Athlete of the Week goes to Julia Weithofer of East Longmeadow indoor track
Bill Wells, The Republican, February 18, 2012 6:30 a.m.

Julia Weithofer, East Longmeadow indoor track - JULIA WEITHOFER, East Longmeadow indoor track

Class: Junior

Accomplishments: Helped Spartans repeat as Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference champion; easily won long jump with a leap of 17 feet, placed third in the 55-meter dash in 7.62 seconds and ran the second leg of the winning 4x200 relay team.

Of note: Also plays soccer and outdoor track; considering a career as a veterinarian.

INTERESTS/FAVORITES

Athlete: Alex Morgan of USA women’s national team

Event: Long jump

Sneaker: Nike

Pre-meet habit: Eats a asiago bagel from Panera Bread the day of meets

IMMEDIATE REACTION

Weithofer on how she thought she performed at the championship meet: “I did better than I thought I would in the 55 because all season I was running in the 7.7s and I ran a 7.62, which was a surprise for me and a reward for me. In the long jump I didn’t think I’d get 17 feet again but I did.”

Weithofer on East Longmeadow repeating as regional champions: “It was a reward for all of us. It was awesome to win it all.”