Texas State’s track and field teams each took third place in the Sun Belt Indoor Championship Meet on Tuesday, Feb. 25, and sophomore Sadi Giles did her part for the team by winning the 60-meter dash—twice.
Giles took her lane, got in her blocks and easily won the 60-meter race on Friday. It is her best event, and she had the top conference time going into the championship meet. She never found out her meet-winning time, however, because the clock kept running well over a minute after the last runner crossed the finish line.
Giles would have to go for the gold again.
She said that she was prepared to win the first time around and was upset that she would have to try another attempt.
“I was so ready for that 60,” Giles said. “I was in the blocks just telling myself to push, push, push out, and I knew I was going to win. (After the race) I just walked away because I thought they could’ve given it to me anyways because I was far ahead.”
The sprinter managed it once again and broke Texas State’s school record along the way, hitting the finish line first with a time of 7.38 seconds.
Giles said she was most bothered about not knowing if she was faster the first time, but she had to mentally prepare herself quickly to win it again.
“I was just thinking that my first time could’ve been even faster, I just don’t really know,” Giles said. “I was just trying to think positively because after that I kind of got a negative vibe and I thought, ‘I need to stop,’ because I won, I obviously beat them once so I can beat them again. I was also thinking, ‘what if I lost this time and someone else gets first,’ so I had to switch from negative to positive.”
After the 60-meter scandal, Giles went on to take the gold in the 200-meter dash with a personal best of 24.03 within an hour of her first two races. The two races were enough to make Giles the co-women’s top scorer at the meet.
Giles said that she was more apprehensive about the 200-meter because she knew she had stiff competition.
“My races were very close together,” Giles said. “I was actually super nervous for the 200 because one girl’s time was pretty close to mine, but I think I just had a lot of adrenaline at that point.”
In situations like these, Giles believes that mental aspects are more important than their physical counterparts. Giles said that she wants to use her psychology major and exercise and sports science minor to open her own practice as a sports psychologist after graduation.
“I think that mental health in sports is just as important as physical,” Giles said. “Being a mental coach or helping people with their mindset going into races and competitions is just as important as how ready your body is. I think it’s an upcoming career.”
As far as track goes, Giles is not sure if she will pursue the sport after graduation. A long-term goal has always been the Olympics, but she said role models such as former Olympian Sanya Richards-Ross (whose book she has) show her that she can still be involved in track after her athletic career and have other interests as well.
“When I was younger, I always said I would go to the Olympics, and I feel like I could do it if I really put my mind to it, but I’ve been doing track my whole life,” Giles said. “(Sanya Richards-Ross) is a really good role model for me because she’s still a sports commentator and starts new brands too, so she’s showing me that you can still be involved after track but also progress in life.”
For now, Giles is focused on the upcoming outdoor track season, securing first place once again and hopefully progressing to the NCAA National Championship Meet. Giles said she can’t get complacent as she looks ahead for the season.
“There’s always room for change and there’s always room for improvement,” Giles said. “I feel like I’m a very humble person so I don’t like to just stop and get comfortable with where I am because everybody’s working hard and everybody wants first place. You just have to keep working hard no matter what.”
The men’s and women’s track teams combined for eight gold medals, four silver and one bronze at the Indoor Championship to each take the third place title. Moving forward, both teams will look to improve as they prepare for the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships on May 8-10.
Giles and Texas State track and field will get their first test of the outdoor season as they travel down Interstate-35 for the Roadrunner Invitational on Friday, March 20-Saturday, March 21 in San Antonio.