Senior Spotlight: Jennie Cunningham

The Pinecrest senior has won three winter-season state titles in three different venues, but still wants one in the 800.

 

I recorded this interview back on Labor Day weekend, but waited to publish it until Jennie was fully recovered and back in the spotlight.  I figure that winning her third consecutive 1000 state championship qualifies, but I was worried about how relevant the interview would be.  I was pleasantly surprised in that regard, and it is especially neat to look back on her goals and see how many of them have already come to fruition (not all though, which is true of pretty much everyone, even the elite athletes).  Sometimes I get the pleasure of really learning about an athlete as a person, and I think Jennie is a great representative for our sport: she trains and races very hard, and she has a relentlessly positive attitude that is infectious and engaging.  This is most apparent when she talks about the health problems from her junior year as just being a "barrier to get over;" if it is true that we show our true character in response to adversity, then it would be hard to question the character of this runner.  She still has one major goal yet to be accomplished, and it will be very interesting to see how that develops over the course of the outdoor season.  Whatever the outcome, this is as sure a prediction as you can ever make: Jennie Cunningham will still have a smile on her face when she leaves NC A&T for the last time.

 

Jennie Cunningham's Athlete Profile