Sept. 16, 2014

Throughout the fall, GamecocksOnline will catch up with members of the women’s cross country team for a feature called The 6K. This edition features freshman Hannah Giangaspro of St. Johns, Fla.

When did you first get into running competitively?
I didn’t get into it until my sophomore year. I actually just did it to get into shape for basketball and then I ended up falling in love with it. The first thing I did was soccer and then I went from there to basketball, then I stopped growing so running made sense.

Where is your favorite place to go for a run?
I really like Sesquicentennial State Park here in Columbia. It’s nice to run in the trees. Back in Florida, all we really have is sidewalks so it’s nice to kind of have some scenery to run around in.

What has been your favorite memory as an athlete?
My state track meet during my senior year. I set a school record and did a lot better than I expected. I ended up getting third so that was a really big day for me.

What do you like most about running cross country and distance events?
I just like the mental aspect of it because at the end everyone is kind of fading, but I like how you can tell yourself that you can do it, and just the feeling when you cross the finish line and you know that you just did something pretty crazy is a really good feeling.

How do you mentally prepare yourself for longer races?
I try not to think about it until I get on the line because if I think about it too much, then I end up psyching myself out.

What do you look forward to about being a student-athlete?
I’m just looking forward to the opportunities of getting better and not only getting to know a team, but hopefully a family by the end of it.

The Gamecocks next competition will be on Sept. 26 as they travel to Charlotte, N.C., to compete in the Charlotte Invitational at 6 p.m., at McAlpine Creek Park.