After four years of being on the track team, Andie Schindler of the Stone Bridge Bulldogs has finally earned her place among the state’s best after qualifying for the Virginia State Tournament. With a 3.57 GPA and a punched ticket to a four-year university, she is the definition of a successful student-athlete.
SF: What made you want to be a member of the track team?
AS: I ran Cross-Country in the fall of my freshman year, and I made a lot of friends who were going to do track in the spring, so I wanted to do track as well.
SF: What is your primary event?
AS: I have flip-flopped between events, but this year I am solely focused on the high jump.
SF: Did you do track before high school?
AS: Yes. I used to do a summer track camp back when I used to live in New York.
SF: How has the coaching staff helped you in your track career?
AS: My coaches are amazing. Coach Matt Henry and Coach Robert Mandes both spend time critiquing my form and showing me what to improve.
SF: Describe your relationship with your teammates.
AS: Our track team is very close. The girls that jump with me are always helping each other to improve their height. Our goal is to have all our jumpers make it to districts.
SF: What are your college plans, both academically and athletically?
AS: I've been accepted to Brigham Young University. I don't know about trying out for their track team though, the heights are a bit higher than my best. But I do plan to do some kind of intramural stuff in college.
SF: What do you plan to major in?
AS: My major is undecided and will probably still be undecided by my senior year of college. I have so many things I want to do in life that I can't decide on a major.
SF: What made you choose BYU as your university?
AS: Both my parents went to BYU and my brother is currently attending there. BYU is a private school that is obviously religion based so my religion had a big part in my decision. So ultimately choosing BYU was a no-brainer.
SF: What preparations do you take before every meet?
AS: Well high jumping is usually the first event of the meet, so I don't eat anything right before I jump. Having a lot of food in my stomach makes me feel heavier. I also stretch a lot because I don't want to pull any muscles. Mentally I just try to calm myself down right before my turn to jump. If I'm nervous I tense up and I don't perform as well.
SF: Please educate us. Tell us one thing about your event that the normal person does not know.
AS: The form used when you jump [jumping backwards] is called the Fosbury Flop, developed by Dick Fosbury.
SF: Are you excited for the state competition?
AS: I'm so excited for states, especially because it's my senior year. It's like we always say in practice, "Go hard or go home."
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