Purdue athlete travels more
than 2,000 miles
By Greg Doddridge
Staff
Writer
There is quite a bit of distance between Vancouver,
B.C., and West Lafayette, Ind. — 2,330 miles to be exact.
Yet that's the mileage traveled by multi-event
track athlete Angela Anoliefoh on her journey to Purdue.
The movement and sports science major heard of
Purdue from her high school track coach. The coach told her that Purdue
was a prestigious school and she thought Anoliefoh would fit in really
well.
"So I took a visit and I liked it," Anoleifoh said.
"I liked what I saw. I liked the way things were going and then I made
my decision."
"I wanted a school where I would be able to excel
in sports but also be able to get a good education so that I leave school
with a job."
But the distance gets to her sometimes.
"The transition is definitely tough; with me, being
so far away from home, it's hard," said Anoliefoh.
But she said feels she is fitting in more.
On the sports side, Anoliefoh said she has been
improving since earlier in the season in her favorite indoor event,
the high jump. Anoliefoh said her track coach was also a big motivation
in her decision to try the high jump. The coach made the event fun for
her.
She also tries other events such as the 60-meter
high hurdles and the 1600 meter relay team. In the hurdles, she is looking
for more confidence and faster times.
"I would like to improve a great deal because that
is my weakest event," she said.
And improvement is important at the collegiate
level.
"Girls are older and faster, more mature, just
bigger and stronger. You're in a totally new setting. It's a different
level. You have to step up. You don't have a choice. Or otherwise I
don't think you'll make it," said Anoliefoh.
The women's track team will compete in the Butler
Cannon Classic this weekend at the National Institute for Fitness and
Sport on the campus of IUPUI. They compete at 6 tonight and 5 p.m. Saturday.
This will be a non-scored meet. The women's team is coming off a win
in the United States Track Coaches Association Quads at Central Michigan
last weekend.
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