North Carolina State University Athletics
Collegiate Running Not Originally in Books for Joanna Thompson
9/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Sept. 8, 2014
"In high school I was convinced I was going to be a basketball player. Being from Knoxville the (University of Tennessee) Lady Vols are a big deal, so I wanted to play for Pat Summitt and go to the WNBA but eventually I figured out I was too short," Thompson said.
"Running started out more as a way for me to prep for basketball and stay in shape for that. I loved it but wasn't serious about it until halfway through my sophomore year of my cross country season."
Between her freshman and sophomore year Thompson dropped two minutes off her cross-country time, and another two minutes off of her time between her sophomore and junior year.
"That's the point when I started getting competitive. That's when I started thinking of myself as a runner," Thompson said.
Even though Thompson gained a competitive edge halfway through her high school years, a collegiate running career was still not a part of her decision when considering where to go for college.
"It was kind of an outside option, but I thought if I did run in college I would end up in a Division II or III program. I didn't realize then how big of an impact running was going to have on my life," Thompson said.
When she did take collegiate running into serious consideration, she took official visits to the University of Miami at Ohio and Vanderbilt, and unofficial visits to Belmont and Lipscomb, but NC State was the school that seemed to be the right fit for Thompson.
"One of the big things at that time was that NC State has one of my majors, zoology, and its one of the top zoology programs in the country," Thompson said.
Thompson will graduate in May with Zoology and Creative Writing degrees, with plans to get a master's degree and potentially a Ph. D. in zoology. Her ultimate dream job is to work for National Geographic.
Another way NC State came into the recruiting loop for Thompson was through her teammate Michael Mansy and his family.
"His dad ran with my mom in college (at Eastern Tennessee State University) so they're good family friends of ours; I've known them my entire life. Mr. Mansy told the coaches that they should take a look at me, and after I took my visit to NC State it felt like the right place for me," Thompson said.
Under Coach Geiger and Coach Henes' watch, Thompson's career has benefited and taken off tremendously over the past three seasons.
"I'm doing things now I never could have dreamed of doing in high school," Thompson said.
As a sophomore, Thompson earned All-American honors in the 2013 track and field season in the 10,000m.
"It was definitely a surprise when I came in an All-American for the 10,000 because I wasn't even slated to make it out of the region. Also, that was my first time at nationals so it was one of those races where you just try to enjoy the experience, and coming away with an All-American title on top of that was a pretty incredible feeling," Thompson said.
As a junior, Thompson earned her second All-American accolade in the 2013 cross-country season.
"It was a pretty good feeling, but it was bittersweet because I made it as an individual but we didn't make it as a team. I felt like I had to go out there and represent all of my teammates and make the race worth something, and it was very rewarding to be able to do that," Thompson said.
"Last cross country season I felt more prepared so it wasn't as much of a surprise because I just did what I had been doing for the entire season and it paid off."
With her final season approaching, Thompson feels well prepared and excited to see what the next year will bring.
"I got a lot of really good training in this summer. Some of my teammates and I went out to Boulder, Colo. for a month and got some altitude training in, and I think there was a big physiological benefit from that," Thompson said.
"I've been feeling good during my workouts, and our team is really tight this year which is exciting. I'm pretty pumped up for my final season."
Looking ahead to her running career after NC State, Thompson wants to follow in her parents' footsteps, Debby and Joe, and run in marathons to help raise money for charity.
"They've ran in eight total marathons together for various organizations like the arthritis foundation and muscular dystrophy association," Thompson said.
As a person who enjoys helping others and giving back to the community, in her down time Thompson volunteers with her teammates at the local Salvation Army.
"Its something we have been doing since my freshman year. It's a twice a week program on Mondays and Thursdays and we go help tutor some of the kids, help them with their homework and also play games with them," Thompson said.
Along with running marathons for charity, Thompson also hopes to be able to continue the volunteer work she has started at the local Salvation Army.
"Its something my parents have always put a lot of emphasis on giving back to the community and it's something I enjoy doing," Thompson said.
RALEIGH,N.C.- For two-time All-American Joanna Thompson, the thought of running at a Division I school did not even cross her mind when she first started her career eight years ago.
"In high school I was convinced I was going to be a basketball player. Being from Knoxville the (University of Tennessee) Lady Vols are a big deal, so I wanted to play for Pat Summitt and go to the WNBA but eventually I figured out I was too short," Thompson said.
"Running started out more as a way for me to prep for basketball and stay in shape for that. I loved it but wasn't serious about it until halfway through my sophomore year of my cross country season."
Between her freshman and sophomore year Thompson dropped two minutes off her cross-country time, and another two minutes off of her time between her sophomore and junior year.
"That's the point when I started getting competitive. That's when I started thinking of myself as a runner," Thompson said.
Even though Thompson gained a competitive edge halfway through her high school years, a collegiate running career was still not a part of her decision when considering where to go for college.
"It was kind of an outside option, but I thought if I did run in college I would end up in a Division II or III program. I didn't realize then how big of an impact running was going to have on my life," Thompson said.
When she did take collegiate running into serious consideration, she took official visits to the University of Miami at Ohio and Vanderbilt, and unofficial visits to Belmont and Lipscomb, but NC State was the school that seemed to be the right fit for Thompson.
"One of the big things at that time was that NC State has one of my majors, zoology, and its one of the top zoology programs in the country," Thompson said.
Thompson will graduate in May with Zoology and Creative Writing degrees, with plans to get a master's degree and potentially a Ph. D. in zoology. Her ultimate dream job is to work for National Geographic.
Another way NC State came into the recruiting loop for Thompson was through her teammate Michael Mansy and his family.
"His dad ran with my mom in college (at Eastern Tennessee State University) so they're good family friends of ours; I've known them my entire life. Mr. Mansy told the coaches that they should take a look at me, and after I took my visit to NC State it felt like the right place for me," Thompson said.
Under Coach Geiger and Coach Henes' watch, Thompson's career has benefited and taken off tremendously over the past three seasons.
"I'm doing things now I never could have dreamed of doing in high school," Thompson said.
As a sophomore, Thompson earned All-American honors in the 2013 track and field season in the 10,000m.
"It was definitely a surprise when I came in an All-American for the 10,000 because I wasn't even slated to make it out of the region. Also, that was my first time at nationals so it was one of those races where you just try to enjoy the experience, and coming away with an All-American title on top of that was a pretty incredible feeling," Thompson said.
As a junior, Thompson earned her second All-American accolade in the 2013 cross-country season.
"It was a pretty good feeling, but it was bittersweet because I made it as an individual but we didn't make it as a team. I felt like I had to go out there and represent all of my teammates and make the race worth something, and it was very rewarding to be able to do that," Thompson said.
"Last cross country season I felt more prepared so it wasn't as much of a surprise because I just did what I had been doing for the entire season and it paid off."
With her final season approaching, Thompson feels well prepared and excited to see what the next year will bring.
"I got a lot of really good training in this summer. Some of my teammates and I went out to Boulder, Colo. for a month and got some altitude training in, and I think there was a big physiological benefit from that," Thompson said.
"I've been feeling good during my workouts, and our team is really tight this year which is exciting. I'm pretty pumped up for my final season."
Looking ahead to her running career after NC State, Thompson wants to follow in her parents' footsteps, Debby and Joe, and run in marathons to help raise money for charity.
"They've ran in eight total marathons together for various organizations like the arthritis foundation and muscular dystrophy association," Thompson said.
As a person who enjoys helping others and giving back to the community, in her down time Thompson volunteers with her teammates at the local Salvation Army.
"Its something we have been doing since my freshman year. It's a twice a week program on Mondays and Thursdays and we go help tutor some of the kids, help them with their homework and also play games with them," Thompson said.
Along with running marathons for charity, Thompson also hopes to be able to continue the volunteer work she has started at the local Salvation Army.
"Its something my parents have always put a lot of emphasis on giving back to the community and it's something I enjoy doing," Thompson said.
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