Getting To Know Lucia Rabolli
December 26, 2023 | Track & Field
Expanding on her track career and newfound motivations, sophomore transfer from Rutgers Lucia Rabolli offers an inside look into her season and what kept her going, in the latest edition of "Getting To Know."
Q: What are some of your takeaways from the cross country season that you'd like to bring into the outdoor season in the spring?
L.R.: We were talking about it at practice this morning actually. We've noticed that our group got super close. Since the guys don't have a team, we have to stand strong together as a pack and it helps so much. I'm really glad we're able to have this dynamic, so I think our closeness will really be our strength in the spring.
Q: What's your go-to for pre-meet pump up?
L.R.: I honestly try to avoid thinking about anything track related. My best races have been the ones where I'm having fun before and not thinking about the race because it's my thoughts that make me run slow or not. Sometimes I listen to music if I'm alone, but usually I just distract myself by talking to my teammates or anything that'll keep my mind occupied.
Q: After already having your freshman year of college under your belt how did you find the adjustment period? Would you say you're still undergoing that process?
L.R.: It was actually very easy to adjust to being here. Being in California and having my teammates, I can say that I lucked out. The majority of the team is new to USC. For example, at Pac-12 Championships we only had one returner on the whole roster and the rest of us are newcomers.
Q: Did you find it easier to bond because of that?
L.R.: Definitely, sometimes I feel like I'm the same age as the older girls since we're all new. But it's great because we could just make something completely new together with aspects that work for the team to carry on into future seasons.
Q: What are some of the pros and cons of having a lot of newcomers on the team?
L.R.: Well, it was a lot easier to get to know each other and a lot less pressure. I'd say a con might be the fact that it took us a while to learn how to run and communicate with each other.
Q: Has your newfound closeness with your teammates here at SC affected your growth as a person or athlete this past season?
L.R.: I was really nervous coming here, but as time went on I realized there was nothing to be nervous about. Having people to do literally anything with has helped a lot and just being overall comfortable with everything new.
Q: If you could tell 10 year old Lucia what to expect, what would you tell her?
L.R.: I've actually thought about this a lot. When I was originally applying to schools, I wasn't really focused on what I wanted to do. I committed to Rutgers because my parents went there and I didn't really think about what I wanted to do. It was a really hard process for me to decide to transfer, but once I got into USC and Coach Harris met my dad, everything just fell into place. I'd tell her to do what's best for me.
Q: What are some of your takeaways from the cross country season that you'd like to bring into the outdoor season in the spring?
L.R.: We were talking about it at practice this morning actually. We've noticed that our group got super close. Since the guys don't have a team, we have to stand strong together as a pack and it helps so much. I'm really glad we're able to have this dynamic, so I think our closeness will really be our strength in the spring.
Q: What's your go-to for pre-meet pump up?
L.R.: I honestly try to avoid thinking about anything track related. My best races have been the ones where I'm having fun before and not thinking about the race because it's my thoughts that make me run slow or not. Sometimes I listen to music if I'm alone, but usually I just distract myself by talking to my teammates or anything that'll keep my mind occupied.
Q: After already having your freshman year of college under your belt how did you find the adjustment period? Would you say you're still undergoing that process?
L.R.: It was actually very easy to adjust to being here. Being in California and having my teammates, I can say that I lucked out. The majority of the team is new to USC. For example, at Pac-12 Championships we only had one returner on the whole roster and the rest of us are newcomers.
Q: Did you find it easier to bond because of that?
L.R.: Definitely, sometimes I feel like I'm the same age as the older girls since we're all new. But it's great because we could just make something completely new together with aspects that work for the team to carry on into future seasons.
Q: What are some of the pros and cons of having a lot of newcomers on the team?
L.R.: Well, it was a lot easier to get to know each other and a lot less pressure. I'd say a con might be the fact that it took us a while to learn how to run and communicate with each other.
Q: Has your newfound closeness with your teammates here at SC affected your growth as a person or athlete this past season?
L.R.: I was really nervous coming here, but as time went on I realized there was nothing to be nervous about. Having people to do literally anything with has helped a lot and just being overall comfortable with everything new.
Q: If you could tell 10 year old Lucia what to expect, what would you tell her?
L.R.: I've actually thought about this a lot. When I was originally applying to schools, I wasn't really focused on what I wanted to do. I committed to Rutgers because my parents went there and I didn't really think about what I wanted to do. It was a really hard process for me to decide to transfer, but once I got into USC and Coach Harris met my dad, everything just fell into place. I'd tell her to do what's best for me.
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