Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Nicole Parsons, Havre High Cross Country

Unlike most sports teams, the Havre High cross country teams only gets one home competition per year. That's the Havre Invitational, and for both Blue Pony squads, it comes this Saturday.

It's always exciting for the cross country teams to run at home, but it can also be a little nerve racking. Yet, after competing in the Mountain West Classic last Saturday in Missoula, the Ponies are more than prepared for their home meet.

For at least one runner, Nicole Parsons, who is a senior this year, it will also be her last home meet. Parsons, who plays softball in addition to running cross country at Havre High, moved to Havre before her junior year and previous to that, at her high school in Baker City, Oregon, she played soccer. But now, after spending the last two years running, she said she prefers cross country.

"I think I like whichever sport I am doing at the time the most," Parsons said. "But I think I like cross country more because you have to work a little harder."

Parsons, who was the everyday catcher for the Ponies in softball last season, is in her second year as a varsity runner for the Ponies. After experiencing all the meets last season, she said her favorite is the Mountain West Classic, but that there was still something special about running at home.

"I think that it's kind of cool that everyone comes here," Parsons said. "We have to go around to all these other places, so that's nice. I would say the Mountain West Classic is my favorite race though, just because you get to compete against so many great runners and see so many of them from so many places."

So far this season, both Havre cross county teams have been competitive. Each team is coming off good performances at the Mountain West and although neither team finished near the top of the loaded field, each showed marked improvement from the year before, both in times and overall place.

Parsons, who has been the No. 2 runner for the Ponies this season said she and her teammates were excited to run in front of the home-town fans this weekend and were looking toward the stretch run of the season.

Yet, before she and the Ponies take part in the Havre Invitational this Saturday on the campus of Montana State University-Northern, the Havre Daily News caught up with Parsons for five questions.

HDN: So did you run before you started cross country, have you always been a runner?

Parsons: Yes I was. I just like it, it gets your heart rate up and just makes you feel good after.

HDN: So when you run do you listen to music and if so, what's your jam?

Parsons: Sometimes I do. I like to listen to '50s rock.

HDN: So are you not allowed to listen to music when you race?

Parsons: No we aren't. We practice without music because we aren't allowed to run with music. It makes it not as fun sometimes because all you can hear is yourself breathing and it gets really annoying."

HDN: What is it like to run in the Havre Invitational? Do you feel more pressure?

Parsons: "It's nice because you don't have to spend so many hours on the bus to get there. But you always have all those people that show up and want to see Havre do great, so there is that little bit of added pressure."

HDN: What's you goal for the rest of the season?

Parsons: "I just want to keep improving and keep getting faster."