Timeout with … Victoria Berg, senior, Edmonds-Woodway track
Published 12:01 am Tuesday, April 12, 2011
An experienced hurdler, Victoria Berg mainly concentrates on three things when she practices or competes: form, footwork and strength.
Berg runs the 100- and 300-meter hurdle events for the Edmonds-Woodway High School track and field team. She has a precise plan for how to reach her
potential in each event.
“I focus on form,” said Berg, “and I’m working on trying to three-step in the 100s, but I’m not at that point yet. For the 300s, I’m working on getting my strength up so I can make it the full 300 sprinting.”
“Three-step” refers to the number of steps Berg will ideally take between each hurdle in the 100 hurdle race; currently, she takes four steps. However, if her training pays off she will drop to three steps, run faster times and have a better chance of advancing to the Class 4A state meet late next month in Tacoma.
Coach’s corner
On a team that features many freshmen hurdlers, Berg has actively mentored her young teammates, Edmonds-Woodway track coach Rick Fillman said: “She’s kind of taken them under her wing and done a real good job of being a leader.”
Swift success
After receiving encouragement from a teacher’s assistant who watched Berg glide over hurdles in an eighth-grade physical education class, Berg became a hurdler and a sprinter. She advanced to the district meet that year.
Track vs. soccer
Deciding to focus on her primary sport, soccer, Berg did not run track her freshman year at Edmonds-Woodway, but she turned out for track as a sophomore and has enjoyed it ever since. Explaining how the two sports appeal to her for different reasons, Berg said: “Track is all about (individual) success and just getting better, whereas soccer — I like it because of the team experience.”
Sports in college?
Berg, who lived in Burbank, Calif., until 2002, hasn’t finalized her college plans but is considering playing soccer for Linfield College. She started playing soccer at age 4 and competes year-round. She was a defender for Edmonds-Woodway’s team and is a forward for the Everett-based Washington Rush select program.
Sounders supporter
Berg’s favorite pro sports team is the Seattle Sounders. She recently attended a game and soaked up the intense atmosphere. “It was really wild!” Berg said. “The fans get really into the game and there were a lot of fans yelling at the refs and the other team.”
Making the grade
A member of National Honor Society, Berg has a 3.6 cumulative grade-point average. She is currently taking Advanced Placement calculus and an International Baccalaureate anatomy class. “It’s just faster-paced and you cover a lot more material,” she said of the IB anatomy course, which relates to her interest in becoming a physical therapist.
Air Macklemore
One of Berg’s favorite songs is “Wings” by Seattle hip-hop artist Macklemore. The song describes how relentless marketing makes aspiring young basketball players crave the coolest, newest, most expensive shoes, with often negative consequences. Listen to “Wings” at http://bit.ly/dWsV0u.
More cheese, please
Berg loves eating macaroni and cheese, but not the kind that comes in a box. She prefers her own home-made mac-and-cheese recipe.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
