University of Minnesota Athletics
Catching Up with Gopher Alum Heather (Dorniden) Kampf
8/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Aug. 30, 2011
Former Minnesota Golden Gopher Heather (Dorniden) Kampf recently finished up her summer running overseas. Competing for Team USA Minnesota, Kampf won two 800-meter races in Europe during her outdoor track campaign. Her first came at the Kortrijk Meeting in Belgium on July 9 with a time of 2:03.48, and the second was in Nuoro, Italy, on July 13 with a time of 2:01.96.
Kampf finished her Golden Gopher career as a nine-time All-American and as the most decorated runner in Minnesota women’s track history. She graduated in December of 2009 with a degree in kinesiology and an impressive career 3.946 grade point average after leading the Gopher women’s cross country team to its fifth consecutive NCAA top-12 finish. Kampf is the first Golden Gopher track/cross country athlete to compete in every NCAA Championships (cross country, indoor track, outdoor track) in a collegiate career.
Kampf was a Minnesota recipient of the 2010 Big Ten Medal of Honor. Her many other accolades include Academic All-America honors, the 2009 President’s Student Leadership and Service Award, the 2009 University of Minnesota Alumni Association Student Leadership Award and an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Gophersports.com asked Heather a few questions about her experience this summer as well as her future plans.
GS: Explain your experience running overseas this summer representing yourself, Team USA Minnesota?
Heather: Well, I traveled overseas immediately following a disappointing performance at the US Championships, but certain I was ready to run well. I flew first to Cork, Ireland where I competed in a 1500m race, and ran a PR just a day off the plane, which is encouraging to do in jet-lagged condition. Next I went to Leuven, Belgium to stay and train for about a week before my next competition, also in Belgium: Kortijkt. It was a very windy day, but I decided to take a gamble and run from the front the entire race. It paid off, as I won my first race as a professional in the 800m there at Kortijk. Next up was a quick tour of Italy, racing on a Wednesday, Sunday, and Tuesday again in Nuoro, Padova, and Lignano, Italy, respectively. These three races were the best three races of my season, all within a week! I won again in Nuoro, windy again, but running a near-best time, then said goodbye my recently-set 1500m PR from Ireland, and then finally said goodbye to my not-so-recent 800m PR, which has stood since 2007, when I ran at the NCAA Championships as a sophomore for the Gophers. I flew home the very next day, just in time for moving into a new home, my husband's birthday, and my sister's wedding! :)
GS: How does it feel to set new PRs overall as well as overseas?
Heather: It is always great to set a new PR, no matter where it happens. I feel especially grateful for the way I handled going overseas the year- adjusting more quickly to the time difference, more apt to go with the unpredictable flow of traveling from place to place, and feeling comfortable in unfamiliar conditions for a month straight. Being able to run well abroad is important, because a very large portion of the completive season is held overseas after the US Championships are over. This would bode well for me if I were ever to make a world championship, or Olympic team, and those are certainly my goals.
GS: Out of your new PRs, does one stand out the most, like have you been aiming highly on improving in a certain race?
Heather: Running my new 800m PR of 2:00.41 in Lignano was pretty significant for me. It has been 5 years since I have improved on my former best time of 2:01.05, though I have consistently come close to that time. I still consider the 800m to be my primary event, and taking one step closer to 2 minutes flat mark places me in the top tier of American 800m runners. My 1500m time was a huge drop for me as well (from 4:17 to 4:12.11), which doesn't put me in the top tier of American 1500m runners, but definitely displays I have a strong range for a middle distance runner, and my strength and endurance is improving!
GS: How was the overall experience running overseas?
Heather: The overall experience of running in Europe is pretty cool. Track is a much more popular sport over there, and it shows in meet attendance, and overall support. Ironically a lot of the meets seem pretty low-key, with less stringent rules about check-in procedures and open fields as warm-up areas. It is fun to compete against more than just the American "regulars" in your event that you see all the time, and cool to expand your horizons, meeting and checking out the international competition. Beyond the running aspect, I think having the opportunity to travel, see the world, and experience life outside home is pretty amazing.
GS: What are your future plans now for your running career?
Heather: For the rest of this year, I have a few road mile races to run, and I may be selected to represent the US in the Pan American Games. I will either end my season and take a break after those road races, or the Games, and then start quality training later in the fall with my sights on the 2012 Olympic Trials next June. People ask me all the time if I am training for the Olympics. The answer is yes and no. At any given moment, I like to think I am training for today, making the most of every opportunity, every race, and doing my best to move forward. Next year will be a big year, but beyond 2012, I will hopefully have plenty more racing to do! I still think my focus will be on the 800m, but I may end up moving up to the 1500m someday as my primary event.
By: Athletic Communications Assistant-Michael Levy
