DtB: You and Adam Harris had quite the battle in the 60. What are your thoughts on the race?
IK: That was a great showing by all the competitors. It was a great opportunity for all of us. Everyone in that building was into that race, there was a lot of hype, and it was a great atmosphere. I lost the battle right out of the blocks because he had a great reaction to the gun, and I have no idea what I was thinking about, and that is a very critical part of the 60 meter race. I think I did a great job of closing down hard, but it was only good for second place.
DtB: What are your thoughts on your battle with Harris?
IK: Adam and I have competed against each other numerous times, but with a Big Ten title on the line it was a remarkable battle between the two of us. The kind of battle I take pride in and love to be a part of. Obviously, I am disappointed that I lost that battle, but then again I lost to someone you has had an incredible indoor season. He is a tremendous talent, and a good kid to be around. It was an honor to have him in that race, and I look forward to more battles with him.
DtB: You've had a few injury problems this year. Can you talk about that and how you've coped with it?
IK: I pulled my hamstring in my first race of the season. So I was out for a while just rehabbing, lifting, biking, and doing a lot of bounding because I couldn’t run. Coach and I even talked about shutting it down for the indoor season to prepare for the outdoors. I felt better the following week, and had about three weeks to prepare for Big Tens. I felt good and we decided to give it a go last weekend at the Snowshoe Open. It was frustrating; there was a lot of emotion because I had to miss so much time. I didn’t do any speed work, had couple sessions of acceleration, but I am happy to be back on the track.
DtB: This year’s team is a young team; as captain does that present any unique challenges?
IK: We are definitely a young team, but we have great talents here, and it’s a positive sign for the future. There is a lot of patience involved, pulling guys to the side and telling them what they are doing right, or what they should be doing right, and just keep encouraging them.
DtB: You have a provisional qualifier for NCAAs. Are you going to try to run again to see if you can hit the automatic mark?
IK: I will be going down to
DtB: What are your plans for outdoors?
IK: My number one goal has always been to stay healthy, so I can train hard and prepare myself accordingly. When that happens, we’ll see good results.
Photo Courtesy of University of Minnesota
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