Captain Kabia Looks Ahead

All American Ibrahim Kabia, University of Minnesota junior sprinter and team captain helped the team earn a fifth place finish in the Big Ten Indoors in Madison this weekend. He answered some questions from DtB on his race and what's next.

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. Rome was not built in a day. I had to adjust too when I first got here, so it’s understandable.

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 Iowa State this weekend to see if I can improve my time a little bit.

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