At 8:40 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time, Scripps College rising senior Jennifer Tavé will line up, wait for the familiar pop of a starter’s pistol, and run for France. A dual citizen, Jennifer represents the European nation this week at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic. She’ll be running the 10K… and she hopes to do it in under 36 minutes.
That’s a pace of more than 9 miles per hour.
“This is the first time I’m competing on the National team, and I must say that it’s pretty exciting,” Jennifer says. “Even though all the athletes speak different languages, there’s a surprising feeling of unity since we all share the passion of athletics.
“I really miss my Athena and Stag teammates and wish they were here to warm up with me,” she adds. “I am proud to wear my country’s colors even though beneath the singlet, I’ll be shining with CMS [Claremont-Mudd-Scripps athletics] and Scripps spirit.”
Jennifer left for Ostrava July 12 with the French team. The games, which run July 14-17, encompass a wide array of sporting events (shot put, pole vault, hammer throw, and hurdles among them) and are seen by many as a stepping stone to Olympic competition.
Click here to learn more about championships or watch video footage of the events. Says Jennifer: “Look for the ‘bleu de la France’!”