QUICK Q&A:  MARIA KIMINSKI FARMINGTON JUNIOR

Three songs I never skip on my iPod are ... "Till I Collapse" by Eminem; "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion; "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Walk Off the Earth.

Three words or phrases your friends or teammates might use to describe you? Driven; positive; hard-working.

How do you balance school and sports? It gets pretty tough sometimes, but time management is everything. I try to get homework done during class and that way I stay caught up.

How did you get started in the sports you now participate in at the high school level? Jackie Beckett, an upperclassmen at the time, convinced me to try cross-country in seventh grade. My older sister, Amy, was running track in high school, and I joined as soon as I could because I wanted to be just like her.

At my first varsity practice, I felt ... so nervous! The upperclassmen were welcoming, though, and by the end of the first day, I was excited.

What is your most memorable moment as a high school athlete? Last year, the 4x400 relay I was on made it to the state meet, and we were kind of the underdogs. We ended up running five seconds faster from prelims to finals, placing fourth. It was cool to show everyone that we could race and compete with the bigger-name schools.

Favorite meal before a meet? Spaghetti, garlic bread and a brownie!

Who is your favorite college or pro sports team and why? The Minnesota Twins. My grandpa loves them, and I love my grandpa!

RON HAGGSTROM