A to Z with Katrina DeKrey
Published: Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 8:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 8:01 a.m.
Name: KATRINA DEKREY
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Eastside senior track and field athlete Katrina Dekrey runs the 100- and 300-meter hurdles along with the triple jump.
Andrew Stanfill / Special to the SunSchool: Eastside
Year: Senior
Events: 100-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, triple jump, 4x400 relay team
Jersey number: 15
Height: 5-foot-8
A rea's best overall female and male track and field athlete: Female: Gelela Cooley from GHS. She does incredible in the 400-meter dash, the 800-meter run and the 5k. Male: Marquis Noble from Buchholz. He is one of the best long jumpers and is (one of) the fastest in the state in the 100-meters.
B est hurdlers I have ever been around our competed against: Briana Rollins from Miami Northwestern and Sharprecia Anderson who was my teammate at Eastside last year. They both have had the fastest times out of any non-professionals. (Now a member of Miami's track & field team, Anderson won the FHSAA Class 3A state title in the 100-meter hurdles in 2009.)
C omic book hero I would want to be: Mystique from the X-Men. She is cool, and can change like a chameleon. She is not your ordinary comic book character.
D inner on an ideal night: My mom's meatball stroganoff.
E asiest form mistake you can make on the hurdles: The most important thing to pay attention to is pulling your trail leg and flailing your arms. Not executing these correctly can cause you to miss some steps.
F lorida Gators track and field is...: The best in the country. It seems as if they are always in the top of the national rankings every year and do well against tough teams like LSU. UF gets the best athletes from all over the place.
G ators, Seminoles or Hurricanes? Gators. I hope to go (to UF) next year.
H ardest thing about handing off the baton in a relay race is...: Hoping that the person you are handing off to is not taking off too soon. At that point you become very winded. If they take off too soon, it can be hard to reach them.
I nteresting thing about me away from track and field: This is kind of embarrassing, but some tell me that I am the loudest burper they know!
J oker on the team: Latressia "L.A." Bennet. L.A. is very funny and always makes me laugh. She is always trying to crack on people.
K ey to becoming a good hurdler is...: A lot of practice. I have been doing this for five years. You have to work at it over time.
L east favorite Eastside sports moment.: When I placed fifth in both my hurdle events and didn't make it to state during my sophomore year.
M arion Jones is...: One of the best runners that we have ever seen.
N ewcomer on my team to keep an eye on: Angelica Rentz. She is a junior who I think has a good chance to make it to state. Also, Emilio Quintana, a sophomore, has really gotten pretty good in the 800-meter run, the 300-meter hurdles and the 4x400 relay.
O bama's biggest challenge: Fixing all of Bush's mistakes.
P otential college major: Art — including studio art, painting, photography and sculpture.
Q uestion I would ask athletes who have used steroids: Was it really worth it?
R unner I admire most.: I have always looked up to (former EHS sprinter) John Little. I still think about how much of a competitor he was here at Eastside. (Little was the 2009 Gainesville Sun boys track & field athlete of the year and won the 2009 3A state title in the 100-meter dash.)
S pring break or summer vacation plans? Track practice every day for spring break! During the summer, my dad and I are going on a cruise and then I am going to Minnesota.
T oughest part of being Eastside's team captain and the leadership role that comes with it: There is a lot of pressure. I love being our team captain and a leader though. The pressure comes from everybody counting on me and expecting a lot out of me. I also expect a lot out of myself.
U niversities or colleges considering: Most likely UF. I have also gotten into LSU and UCF and have been thinking about FIU, where my sister Kimberlee (DeKrey, a former Buchholz athlete) goes and runs track.
V alerie Flournoy is...: The best hurdler to come through Gainesville. I was not around the sport to see her, but ever since I have started running track, I have been hearing about her.
W hat is the best piece of advice coach Adrian Taylor has ever given me? He always says to me, "Don't worry about it."
X box, PlayStation or Wii: Everyone says the Xbox is better but I have a PlayStation 3 which I play Rock Band on.
Y our goal this season (team and individual): I would like our 4x400 relay team to make it to state this year. I would also like to finish in the top three at state.
Z oo animal I like most: River otters because they are just so cute and entertaining to watch. They are so full of energy.
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