Harry Wiggins is a sophomore kinesiology major from Prairieville, La. and a member of the 2014 Southland Conference championship team. A product of Family Christian Academy, his track career started after being discovered by a visiting track coach during baseball practice. Wiggins continued baseball in addition to track, where he received all-district and all-metro honors prior to his career at Southeastern. He recently finished first place at the 2014 McNeese Indoor III in the 4×400-meter run with a time of 3:30.75 and the Jaguar Invitational at Southern University at 9:02.17 in the 3000-meter run.
The Lion’s Roar: What sparked your interest in running?
Harry Wiggins: I played baseball my whole life and never really thought of myself as a runner. The track coach happened to be passing by the baseball field one day as we were running laps. After I finished my laps way before anyone else, the track coach came up to me and said ‘You’re running in the next track meet,’ and that is when I first realized that I had a talent.
TLR: How do you prepare for a race?
HW: Distance running is just as much mental as it is physical. You can be in the best shape of your life, but if you’re not prepared mentally, you will lose every time. So before every race I just have to mentally prepare myself to push as hard as I can go.
TLR: Do you have any race day rituals?
HW: When I step on the track, just moments before my race, I close my eyes and pray that I will run to the best of my ability, and then I shake out both of my legs and am ready to run.
TLR: In high school you earned all district and metro honors. How did it feel to be recognized?
HW: It felt great to receive all district and metro honors in high school because it let me know that my hard work was paying off.
TLR: Why did you choose to attend Southeastern?
HW: I chose Southeastern because it is the school that showed the most interest in me, and I could tell that they truly believed that I could become a great runner. Now that I am here, I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.
TLR: What is your favorite thing about being a member of the Southeastern Track and Field Program?
HW: My favorite thing about being on the Southeastern track team is that I get to do what I love every day.
TLR: What is your favorite sport to watch and why?
HW: My favorite sport to watch is track and field of course. Unfortunately, I can only watch it on TV every four years.
TLR: Who is your favorite athlete and/or runner?
HW: My favorite runner is Ryan Hall. He is the American marathon and half marathon record holder. Ryan Hall has a great outlook on running and life, and is my role model as a runner.
TLR: What is an interesting fact that your teammates do not know about you?
HW: One thing that many people on the team may not know about me is that for my last three years of high school, I did not have a track coach or a team. I trained myself, and a coach from another school entered me into meets.