A grown up Brittny Ellis throwing up the famous "U" as in University of Miami, Florida (B. Ellis photo)
There have been a few great track and field athletes that have come through the Illinois ranks. But there are very few that came from the youth division as prodigies and then continued on to become legends in high school. Brittny Ellis is one of them. As a seven year old, Ms. Ellis showed promised like so many of her peers had on the summer track and field circuit. She had a tight gripped father who watched her every step and made sure he kept her best interest first.
As a freshman at Gurnee (Warren) there was grumbling that Ellis would become just another sprinter. How untrue did that turn out. She won three of four state titles in her prized 400m. She also excelled on the national and world youth scene as well. Now, the grown up Brittny Ellis is off to the University of Miami, Florida ready to open another chapter in her storied career. Brittny was kind of enough to share some experiences after her first semester in beautiful Coral Gables located deep in South Florida.
You are one of the few child prodigies who made it through successfully from the youth leagues on to college. Can you sum up your progression that ultimately stamped you as one of the greatest track and field athletes in Illinois history?
A
child prodigy? I appreciate that,
however, I would consider myself someone who loves track, set realistic short-term
and long-term goals, put in hard work, and stuck with it. Success simply followed.
You completed the rare sprint triple crown (100/200/400) during your senior year at state. Was it your highlight of your high school career or was there another one?
The highlight of
my high school career comes in two parts.
The first part was trying out for the US Youth Championships in
2013. I ran my best race, to that date, and from lane 8! While I was not selected to the team (my
time would have placed 5th at the Donetsk, Ukraine meet), it was an
experience that defined my commitment to the sport. I will admit, I cried the entire way home
from the trials and many people may have quit, but I continued. The second
part of my high school career highlight was then making the US Team for
the Youth Olympics in 2014. I was
incredibly proud to represent the red, white, and blue for the United
States. Earning the sprint triple crown
as a senior in Charleston was definitely a proud moment and icing on the
cake for me.
Your father (Morris Ellis) has been incredibly instrumental in your athletic development as well as your mother. Now that you are away from your parents, what were the initial feelings? Did you get separation anxiety or homesick?
My parents were
my #1 supporters and certainly helped me athletically and
academically. I was fully prepared
to take the next step in my life.
In high school, I had worked a part-time job and volunteered
regularly. I also learned a lot
from my experiences with running for a couple of club teams, eventually
finding a good fit with UCTC and traveling independently to China for the
Youth Olympics, Albuquerque, NM twice for the Great Southwest meet, and
Seattle, WA for the Brooks PR meet.
I did not experience any separation anxiety or homesickness when I
moved down to Coral Gables. It is
nice, however, to stay in touch with my family. We text and Face Time often.
Moving on to college, what was your first semester like from an academic and athletic standpoint?
Academically, my
first semester of college was probably not typical of other college freshman. In high school, I had taken dual credit
classes and a lot of AP classes. My qualifying exam scores exempted me
from the typical freshman classes (English, Psychology, etc). I'm currently enrolled in some 200 &
300 level courses. Athletically, it
took me some time to get used to the 2-a-days and higher intensity. It was also different for me to really analyze
my weaknesses, namely in the weight room, and constantly have to work on
them.
What are you majoring in? Do you have a favorite class?
I'm
majoring in Nursing with my end goal of becoming a CRNA (Certified Registered
Nurse Anesthetist) and I'm minoring in Spanish. My favorite first semester class was Biology. I'm looking forward to my International Relations
class next semester, which is part of my political science cognate.
What do you want to do with yourself after athletics are over?
After athletics
are over, I'd like to work as a CRNA and travel.
The University of Miami, Florida is a great school in a great climate. But why did you pick the "Hurricanes" over say Texas A&M, Texas, or U of Kentucky which are track powerhouses?
I
was very fortunate in that I had many, many college choice options. I was able to unofficially visit a lot of
colleges, I hosted many college recruiters in my home, and I made five official
visits. When I was looking for a
college, I certainly favored warm climates and Miami's campus is absolutely
beautiful. However, my primary focus was
looking for an institution that would allow me to pursue a nursing degree,
which involves completing clinical rotations, while also running track. I met with many of the track "powerhouse"
schools. There was more than one college
who actually told me they would not work with the demands of my intended major
because the demands of track were greater. I chose Miami for a number of
reasons. Not only did they offer
Nursing, they also offered the CRNA program. I also liked the coaching staff
and was also impressed with the talent Coach Deem had developed. Coach Deem's experience serving as the
women's head coach for Team USA's track and field squad for the 2012 Olympic
Games in London, England was definitely a bonus as well. As far as "powerhouse" talent, Miami had it,
especially in the #1 collegiate 400 meter runner. Who better for me to chase?
Brittny Ellis' last high school interview (5/2015)
What events are you going to concentrate in? What goals do you have for the year?
I am going to
concentrate on the 400 and 200 this year. As you know, I never did enjoy running
the 100. As far as goals, during my Freshman year, obviously, I'd like to
lower my times and run a 22 in the 200 and a 51 in the 400. Going forward,
I'd like to continue to lower my times even more and qualify for additional
US teams in order to compete more on the international level.
South Florida is a great place to visit and certainly attending school and competing in the sport that you love has all the trimmings of wonderfulness. What in particular have you enjoyed most in your first semester being in Miami?
The things I've
enjoyed most about my first semester in Miami has been exploring the
campus and surrounding communities, having Caribbean food readily
available (the dining hall even has plantains, Ackee & saltfish- what
other university offers that?!) and UM ranked number 1 in cultural
diversity/ interactions, so I've enjoyed meeting new people.
Thank you very much Brittny and good luck to you moving forward!