Arizona high jumper Brigetta Barrett has had arguably one of the best collegiate track and field careers in school history.
She has won two consecutive NCAA indoor and outdoor championships.
She’s a three-time NCAA indoor and outdoor All-American.
Not to mention she cleared a personal-best jump of 6-foot-8-inches to win a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
So what does Barrett want to accomplish her last season of collegiate competition?
“Live in the moment and enjoy everything as it comes,” Barrett said. “My goal is to give it to God, to get out there and give it my best.”
Last week, Barrett was named to the 2013 Bowerman Preseason Watch List. Last year, she was named a finalist for the Bowerman Award.
It’s safe to say that all eyes are going to be on Barrett this season to see how much she can achieve.
“Greatness is intimidating,” Barrett said. “The most intimidating part is finding out how great I am.”
Although the expectations are high for Barrett, head coach Fred Harvey says that they’re realistic.
“She’s done a lot of great things to this point, but from a training age standpoint, she is very young,” Harvey said. “We know she can jump, obviously; she’s a silver medalist.”
What Harvey said he does expect from Barrett this season is to continue building strength and unity within the team.
Senior hurdler Georganne Moline said she felt the same strength and unity.
To Moline, Barrett was more than a teammate, she was a fan. While they both competed at the London Olympics, Barrett offered words of encouragement to Moline.
“She always gives off a positive vibe,” Moline said. “It’s contagious. It makes you get excited about what you’re doing.”
This vibe could be felt in the locker room by other teammates, according to Moline.
“She has these little talks before we compete sometimes,” Moline said. “You’ll see people, nodding their heads, really into what she’s saying. They take what she says into respect.”
There are many seemingly daunting tasks ahead of Barrett this season: winning indoor/outdoor NCAA championships, setting indoor/outdoor NCAA records and of course, winning the Bowerman Award.
But Barrett said she isn’t worried. She hopes this season will be the cherry on top of an already great collegiate career.
“I know that I have broken all the barriers that could have existed at this time in my life,” Barrett said. “Now it’s time to go forward without looking back.”