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Miller keeps running
Women's track star not stopped by injuries
By Mike Riplinger
OtthuEmuruU
When you ask Lexie Miller about how her
season has gone, the long-legged hurdler
for the Ducks looks down and replies, "Not
so well
"I've had some nagging injuries and
haven't done as well as I wanted The ten
donitis in my knees have been a problem
They make it hard to compete, but I'm still
looking forward to the NCAAs."
That's it.
Miller doesn't say anything else about the
many different injuries that would keep
many athletes off the track. Instead, she just
goes about winning races and setting
school records — often with no workouts in
between
"Given the circumstances, Lexie has
done some pretty amazing things She's not
moaning or groaning about how beat up
she is." says her coach, Mark Stream “She
has missed weeks and weeks of workouts ”
Stream says Miller is suffering right now
from chronic tendonitis, tendon problems in
her right foot, and a swollen, enflamed joint
in the big toe on that same foot
"She has another injury, but I can’t keep
track of them all Many athletes wouldn't
compete with these injuries, but Lexie won't
let them stop her," Stream says Miller's
other injuries include a strained hamstring
and quadricep muscle
Still, you won't hear an excuse from
Miller She has been running on knees that
doctors at one point in November, con
sidered doing surgery on Often this season
she has had to skip workouts and compete
only in meets, because that is all her injury
riddled body could stand
Miller hasn't let her injuries stop her from
being the top point scorer for the Ducks in
their dual meets this season, running every
distance from the sprints to the 800
She runs well, too Despite the injuries,
she is within a second of qualifying for the
NCAA in the 100, 200 and 800, and a few
centimeters shy of the long jump mark — all
events she just "mess(es) around in” She
set the school long jump record even
though she has had only 10 jumps all sea
son, including practice and meets.
"She is the kind of athlete not to settle on
one thing,” Stream says. “She is a very
competive person and expects a lot out of
herself.
Miller, ranked sixth in the United States in
the 400 hurdles, will run only the hurdles in
the NCAA meet which runs June 1-5 in
Provo, Utah
Last year, at nationals, Miller came into
the meet ranked third in the 400 hurdles, but
finished a disappointing eighth, and didn’t
even get past the semi-finals in the 100
hurdles.
“That was the worst race of my life,”
Miller says of the longer race “I’ve never
had a race like that before “I felt like I
couldn't do anything. That was the closest
thing to a choke that I’ve ever had.
"I hadn’t even really thought about it (the
meet) until I got there. When I found out I
was ranked third, I put a lot of pressure on
myself to do well. I guess (it was) too much
(pressure).’*
She made up for her poor showing in the
NCAAs by placing fourth in The Athletic
Congress Championships (TAC) 400 hur
dles, and was a finalist in the 100 hurdles.
The TAC is considered a tougher meet than
the NCAA, because it draws athletes from
alt over the nation and isn’t limited to col
legians She was also a third-place finisher
at the National Sports Festival.
"That’s just the kind of athlete she is,”
Stream says “When it counts, she really
comes through.”
This year. Miller has a different outlook for
the NCAAs and plans to run her own race,
not worrying about where she’ll finish.
"Whatever happens, happens,” she says,
shrugging her shoulders
“I set my goals high, but when you don't
reach them, it cuts you down So I’m not
going to put pressure on myself to do well,
but just wait and see ”
Stream says that last year, Miller had
every reason to do well at the NCAAs, and
when she didn’t,“it left a bad taste in her
mouth
“She is a very competitive person who
expects a lot out of herself. Last year she
established herself as national caliber, and
we thought this was the year she was going
to accomplish a lot. Now she has every
reason not to do well, but she won t iet them I
stop her " I
Photo by David Cony
Lexie Miller qualified tor the NCAA 400-meter hurdles despite Injuries that
have hurt her all season.
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