Senior leads by example

Senior Rachelle Boone hasn't always been known for her 60- and 200-meter performances. Until high school, Boone's sport of choice was soccer. Her teammates urged her to try running track, and she immediately caught the coach's attention. \n"The coach wouldn't let me leave track," she said. \nAnd understandably so. \nBoone has had an impressive indoor track career at IU, as she holds the school record for both the 60- and 200-meter dashes and is a two-time NCAA runner-up in the 200 and capturing the Big Ten Championship in the 200 last year. \nSo far this season, Boone has shown no signs of slowing down and said she is actually ahead of where she was at this point last year.\n"I didn't expect to run as fast as I did last weekend," she said. \nLast weekend in Champaign, Ill., in a meet against Illinois, Missouri and Eastern Illinois, Boone won both the 60- and 200-meter dashes, as well as anchoring the first place 4x400-meter relay team. She qualified provisionally for the NCAA Indoor Championships for the 60 and 200 and set a track record for the 60-meter dash. \nWomen's track and field coach Randy Heisler, on the other hand, said he wasn't surprised by Boone's impressive performances last weekend against the toughest competition yet this season. \n"She always runs her fastest in the biggest races," he said. "And once she gets in the lead, no one will pass her."\nSprint coach Ed Beathea said Boone's work ethic plays a large part in her success. \n"She is an easy athlete to work with because she has a strong desire to do well," he said. \nHeisler said he agrees with Beathea, but adds that Boone's tough work ethic sometimes drives her to work too hard. \n"We have to watch her carefully to make sure she doesn't do too much," Heisler said. \nBoone's strong determination became especially helpful during high school when she became pregnant with her now 5-year-old son. She said many people didn't believe that she could become competitive again, but she was motivated by wanting to provide for her son. \n"I want to give him what I didn't have growing up," she said. \nThough Boone isn't a vocal leader, Beathea said he considers her a strong example for the younger sprinters.\n"She is more of a leader by action," he said. "She's more of a motivated, determined-type leader."\nHeisler said he especially admires Boone's focus and calmness. \n"Nothing rattles her," he said. "(Her mentality is) 'Show me where the lane is and get out of the way.'" \nBoone said she tries to be a positive role model for the other runners. \n"They look up to us -- me, (sprinter) Danielle (Carruthers), (jumper/sprinter) Rose (Richmond) and (jumper) Tandra (Foster)," she said.\nBoone and the IU women's track and field team will be competing this Friday and Saturday at the Indiana Invitational in the Gladstein Fieldhouse.