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28 // VARSITY February 27, 2014 BADGERING DEANNA LATHAM A second-team All-American last year in the pentathlon, Deanna Latham has enjoyed a successful indoor track and field season so far as a junior. She won the pentathlon at Iowa State's Bill Bergan Invitational with a personal-best score of 4,117 points, and the Newbury, Mass., native looks for even a better mark this weekend at the 2014 Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio. You've already won a pentathlon and broken your school record in the 60 hurdles. What's working well for you this season? "Honestly, my season's going really well. For the first time in my life I just think I understand the events that I'm doing and I'm just developing some consistency ― that's been key for me this year. I just think that I've also gotten better, but being consistent in the multi (pentathlon) is what gives you good scores and I think that that's what's been happening. I've been jumping, knock on wood, over 5-6 every meet, long jumping over 19 and a half (feet) every meet and have been hurdling well every meet, so I think just putting it all together is how you get a good score. For the first time, I just feel like a new athlete this year." What kind of goals do you have for the Big Ten championships? "For personal goals, I just want to put together the best meet I can. I'd like to improve upon my hurdle time and I'd like to jump a little higher in the high jump. I jumped 5-7 at the last meet and I feel like I can definitely get 5-8 and that would be big for me. My goal is to do what I did at Iowa State but just a little better. I think that I have a very legitimate chance of coming out on top, but if not I would just be happy if I improve my score. I mean, I would like to win. I'm not the kind of person going into a meet thinking 'Win, win, win.' I just have to take it one event at a time and be logical, 'What do I have to do to run fast or jump higher or throw far?' So my goal is just to put a good meet together. And I think that if I do that, hopefully I'll come out on top." What event have you been focusing on the most? "In the past I have struggled with high jump. Not that I haven't been able to do it, but I've just been inconsistent with it. But this year we've put a lot of focus on it and I've spent a lot of time, this might sound silly, but visualizing how to do it in the summer and the offseason. I'd go to bed and just think about what I had to do to be a better high jumper. Maybe that was the key. I've jumped signifi- cantly better this year. I just feel great. Heights that I would never even dream of even trying to attempt and I'm almost making them. It's actually been really exciting, high jump is now something I'm kind of looking forward to. I think it's just giving me a really good chance to prove myself as the athlete that I am." Do you see yourself as a leader of what is a pretty young team? "In every year I've been here I've just really tried to be the best athlete that I can be and be the best person I can be. Basically, in my role as a captain this year, I'm just trying to lead by example. I give 100 percent every single rep at practice and that's what you have to do to get better. I've heard good feedback. I just think that I'm leading by example and I'm always there to help anyone who wants to talk. I also have a very good skill at pep talks, so I'm a very good pep-talk giver. I can motivate anyone. Even if somebody doesn't want to be motivated, I'll motivate them. It's a special skill." Favorite sports team? New England Patriots Favorite track event? Long jump or hurdles Last book you read? Divergent series Role model? My mom Favorite TV show? New Girl QUICK Q'S WITH DEANNA