Alexina Wilson was in Los Angeles on Thursday to compete in a stacked 1,500 meters at the USATF Distance Classic at Jack Kemp Stadium at Occidental College. The Northern Iowa assistant track and field coach from Lisbon had hoped to run a fast time and challenge her personal-best effort of 4 minutes, 13 seconds.

It wasn't to be. Wilson finished sixth in Heat 1 of two after running 4:19.66. She was 19th overall and afterward called it a "messy race."

The Oiselle- and Runablaze Iowa-backed Wilson was competing just days after the Panther men repeated as Missouri Valley Conference outdoor track and field champions in a dominating performance at Terre Haute, Ind. Wilson has been the distance coach for the Panthers since graduating from the university in the spring of 2015. 

She took some time to chat with me Thursday before competing in the USATF Distance Classic. Here's our Q&A:

LB: Alex, it's nice to finally chat with you after all these years. I see you're getting ready for the 1,500 at the USATF Distance Classic. What are you hoping for tonight?

AW: A couple different scenarios. I'm excited to get out there and be in a fast field. My PR is 4:13. If I run faster than that, I would be super happy. As close as I can get to that (time), the happier I'll be. I want to get a race under my belt before this next training block.

LB: How has your training gone while coaching this spring?

AW: I'm used to it now with the scheduling and everything. It can be very hectic. Indoors I had little bit of a calf issue. Nothing too huge. I'm feeling pretty good as far as training goes. I still got some good work in. I've got to make time for it.

LB: When do you get your training in?

AW: When other people are staying up late, I have to go to bed. Sometimes I have get up early to get the work in. I don't mind sacrificing. Last weekend I cross-trained my long run. It didn't make sense to push through a 13-14 mile run when you're on your feet for 12 hours a day.

LB: How do you cross-train a long run?

AW: Go as long as you can on an eliptical pretty much. They have some nice trails in Terre Haute. I got in a nice tempo run one morning.

LB: You ran a road mile (4:41) and a 1,500 meters (4:20) on the track during the Drake Relays. How did you feel about your Drake races?

AW: The weather wasn't that great. The road mile I went for broke early on and hoped the wheels wouldn't completely fall out, which they kind of did. In the 1,500 I wasn't aggressive enough. I know I wouldn't have been with the leaders the whole way, but I left too much at the end. That's the least tired I've been after a 1,500. I was frustrated. You only get so many opportunities to race at Drake. I'm trying to be positive about it.

Get the newsletter delivered to your inbox
We're sorry, but something went wrong
Highlights and top stories on high school sports and athletes.
Delivery: Mon-Sun
Thank you! You're almost signed up for

LB: Did the weather kind of psyche you out in the 1,500?

AW: Not really the weather. They originally set the pacers for 2:12 for the 800. Then they moved it back. I was ready for it to be fast, and then it wasn't. It ended up being more of a race than getting out there and getting after it. I went out with the wrong mentality. 

LB: Will you be focusing on the 1,500 for the rest of the outdoor track season?

AW: I love the 1,500, but I on paper am much better on the steeplechase. I want to run a PR in the 1,500 at some point this season. It will give me confidence going into the steeplechase. It's more fun having more range. 

LB: Rebekah Topham told me she was only going to do maybe one steeplechase before her conference meet. It's a tough event to recover from.

AW: You can only do it so many times. I think my next one will be at the Portland Track Fest on June 9.

LB: Do you have the time for qualifying for the (2020 Olympic) Trials?

AW: I do. I got it from prelims last year. It's a big relief. For USAs (Outdoors in July in Des Moines) I will definitely be there for the steeple. Not only to make the final, but improve on my best performance. I was 10th (at USA Outdoors) in 2017, 11th in 2018. My big goal is the top six. That would be ideal. 

LB: It's tough to crack that top three in the steeple in the U.S.

AW: Trying to crack that top three is hard. Last year would have been my best bet for that. I was pretty disappointed with how I raced in the final. I was hurt in the fall with a stress fracture. I was good for one (steeplechase) race. I had to do two in three days. My body wasn't fit for two.

I feel like my strength training has been a lot more consistent this year. The running part I've been doing that for a long time. Now it's just to try to get me to handle the hurdling. The steeple is all about preserving as much energy as I can. I need to train my body to handle that better.

I had never been hurt before. I didn't know how to come back from that. I made the most I could from the season. I was trying to navigate how to come back from getting hurt. It taught me a lot. I'm pretty sure there's a silver lining somewhere there.

LB: You do the same with your athletes, motivate them after injuries.

AW: I have to tell them that they will be fine. I had to listen to my own advice.

LB: How many years is this for you as an assistant coach at UNI?

AW: I graduated in 2015. For a year I was a volunteer/part time. (Long pause) So this is year four. It's been a lot of fun. The first year was hard because I missed being a part of the team and having teammates that were still running was hard. After the first year it was fun. It was fun to see our women win (conference) cross country in 2016. They were so much better than any team I was on. And then trying to get our men's team on track. Seeing them take steps. Coming from a middle distance background it's been fun to coach the longer distances. It's fun to see how athletes handle different training and mental aspects of training. They are definitely helping me.

LB: Northern Iowa just capped off an MVC men's championship. It's been a great season.

AW: It was a really exciting meet. After last year winning by one point, to blow them (opposition) out of the water was exciting. It speaks to the depth of our team. I think we scored in every area. We aren't super heavy in any one area. 

LB: And now you'll try to get the women up to that level.

AW: I feel like they did a really good job. They always rise to the occasion. I think this year we had 18 freshmen on the team, 18 of 57 (athletes). We were really young. We graduate two big point scorers on the women's side. When we win a women's title it will be exciting.

LB: You had Coach (Dave) Paulsen as a coach and now you work together. How has that dynamic changed, if any?

AW: He continues to coach me now. It's fun to collaborate on my training as well as the coach's. He has the final say in what I do. I feel I bring a different set of tools to it (coaching). If I'm missing something, it's fun to have a conversation about it. He's not afraid to say, "no Alex." We have a really good relationship in that aspect. If I was coaching myself, it would be hard. It's nice to have a coach who has the final say. He's coached me since I was 18. Every year he's been coaching me I've gotten better. I've been lucky enough to have continued success. It's a really hard thing to find. I'm lucky to have him as my coach.

LB: Do you see yourself leaving Cedar Falls to take on your own program someday?

AW: Probably not. Me and Coach Paulsen, he's been here forever. The staff is all invested in the program at UNI. Not many people get to work at the place where they went to school. It's a mid-major program, but consistently in and out it's a family environment. Everyone's invested in the success. There are no egos at all. I'd probably die there and be happy.

LB: Do you do workouts with your athletes at times?

AW: I will run with them on easy days. When (former star) Brette Correy was on the team, I would run with her a lot.

LB: Since you are a mid-major program, you're recruiting a lot of Iowa kids. It's a plus that you are an Iowa girl.

AW: Definitely our Iowa kids are like our bread and butter. When I fly back Friday, I will be going right to state track. I love the Iowa state track meet. It's exciting to see kids that are coming in next year. I'm usually in charge of our junior kids day. I try to get them to campus. I'm a good reference. I can tell them the difference from a Big 12 or a big program from ours. It can give them insight into what our program will be like and the pros and cons for those two different environments. We don't usually take three-week trips to Kenya for recruiting.

LB: You must be looking forward to USA Nationals coming up in July at Drake.

AW: I feel so lucky. Last year I had the biggest cheering section for a prelim on a Thursday. It's so cool to race there. I'm been racing there since I was 14. I tell them (other athletes) how great it is.

LB: What are your goals for 2019 and also 2020?

AW: I want to consistently get better every year. This year, dip under 9:30 in the steeple. Obviously making the (steeplechase) final at the Trials and trying to race to the best of my ability in the final. Obviously everyone wants to make an Olympic team. But I won't be heartbroken if I don't. I have intermediate goals along the way. I don't want being an Olympian being a determining factor for the success of my career. I will be a lot more prepared for the Trials than in 2016.

LB: OK. A few fun questions now. What are some of your go-to meals and snacks? 

AW: Postrace, a burger. I think that's usually people's choice. Prerace, oatmeal for sure, something that easy on the stomach.

LB: What are some fun things you like to do outside of running? 

AW: That's hard to say. Both of my jobs are running-related. I really like to do frisbee golf. 

LB: They have some good frisbee golf courses in Cedar Falls.

AW: They do.

LB: You have a unique first name. Tell me about it. 

AW. Sure. I am Alexina the eighth. I am the eighth Alexina in my family. I believe my great aunt was the last Alexina before me. The others were a long time ago. A lot of people call me Alexina (A-LEX-z-nah), but it's Alexina (Al-x-ZEE-nah). Alex is easier to go by. If it's my mom talking, she will want me to go by Alexina.

facebook sharetwitter shareemail shareemail share
Read or Share this story: