Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Bush Thriving at Wake Forest
3/17/2021 12:00:00 PM | Track and Field
Anna Bush won an ACC Championship and earned Second Team All-America honors in the women’s pentathlon during the 2021 indoor season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Growing up in a small Australian town, Anna Bush grew to love a wide variety of sports, including volleyball, basketball, tennis, netball and Irish dancing. The track was a two-hour drive for her parents, so if they were going to make the trip, it was up to Bush to make it worthwhile.
"You're not getting your parents to drive four hours in a day to do one event," Bush's track coach told her at the time. "I want you to do at least four."
That was the start of a journey that led to Bush winning an ACC Championship in the pentathlon last month and earning Second Team All-America honors last week in Arkansas.
"That started my love, and I realized I was pretty good at a lot of different events," Bush said.
In collegiate competition, the pentathlon consists of 60 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and an 800 meter run -- in that order.
"I had a little bit of nerves going into the ACC Championship meet," Bush said. "I felt a bit of pressure, because I knew I was going to be pretty close to winning. I didn't really sleep the night before. I was just excited and wanted to get out on the track. So I got up in the morning tired and feeling a bit low."
Her energy came rushing back once she arrived at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Complex in South Carolina, but Bush did not fare as well in the early events, which she knows are her strongest.
"I was getting a little worried," Bush said.
After coming in sixth in both the 60m hurdles and the high jump, Bush had two throws in the shot put that she considered average. But the last one was good enough to earn third-place in that portion of the event, and she was suddenly within striking distance.
"You can do this," Wake Forest track and field assistant coach Gray Horn told her. "You can still get there."
After those three events, Bush had 2,423 points accumulated, and was just 39 points off the leader. Bush was sure she could make it up.
"That built some momentum," she said. "That's when it clicked in my head that I could actually win. I went into the long jump with a little bit of confidence, and I jumped the best I have ever jumped in college."
A personal best 5.93m leap in the long jump vaulted Bush into the lead by 64 points.
"Then it was the 800," she said. "I had to stick on the competitor from Notre Dame to make sure I was not more than three-and-a-half seconds behind her, which I knew was going to be difficult. I managed to stick on her and get the win, which was pretty exciting.
"It was a lot of different emotions. I could not believe I just did that. It has been a goal of mine since coming here."
Now a redshirt junior, Bush had her first two chances at an ACC Pentathlon Championship snuffed out because of injuries. She was not able to compete at all as a freshman, then had to withdraw after the shot put a season ago.
"Last year entering as the favorite and having to leave the event injured, I really wanted to prove myself and get that elusive title. I was in disbelief for a moment when I won this year, but was ecstatic. It took me a while to realize I had done it."
Wake Forest director of track and field John Hayes continues to be impressed with Bush's work ethic, joy and perseverance.
"Anna is just an absolute joy to be around," Hayes said. "It's hard to find many people in the world who are more joyful and happy. She always has a great attitude. She's been through some ups and downs here at Wake Forest, including getting injured last year in the ACC Championship.
"That was obviously a disappointment, but she rebounded quite well. She came back this year, won the title and earned All-America honors last week."
Of course, shortly after having to bow out of the ACC Championships a year ago, the world took a dramatic shift with the onset of the pandemic, forcing Bush to return back to Australia for several months.
"It was a crazy and stressful time," she said. "I got shipped back to Australia for almost a year. I really focused on rehab and doing the one-percent thing. I made sure I was training hard everyday by myself and keeping the motivation high.
"I focused on recovery, stretching, hydrating and eating right. I focused on strengthening up the areas on my body that were weaker. I knew I had extra time on my plate, so it ended up being a blessing in disguise."
She didn't return to Winston-Salem until mid-January, and even that was not easy.
"It was a bit of a journey getting back," Bush said. "My flight back from Australia got canceled five times. At one point, I was not sure if I was going to be able to get back. Then after 10 days of quarantine in the hotel, I was back into training."
Bush now moves to outdoor competition and will perform in the heptathlon, which consists of 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m dash, long jump, javelin throw and 800m run.
"It's been three years since I've been able to do a heptathlon because of COVID and injuries, so I am excited about that," Bush said. "I'm going to continue working with Coach Horn and see how far I can go. I am thrilled to have won the ACC Championship, but can still improve at all these events, and score higher. This is just the beginning."
A connection in Australia led Bush to Wake Forest when nothing else seemed to be clicking in her college recruitment.
"I was very lucky with how I found Wake Forest," she said. "I was talking to a couple of different schools, but wasn't feeling a connection with any of them. I spoke with my coach in Australia who told me about a school where he knew one of the coaches, which was (assistant) coach (Andrew) Ferris.
"An hour later I spoke to Coach Ferris for about two hours, and then the next day I signed with Wake Forest. I had a gut feeling that was the place I was meant to be."
With an ACC Championship already in her pocket with several other big events heading her way in the coming months and years, Bush is feeling good about that decision.
"I absolutely love it," she said. "I just got really lucky at Wake Forest and what I have here. The balance between academics and athletics is amazing and the facilities are incredible. Then the people are just lovely and so supportive. I've gotten so lucky."
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