University Southern California Trojans
Photo by: John McGillen
Getting To Know Lyndsey Lopes
May 03, 2018 | Track & Field, Features
USC junior heptathlete Lyndsey Lopes will be competing at the Pac-12 Multi-Event Championships this weekend at Stanford. Lopes placed third in the heptathlon at the 2017 Conference Championships and ranks fifth on USC's all-time list in the event with a PR of 5,574 points. Lopes has set personal-bests in the 100m hurdles, 200m, 800m, long jump, high jump and shot put already this season and looks to string together some impressive performances this weekend to move up USC's all-time heptathlon list. We sat down with Lopes last week and asked her about her season.
Q: With the Pac-12 Multi-Events Championship this weekend, do you feel like you have prepared differently compared to the past two seasons?
LL: Absolutely. I feel that in my past years I became kind of complacent in where I was in my position on the team. I was just happy to be at USC whereas now I find that I'm able to raise my goals. I've been able to see my progress in the last two years and to see that I definitely belong here, I'm definitely a top competitor in my event and that is really motivating for me and it's been a huge motivation throughout this season. I feel a lot more confident, I feel stronger, I'm really happy with my training, and I'm blessed to be able to work every single day with our amazing staff we have – I think the best staff out of everyone. To be able to work with each coach and also just to be able to compete high-level every single day. I'm hurdling with national leaders every single day, I'm running with amazing athletes every single day. To have that kind of competitiveness in practice and then also going into competition it just doesn't change. Always high-intensity.
Q: Can you elaborate on what it's like training for all of the different events in the heptathlon?
LL: It's quite a lot [laughs]. It's a large load but I can take it on, it's nothing I can't handle. Usually I'll hurdle with the hurdlers and then I'll train with the quarter-milers and I also train with Coach Block (Blockburger) and the jumpers. It's quite a lot and it's quite a lot to pay attention to technically, but that just comes with being a multi and having to keep my composure and focus on one event at a time and really executing throughout the heptathlon in each event.
Q: Do you have a favorite event? One you think has some room for improvement?
LL: I really like the hurdles. I like jumps too but I think it's a love-hate relationship because I feel like it is so technical whereas hurdles are really aggressive and it's just something I've seen constant improvement in. I've seen a lot of PRs in hurdles so it's fun to compete against myself and I also just love training for it. I love the speed of it.
Q: Do you ever wish you could focus only on a couple of events as opposed to a multi-event?
LL: I totally wish I could focus on only a couple of events [laughs]. But really, I do and I don't. I actually like being able to say that I'm a heptathlete and being one of the very few who can do my event, especially an event that is not as celebrated as it could be.
Q: What are your individual goals for the rest of the season?
LL: My goal is to hopefully get up to at least a 5700 within the next week. I really would love to get top three at Pac-12s, I would like to win Pac-12s. I'd love to win the Pac-12 Championship to go into Nationals and to have that momentum. I'm really just excited and I'm trying to take it one day at a time, one event at a time, and hopefully conquer each goal that I've set and do my very best.
Q: How does the culture of the team further your goals?
LL: That's what I really love about this team, especially as a woman. Our female team is extremely strong, and it just shows not only our athletic talent, but I'm surrounded by extremely strong, determined, and hardworking women. I'm all for girl power. We are generally a smaller team, but we're small but mighty and we're extremely talented. Everybody knows their job and what they're supposed to do, and I feel like we're always out there just encouraging each other and competing against one another and helping each other out. I'm blessed to be able to go and practice with all hurdlers and I'm hep, but I'm over here practicing with people who specialize in this exact event. Not only am I learning from my amazing coaches and amazing staff that we have here, but also my teammates.
Q: Does the team have any sayings or rituals that help bring the team together?
LL: One thing that we always talk about is to give our all when we're out there competing and do our absolute best. "To execute" is a very big thing, but also to have fun with what we're doing. A lot of the time, especially at this level, we get stuck in times and stats and we forget that we are extremely blessed to be in the position that we are and that we need to execute of course, but also just enjoy this whole process because you're not going to be an athlete forever. While you're here you might as well enjoy it.
Q: With a lot of emphasis placed on times, how do you shake your nerves before you go into each of your events?
LL: That's something that I've always had a struggle with. I'm surrounded by amazing coaches every day who are able to constantly remind me "okay Lyndsey take one event at a time. Don't stress yourself out." A lot of the time I think about "oh my gosh I have this event next and this went bad" and I don't want to carry that bad energy into the next event. I think that's been a really important factor for me in just focusing on one event at a time and really just going through the process and making sure I have good vibes and good energy going through the competition because it is so long. A lot of the times you can get distracted by yourself and you can be your own worst enemy.
Q: Switching gears, what's your major?
LL: I'm a communication major. I hope to go into sports broadcasting. I'm also kind of interested in PR too. I've always wanted to be a sports broadcaster since I was really young. I'd love to be the next Cari Champion, the next Sage Steele. Also, I would really love to be able to use that career and use my experience as a college athlete to make a platform to speak about issues that us athletes go through like mental illness and anxiety. I feel like all athletes at a young age are always told to be tough and suck it up and mental illness is not something that's discussed enough in sports. Some of the best athletes have anxiety or things like that and more has to be done.
Q: How do you feel USC has shaped you?
LL: I'm extremely blessed and extremely thankful to be able to graduate from USC, attend USC, be a student-athlete at USC, and be in the Annenberg School of Communication. It's the people I've met and the relationships I have developed that have been amazing. It's definitely helped me not only athletically but also socially to be able to find who I am and what I think and what I have opinions about. I have been able to talk to a lot of people that are in sports broadcasting that I want to be like one day. Also, just athletically, I'm surrounded by coaches who have already been on the next level, have already won gold medals. To be able to come in everyday and have a conversation and ask for advice has been extremely important and beneficial for me. I'm really just thankful for this opportunity and I'm really enjoying my time here.
Q: With the Pac-12 Multi-Events Championship this weekend, do you feel like you have prepared differently compared to the past two seasons?
LL: Absolutely. I feel that in my past years I became kind of complacent in where I was in my position on the team. I was just happy to be at USC whereas now I find that I'm able to raise my goals. I've been able to see my progress in the last two years and to see that I definitely belong here, I'm definitely a top competitor in my event and that is really motivating for me and it's been a huge motivation throughout this season. I feel a lot more confident, I feel stronger, I'm really happy with my training, and I'm blessed to be able to work every single day with our amazing staff we have – I think the best staff out of everyone. To be able to work with each coach and also just to be able to compete high-level every single day. I'm hurdling with national leaders every single day, I'm running with amazing athletes every single day. To have that kind of competitiveness in practice and then also going into competition it just doesn't change. Always high-intensity.
Q: Can you elaborate on what it's like training for all of the different events in the heptathlon?
LL: It's quite a lot [laughs]. It's a large load but I can take it on, it's nothing I can't handle. Usually I'll hurdle with the hurdlers and then I'll train with the quarter-milers and I also train with Coach Block (Blockburger) and the jumpers. It's quite a lot and it's quite a lot to pay attention to technically, but that just comes with being a multi and having to keep my composure and focus on one event at a time and really executing throughout the heptathlon in each event.
Q: Do you have a favorite event? One you think has some room for improvement?
LL: I really like the hurdles. I like jumps too but I think it's a love-hate relationship because I feel like it is so technical whereas hurdles are really aggressive and it's just something I've seen constant improvement in. I've seen a lot of PRs in hurdles so it's fun to compete against myself and I also just love training for it. I love the speed of it.
Q: Do you ever wish you could focus only on a couple of events as opposed to a multi-event?
LL: I totally wish I could focus on only a couple of events [laughs]. But really, I do and I don't. I actually like being able to say that I'm a heptathlete and being one of the very few who can do my event, especially an event that is not as celebrated as it could be.
Q: What are your individual goals for the rest of the season?
LL: My goal is to hopefully get up to at least a 5700 within the next week. I really would love to get top three at Pac-12s, I would like to win Pac-12s. I'd love to win the Pac-12 Championship to go into Nationals and to have that momentum. I'm really just excited and I'm trying to take it one day at a time, one event at a time, and hopefully conquer each goal that I've set and do my very best.
Q: How does the culture of the team further your goals?
LL: That's what I really love about this team, especially as a woman. Our female team is extremely strong, and it just shows not only our athletic talent, but I'm surrounded by extremely strong, determined, and hardworking women. I'm all for girl power. We are generally a smaller team, but we're small but mighty and we're extremely talented. Everybody knows their job and what they're supposed to do, and I feel like we're always out there just encouraging each other and competing against one another and helping each other out. I'm blessed to be able to go and practice with all hurdlers and I'm hep, but I'm over here practicing with people who specialize in this exact event. Not only am I learning from my amazing coaches and amazing staff that we have here, but also my teammates.
Q: Does the team have any sayings or rituals that help bring the team together?
LL: One thing that we always talk about is to give our all when we're out there competing and do our absolute best. "To execute" is a very big thing, but also to have fun with what we're doing. A lot of the time, especially at this level, we get stuck in times and stats and we forget that we are extremely blessed to be in the position that we are and that we need to execute of course, but also just enjoy this whole process because you're not going to be an athlete forever. While you're here you might as well enjoy it.
Q: With a lot of emphasis placed on times, how do you shake your nerves before you go into each of your events?
LL: That's something that I've always had a struggle with. I'm surrounded by amazing coaches every day who are able to constantly remind me "okay Lyndsey take one event at a time. Don't stress yourself out." A lot of the time I think about "oh my gosh I have this event next and this went bad" and I don't want to carry that bad energy into the next event. I think that's been a really important factor for me in just focusing on one event at a time and really just going through the process and making sure I have good vibes and good energy going through the competition because it is so long. A lot of the times you can get distracted by yourself and you can be your own worst enemy.
Q: Switching gears, what's your major?
LL: I'm a communication major. I hope to go into sports broadcasting. I'm also kind of interested in PR too. I've always wanted to be a sports broadcaster since I was really young. I'd love to be the next Cari Champion, the next Sage Steele. Also, I would really love to be able to use that career and use my experience as a college athlete to make a platform to speak about issues that us athletes go through like mental illness and anxiety. I feel like all athletes at a young age are always told to be tough and suck it up and mental illness is not something that's discussed enough in sports. Some of the best athletes have anxiety or things like that and more has to be done.
Q: How do you feel USC has shaped you?
LL: I'm extremely blessed and extremely thankful to be able to graduate from USC, attend USC, be a student-athlete at USC, and be in the Annenberg School of Communication. It's the people I've met and the relationships I have developed that have been amazing. It's definitely helped me not only athletically but also socially to be able to find who I am and what I think and what I have opinions about. I have been able to talk to a lot of people that are in sports broadcasting that I want to be like one day. Also, just athletically, I'm surrounded by coaches who have already been on the next level, have already won gold medals. To be able to come in everyday and have a conversation and ask for advice has been extremely important and beneficial for me. I'm really just thankful for this opportunity and I'm really enjoying my time here.
Wednesday, June 17
Sunday, May 17
Thursday, May 14
Saturday, March 28
