Rather, everything seemed perfect for Schmidt, UNC's freshman star middle distance runner. She speaks with the enthusiasm of a champion and consistently laughs between sentences.
But a carefree attitude and the willingness to strike up a conversation is nothing unusual for Schmidt, who will be racing at 1 p.m. Saturday on her home track at the Challenge Cup.
"If you're not having a good time when you're running, then what's the use?" Schmidt said. "That's the one thing that characterizes most of my runs: I'm usually talking with someone most of the time."
Schmidt doesn't restrict talking solely to her workouts though. She admits to getting laughed at as she entertains UNC coach Dennis Craddock with news about school, the weather or anything that just happens to pop into her mind.
"I think Alice has the perfect balance because she's not always thinking about track when she's off the track," teammate Victoria Jackson said. "A lot of people get nervous about a workout or sometimes just don't want to run, but Alice can be focused but also laid back."
And why shouldn't she be laid back? Schmidt was a Nebraska state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs. She was also a four-time state champion and record holder in the 800.
More recently, Schmidt competed on North Carolina's distance medley team that finished second at indoor nationals. She also placed second in the 800, her first defeat in that event all season.
"She showed right off the bat that she can step up to the level we need her to," Craddock said. "But now she's created a little kind of a monster for herself by being so good so early."
In his 16 years at UNC, Craddock said that he has only had a handful of freshmen who have been as effective as Schmidt has.
