Dominique Maloney after competing in Boise in December, 2012. PHOTO: Aida White
JANUARY 13—Portland State Vikings Sr. Dominique Maloney opened her final collegiate season at the Washington Huskies Invitational in Pullman, Washington on Saturday, where she placed fourth overall in the 400m in 57.54 seconds.
“The college experience at Portland State has been great,” she reflected while at home over the Christmas Holidays. “Apart from the minor setbacks when I got there, now coming back and seeing the progress I’ve made from the first injury, it has been a great experience overall—including Butler College and I like it.”
Maloney has set some goals she’d like to accomplish this season and will work on achieving them. “We’ll see how much I can go forward with it after I get out of college,” she said.
While she likes the 400m where she ran 55.32 last year, she’s not a fan of the workouts. Her coach Ronnye Harrison thinks she’s a good 800m runner but she prefers the 400m. “The 800 is to long,” she offered. “That’s a whole other lap I have to worry about and I’m not ready for that.”
Her drive she says is to get under 54 or 53 seconds in the 400m. “People younger than me are running that time and it’s not good for me,” she noted. “But, I can only go off the training I’ve had because of the setbacks. I’m glad I’ve come back this far and I’m actually happy with it and proud of myself.”
By the time the 2013 Indoor season closes Maloney wants to have her name in the Vikings 400m record books. “I’m actually looking forward to it,” she said of the 56.10 seconds mark. “I don’t see any issues with getting it.”
Before going on holiday break, she ran 57.36 in the 400m and 7.76 in the 60m in Idaho, but said she could have gone faster. “Girls were pushing,” she recalled of the race after the break. “I pulled myself back from getting injured because I have a long season and I didn’t want to be a part of the collision that was taking place. I wasn’t happy with the time. I was able to walk off the track which showed I still had enough strength to go faster.”
She has grown to love indoor track—especially the banked tracks. “I don’t like the flat surfaces,” she stated bluntly. “Coming from the BVI where we don’t have them and we’re not used to it, my first experience wasn’t great but I’ve grown to love it now.”
Maloney was a 2012 outdoor Big Sky Conference 400m finalist and is looking for a podium finish for her final indoor campaign. “Last year they ran 54-55 and if I can get down to I don’t’ see no reason why I can’t,” she said. “My drive to make Conference finals both indoor and outdoor and place this year.”