Charles Nailen/The Hoya  

Sport: Track

Event: Sprints

Hometown: New Haven, Conn.

High School: James Hillhouse

School/Year: COL ’04

Major: Psychology

Minors: Spanish/Sociology

High School Highlights: Connecticut state record holder in the 400 and 500 meter-dashes . Member of state record holding 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 meter relay teams . Earned All-America honors in the 400m and sprint medley relay . On the James Hillhouse High School’s track team that won eight state championships from 1996-2000 . Salutatorian of class . Earned high honors for four years . Received an honors diploma.

Georgetown Highlights: Won the state title in the 500m at the Big East Championship . 2002: Member of the winning 4 x 400 relay team at the James Madison Invitational . Ran on ECAC Outdoor Runner-up 4 x 400m relay team . ember of the 4 x 400m relay teams that placed second at the ECAC and Big East Indoor Championships . Runner-up in the 400m dash at the ECAC Indoor Championship . Placed third in the 400m at the Big East Indoor Championships . Won the 400m dash at the George Mason Patriot Games . Won the 500m at the Penn State National Open . Ran the 400m on GU’s winning DMR team at the Penn State National Open . Won the 800m at the Rutgers Invitational . Won the 200m at the Navy Lid lifter Invitational . 2001: Ran the third leg of Hoyas’ winning 4 x 400m relay team at the Big East Outdoor Championship . Ran second leg of the sprint medley relay squad that claimed eighth place at the 2001 Penn relays . Recorded fifth-place finishes in the 400m at the Duke Invitational and UVA Invitational . Fourth in the 500m and member of winning 4 x 400m relay team at the Maryland Invitational . Part of the fifth-place 4 x 400m team at the Penn State National Open.

When did you start running track? My freshman year of high school, but I wasn’t really into it then. Junior year I got a new high school coach that started doing the running, and I started running fast times in the 400m. I just found my event. Freshman and sophomore years were just fun, but I think I just matured and got more serious after that.

How does winning a Big East title rank among your track achievements? Thus far, it’s one of my greatest track moments. I went in not favored, and I overcame it. I said to myself, “I can do this,” and I was able to pass one of the better 400m runners and the defending champion from last year.

Best road trip you’ve ever taken: Last year we went to Times Square for the Armory Invitational. We stayed right in the Crowne Plaza.

Thing you miss most about living at home: My family. I miss my sisters – I have one that’s 14, Renata, and one that’s 16, Lavisia – whom I’m really close to. I miss my mom, too.

Hobbies/Collections: I collect change. For some reason, I feel like I have to have change. When I go to the store and get change, I always feel like I have to keep it. I’m always trying to buy a new piggy bank. I also like to shop and dance.

If you could have dinner with any one person, dead or alive, who would you choose and why? Michael Jordan. I just love Jordan, watching him play basketball, his personality, everything about him. I’m a big fan.

First concert you ever went to: It was a Puff Daddy and Mase concert. It was pretty good. It had 112 and Busta Rhymes there. I was in seventh grade, and I had won free tickets to the concert so I went with my friends.

If you could possess any one talent, what would it be? Probably to be able to sing. I sound awful – at least I think so.

Biggest sacrifice you’ve had to make for track: My social life. Not being able to go out and stay out at all times of the night, and not being able to do everything I want to do at certain times.

Person who’s inspired you the most: I’d probably say my high school coach, Coach Moore. Ever since I started high school, he was a person who always set high goals and standards for me, and gave me something to achieve. He’s the kind of person who’s always looking for the best in someone and he pushed me to do my best in everything. Sometimes I feel that he sets goals for me that I didn’t set for myself.

One word you would use to describe yourself: Funny.

One word your high school coach would use to describe you: Crazy.

Best Georgetown memory to date: Finishing freshman year, just making it through. It was just long.

Hardest thing about coming to college: The track workouts – they were nothing like they were in high school. I felt like I had never run track before I came here.

One non-sports related goal you hope to accomplish before you die: I just want to be successful at whatever I want to do in life. I’m living one day at a time.

Best psychology class you’ve taken at Georgetown: Criminal Psychology with Professor Kaplan. The best part was the footage and the movies and everything that went with it. It was graphic and detailed. It was just interesting getting to watch the footage rather than just hearing about it.

Do you get nervous before a meet? I get nervous sometimes, only when Coach Helmer is talking about what I have to do. If I don’t have much time to think about the race plan, I’m fine.

CD in your stereo right now: A mix CD by my roommate. It has everything you can think of on it.

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go: I would go to Europe, just to a bunch of countries over there. I don’t get to travel much with my track schedule.

Favorite thing about Georgetown: The campus is small. It doesn’t take long to walk to class.

First thing you’d do if you won the lottery: Go shopping, a shopping spree, especially for jeans and shoes.

Favorite book: Gifted Hands, by Ben Carson.

If you were to die tomorrow, what would you want your last meal to be? Everything that’s supposedly not healthy.

Favorite candy: Almond Joy, something chocolate.

Three things you always keep in your fridge: ilk, eggs and orange juice.

Worst job you’ve ever had: Working at Aldo Shoes this summer. The worst part was walking up and down the steps to get the shoes.

Movie you could watch 100 times and never get sick of: Armageddon.

What’s going through your head when you’re running a race? “Good form, fast feet.”

Person who knows you the best: My mom.

Other sports you’ve played: In high school, I started volleyball and then I quit and did cross country – they told me it was track. I played softball, too.

One track-related goal you would like to accomplish before you graduate: I guess I would love to run around 51.5 in the 400m.

If you could play on any other Georgetown team, which one would you choose: I would swim. Or maybe play tennis.

Most valuable lesson you’ve learned from running track: I would say discipline. Being at college and at Georgetown, I wouldn’t make it as far without discipline – whether it be sleeping, diet, everything. I just organize my life in a different way than I did before.

What’s under your bed right now? A dresser, a refrigerator, suitcases and laundry.