Samantha Halvorsen
Samantha Halvorsen Seeking Return to Nationals
10/31/2019 12:08:00 PM | Cross Country, Les Johns
With an impressive resume that includes a pair of All-ACC and All-Southeast Region honors, Wake Forest senior Samantha Halvorsen has the credentials and experience to lead the women's cross country team to a successful finish in the ACC Championships Friday.
"I've been there and done this," is a mantra that Wake Forest coach John Hayes said Sam can convey to her teammates, mentioning that she has made it to NCAA national competition twice. "She can calm the others down. Sam's leadership has been tremendous."
Halvorsen started her impressive journey by placing in the top-50 for all five outings as a sophomore, leading the Deacs in four of those efforts.
"She was injured a bunch her freshman year and redshirted in track," Hayes said. "There was nothing to indicate what she was about to do.
"She's a tough lady. She has surprised us along the way, and just continues to surprise us."
Halvorsen has continued to show improvement each year, moving from a top-20 Regional finish as a sophomore to a 9th-place finish a year ago with a 20:17.1 time in the 6K
"Making nationals for the first time, as a sophomore, was one of the most striking moments," Halvorsen said. "It came as a little bit of a surprise. To have that best day is unusual and exciting for me.
"We didn't make it to nationals as a team, but we had a good race at regionals. We hope we can make it this year."
She had a team-best time of 21:03.0 at the Nuttycombe (Wisconsin) Invitational earlier this season where the Deacs finished 23rd out of 36 teams.
"She's battled injuries over this past summer, but her performance in Wisconsin was indicative of her work ethic," Hayes said. "She's coming off this injury nicely and really helping the team by showing up this time of year with her level of fitness.
"Having leadership and experience is vital. Samantha has been to two NCAA Championships on the track, and that's not an easy task."
Earning three-straight All-ACC honors is high on Halvorsen's to-do list.
"This season has been a little bit of a rocky road for me, as I've battled through an injury," she said. "That's something I've luckily avoided in the past. I'm trying to stay healthy and make All-ACC. If I can stay at that level, I'll be happy."
Halvorsen committed to Wake Forest before after taking official visits to numerous schools.
"Wake Forest was the best fit athletically and academically for me," she said. "Being at a school that's so challenging on both sides of that coin can be tough, but that's what I was looking for. Plus, I really liked the girls on the team, and that was the deciding factor."
Halvorsen is an English major with a minor in education. Juggling the commitments on the track and cross country trail with the rigorous academic standards at Wake Forest can be a challenge at times, but it was exactly what Halvorsen expected.
"It definitely can be tough, depending on the season," she said. "It's really important to take advantage of all the resources available for us as student-athletes, especially on the academic side of things. Our coaches all want us to succeed on every front — social, sports and school. It's about finding a balance. That's helped make it an enjoyable four years."
Hayes said Halvorsen will have a lot of options once she graduates from Wake Forest in December. She's currently exploring the opportunity to attack a post-graduate degree while competing for the Deacs in the coming indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
"I'm excited to represent Wake and be out there with my teammates," she said.
"I've been there and done this," is a mantra that Wake Forest coach John Hayes said Sam can convey to her teammates, mentioning that she has made it to NCAA national competition twice. "She can calm the others down. Sam's leadership has been tremendous."
Halvorsen started her impressive journey by placing in the top-50 for all five outings as a sophomore, leading the Deacs in four of those efforts.
"She was injured a bunch her freshman year and redshirted in track," Hayes said. "There was nothing to indicate what she was about to do.
"She's a tough lady. She has surprised us along the way, and just continues to surprise us."
Halvorsen has continued to show improvement each year, moving from a top-20 Regional finish as a sophomore to a 9th-place finish a year ago with a 20:17.1 time in the 6K
"Making nationals for the first time, as a sophomore, was one of the most striking moments," Halvorsen said. "It came as a little bit of a surprise. To have that best day is unusual and exciting for me.
"We didn't make it to nationals as a team, but we had a good race at regionals. We hope we can make it this year."
She had a team-best time of 21:03.0 at the Nuttycombe (Wisconsin) Invitational earlier this season where the Deacs finished 23rd out of 36 teams.
"She's battled injuries over this past summer, but her performance in Wisconsin was indicative of her work ethic," Hayes said. "She's coming off this injury nicely and really helping the team by showing up this time of year with her level of fitness.
"Having leadership and experience is vital. Samantha has been to two NCAA Championships on the track, and that's not an easy task."
Earning three-straight All-ACC honors is high on Halvorsen's to-do list.
"This season has been a little bit of a rocky road for me, as I've battled through an injury," she said. "That's something I've luckily avoided in the past. I'm trying to stay healthy and make All-ACC. If I can stay at that level, I'll be happy."
Halvorsen committed to Wake Forest before after taking official visits to numerous schools.
"Wake Forest was the best fit athletically and academically for me," she said. "Being at a school that's so challenging on both sides of that coin can be tough, but that's what I was looking for. Plus, I really liked the girls on the team, and that was the deciding factor."
Halvorsen is an English major with a minor in education. Juggling the commitments on the track and cross country trail with the rigorous academic standards at Wake Forest can be a challenge at times, but it was exactly what Halvorsen expected.
"It definitely can be tough, depending on the season," she said. "It's really important to take advantage of all the resources available for us as student-athletes, especially on the academic side of things. Our coaches all want us to succeed on every front — social, sports and school. It's about finding a balance. That's helped make it an enjoyable four years."
Hayes said Halvorsen will have a lot of options once she graduates from Wake Forest in December. She's currently exploring the opportunity to attack a post-graduate degree while competing for the Deacs in the coming indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
"I'm excited to represent Wake and be out there with my teammates," she said.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
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