: The Miami Heat. I’m not a bandwagon fan. They have been my team since the 3rd grade.
Q: What do you enjoy best about N.C. State?
A: N.C. State cares about us and treats us like a family, and that’s something you don’t see anywhere us. Our teacher, counselors, and advisors all want us to succeed. I was highly recruited out of high school and no other school gave me the same feeling N.C. State did. I love it here.
