"I just want to run fast," Jessica Davis' goal for the season is to the point.
The junior sprinter had her speed taken away last year. After bursting on the scene as a freshman, including winning the Pac-10 title in the 200m, Davis could not find her sophomore legs thanks to a nagging hamstring injury.
"Freshman year was really exciting for me, especially to win Pac-10s, now Pac-12s," said Davis who is the USC freshman record-holder in the 200m. "I wasn't really focused on anything. I was just coming in and having fun. Obviously, sophomore year did not go too great because I got hurt. This year, I just plan to have another freshman year."
Davis has a "grand opening" planned for the home fans at the Trojan Invitational this Saturday as she takes on some of the nation's top competition including No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 18 Washington. While she is racing to win, at this stage of the season, the clock will tell the truest tale.
"I don't focus too much on my opponents. I focus on my time and running faster than I did before."
Already this season, she has posted an 11.7 in the 100m and 23.8 in the 200m. She set both her PRs - 11.19 in the 100m and 22.84 in the 200m - as a freshman.
The grind to get back to those championship numbers was particularly grueling for Davis who has the sickle cell trait, which she refuses to use as an excuse, but often makes her tired. Nevertheless, she feels "a lot stronger" than at any other point in her Trojan career.
She also knows that when you have teammates like Bryshon Nellum, who came back from gunshot wounds to his legs to earn an Olympic silver medal, no one can complain about circumstances. "It just lets you know that you can do anything you set your mind to," she said about Nellum's influence on her.
Davis is all smiles on the track these days. She is focused on "staying healthy and listening to my coach," and takes pride in wearing the Cardinal and Gold.
"It means everything to me. I just try to make my school look good. When I wear my uniform, I wear it proudly and I try to run in it as fast as I can to represent my school, myself and my family."
The junior sprinter had her speed taken away last year. After bursting on the scene as a freshman, including winning the Pac-10 title in the 200m, Davis could not find her sophomore legs thanks to a nagging hamstring injury.
"Freshman year was really exciting for me, especially to win Pac-10s, now Pac-12s," said Davis who is the USC freshman record-holder in the 200m. "I wasn't really focused on anything. I was just coming in and having fun. Obviously, sophomore year did not go too great because I got hurt. This year, I just plan to have another freshman year."Davis has a "grand opening" planned for the home fans at the Trojan Invitational this Saturday as she takes on some of the nation's top competition including No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 18 Washington. While she is racing to win, at this stage of the season, the clock will tell the truest tale.
"I don't focus too much on my opponents. I focus on my time and running faster than I did before."
Already this season, she has posted an 11.7 in the 100m and 23.8 in the 200m. She set both her PRs - 11.19 in the 100m and 22.84 in the 200m - as a freshman.
The grind to get back to those championship numbers was particularly grueling for Davis who has the sickle cell trait, which she refuses to use as an excuse, but often makes her tired. Nevertheless, she feels "a lot stronger" than at any other point in her Trojan career.
She also knows that when you have teammates like Bryshon Nellum, who came back from gunshot wounds to his legs to earn an Olympic silver medal, no one can complain about circumstances. "It just lets you know that you can do anything you set your mind to," she said about Nellum's influence on her.
Davis is all smiles on the track these days. She is focused on "staying healthy and listening to my coach," and takes pride in wearing the Cardinal and Gold.
"It means everything to me. I just try to make my school look good. When I wear my uniform, I wear it proudly and I try to run in it as fast as I can to represent my school, myself and my family."
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