Sophomore Nicole Greene is a high jump competitor for the North Carolina track and field team. Last season, Greene earned All-America and All-ACC Honors and was named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll and the All-ACC Academic Indoor and Outdoor Teams.
Greene spoke with Daily Tar Heel staff writer Jordanna Clark about this past weekend’s Camel City Invitational, her personal success this season and goals for herself and her team.
The Daily Tar Heel: After being named the ACC Tri-Field Performer of the Week on Jan. 24, you won the high jump for the third consecutive meet this past weekend. What has been your reason for this success?
Nicole Greene: I’ve been working on the things that I missed last year and focusing more on the process of what I’m doing than trying to jump a specific height. I used to go into competition last year saying that I have to win and that I have to do this and that because of what others expected of me.
Now that I’ve proved myself to the team on what I can do, it’s more of doing it for myself — and of course mainly for God. This year it’s been more of a process of getting better.
DTH: How did it feel to run the 200m for the first time in 2017?
NG: I can’t lie, it was kind of exhausting. I know that doing the 200m will help me with my speed, so instead of trying to be negative about running and think about how it’s not my thing, I instead tried to be more positive about it. If I’m running and doing the curves faster, then it will help me with high jump.
DTH: How do you feel about your team’s performance at this point in the season?
NG: Everyone is doing a lot better. The women have a good chance of getting top three at ACC Championships, and if enough people are at their peak, then I have a feeling that we have a good chance of winning. We just all have to motivate each other and focus.
