Spring Break
Irish sprinter joins URI women's track
Chris Smith
Issue date: 6/13/09 Section: Sports
Summer 2009 - A couple months removed from her home country of Ireland, Kayla Sheehan is adjusting and performing well for the University of Rhode Island women's track and field team.
Sheehan is a freshman sprinter all the way from Waterford, Ireland. She came to URI last February to check out the school and track team.
"I was looking at a few schools," she said. "I really liked the school and the coaches here."
She has been running track since she was 12 years old, competing in combined events including long jump and different hurdle events. She has always had a passion for it, especially running over the hurdles.
"Its fun [the hurdles]," she said. "Just running around the track is kind of boring sometimes. They add a little more excitement."
Sheehan added some excitement of her own this past Saturday at the Rhode Island Invitational. She won the 200-meter dash with a time if 25.79 seconds and won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.23, the fourth fastest time in URI history. The time qualified her for the New England and ECAC Championships.
"I've never done them [55-meter hurdles] before because we don't have the 55-meter over in Ireland we just have the 60," she said. "I wasn't sure what a good time was until my coach told me, so I guess it was a good time."
Sheehan also ran a leg of the 4x400 meter relay team, which placed first. Her efforts this past weekend earned her Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors, the only Ram to earn an A-10 award so far this season.
"It's cool," Sheehan said. "I was really happy. Nobody told me I had won until I went to practice and everyone came up to me."
She has enjoyed her time here so far and is planning to stay at URI for the entire four years.
"I really like the team and I really get along with them well and I get along well with the coaches."
A goodnight sleep and a good pre-game meal is her key to a successful race. She tries to get as much sleep as possible and eats pasta, fruit and plenty of carbohydrates.
As for her goals for the rest of the year, Sheehan is looking to continue to have fun, run good times and to keep raising the bar to set new records. She will look to do so this weekend as the team is in action tomorrow and Saturday at the New Balance Games in New York.
Sheehan is a freshman sprinter all the way from Waterford, Ireland. She came to URI last February to check out the school and track team.
"I was looking at a few schools," she said. "I really liked the school and the coaches here."
She has been running track since she was 12 years old, competing in combined events including long jump and different hurdle events. She has always had a passion for it, especially running over the hurdles.
"Its fun [the hurdles]," she said. "Just running around the track is kind of boring sometimes. They add a little more excitement."
Sheehan added some excitement of her own this past Saturday at the Rhode Island Invitational. She won the 200-meter dash with a time if 25.79 seconds and won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.23, the fourth fastest time in URI history. The time qualified her for the New England and ECAC Championships.
"I've never done them [55-meter hurdles] before because we don't have the 55-meter over in Ireland we just have the 60," she said. "I wasn't sure what a good time was until my coach told me, so I guess it was a good time."
Sheehan also ran a leg of the 4x400 meter relay team, which placed first. Her efforts this past weekend earned her Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors, the only Ram to earn an A-10 award so far this season.
"It's cool," Sheehan said. "I was really happy. Nobody told me I had won until I went to practice and everyone came up to me."
She has enjoyed her time here so far and is planning to stay at URI for the entire four years.
"I really like the team and I really get along with them well and I get along well with the coaches."
A goodnight sleep and a good pre-game meal is her key to a successful race. She tries to get as much sleep as possible and eats pasta, fruit and plenty of carbohydrates.
As for her goals for the rest of the year, Sheehan is looking to continue to have fun, run good times and to keep raising the bar to set new records. She will look to do so this weekend as the team is in action tomorrow and Saturday at the New Balance Games in New York.
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