SEALING THE DEAL: Princeton University track star Cecilia Barowski and retiring Tiger head coach Peter Farrell enjoy the moment earlier this month after she took fifth in the 800 meters at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. to earn All-America status. Recent Princeton grad Barowski ended her career with 11 school records and won the 2016 C. Otto von Kiensbusch Award as the school’s outstanding senior female athlete. This week, she is back in Eugene to compete in the 800 at the U.S. Olympic Trials. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)

On paper, it looks like Cecilia Barowski had a banner season in 2014-15 during her junior campaign for the Princeton University women’s track team.

The native of Amherst, N.H. won the 800 meters at both the indoor and outdoor Ivy League championship meet and helped the 4×400 relay team set an outdoor program record.

But Barowski wasn’t satisfied with her performance, feeling that she didn’t reach her potential.

“I put junior year behind me, it is not who I am,” said Barowski. “I am definitely faster than 2:05 in the 800. I took some time off in the summer and then came back for our preseason with cross country and that’s when I kicked it into high gear, that was essential for base training. The whole year was a process. I wanted to do more, I wanted to run fast times but Peter (Princeton head coach Peter Farrell) was very cautious and told me to keep it under my hat. He said you are going to be running until July and it is only September.”

Barowski ended up running very fast this year. She set school records in the 400, indoor and outdoor, the 800, indoor and outdoor, and the 1,000 indoor, giving her a total of 11 program bests in her Princeton career. She has personal records of 52.97 in the 400 and 2:02.14 in the 800.

Barowski won the 2016 C. Otto von Kiensbusch Award as the school’s outstanding senior female athlete. In her final college competition, she placed fifth in the 800 at the NCAA championship meet at Eugene, Ore. to earn All-America status.

This week, she returns to Eugene to compete in the 800 at the U.S. Olympic Trials as she runs into July as predicted.

When Barowski started running in middle school, following in the footsteps of older sisters who had been high school track stars, she had no idea where the sport would take her.

“It never dawned on me at the time that this is something that I really like,” said Barowski with a laugh.

“It must have been because I have stuck with it so long and it is a pleasure in my life.”

In her high school career at Bishop Guerin, Barowski took pleasure in running different races, competing from the 55 to the 600. In the indoor state championship meet in her junior year, she won the 55 and the 600, took third in the 300, and anchored the 4×400 relay to victory.

Arriving at Princeton in 2011 after considering Boston College, Cornell, Villanova, and Dartmouth, Barowski initially focused mainly on the 400.

“I know that our training for middle distance would have been way too much for what I had coming out of high school and we had some of the greatest 800 depth that we have had in a while,” said Barowski.

“I was better suited for our team as a 400 runner. Coach Thomas Harrington was the sprints coach so I ran the sprints program. I ran one 800 on spring break for our spring season opener, it was OK. It was nothing great so I stayed in sprints for another year.”

In her sophomore year, she won the 400 at the Outdoor Ivy League Heptagonal Championships after taking second at the Indoor Heps.

Taking a hiatus from Princeton during the 2013-14 school year to do medical research, Barowski struggled upon her return.

“It was a big transition coming back and being in the school environment,” said Barowski, who had hit the 2:02 mark in the 800 at the USATF Outdoor Championships during her year away from Princeton.

I got sick a lot, I missed a lot of our base training. I don’t think I ever broke 2:05 last year.”

After laying a good foundation in the fall with her distance training, Barowski enjoyed a superb indoor season, winning the 500 at the Indoor Heps and taking sixth in the 800 at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

“To know that my training was still being held back because the year was going to be so long and to still have enough speed to run a 2:04 by myself in Jadwin, it was definitely looking good,” said Barowski.

Opening the outdoor season with a bang, Barowski ran a 2:02.62 at the Stanford Invitational in early April, winning the race and making for the U.S. Olympic trials in the process as she went under the 2:03 qualifying standard.

“That was my season opener, that was really a confidence boost going forward to have opened my season with a 2:02,” said Barowski.

“I know that between now and then I haven’t gotten worse, that was my starting point, which was great.”

Barowski won the 400 at the Outdoor Heps and then moved back to the 800 at the NCAA East Regional, where she ran a 2:04.85, the third fastest time out of the 48 competitors, to qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene.

In her 800 heat at the NCAA meet earlier this month,  Barowski overcame a sluggish first lap to take first and punch her ticket to the final.

“It was basically make sure you are in position with 300 meters to go in order to be in the mix, be in position, and stay out of trouble and kick,” said Barowski.

In the championship race, Barowski got in a little trouble, finding herself in eighth place heading into the bell lap. She made a late move and took fifth in 2:03.09.

“The final was not what I had hoped, I know that I am faster than 2:03 flat,” maintained Barowski.

I think I was mentally a little shell shocked going in, it was just really, really nerves. When the starter’s gun went off, I don’t think my mind was quite ready for the race. I mentally snapped back into it and was able to kick for the last 200 or so and luckily I picked off a couple of bodies.”

The disappointing race gave Barowski extra motivation for the Olympic trials.

“A couple of girls on the team came out to watch and I got e-mails from a few alumni who had followed the meet and followed my season,” said Barowski.

“It was one thing to be really happy with a fifth place All American and it is another thing when I talk to people who really know my story and they see I can do so much more. I am glad that I have one more chance to break out and smash 2:02.”

In reflecting on her Princeton experience, Barowski is happy with how she has grown as a person and an athlete.

“I enjoy the fact that Peter recognizes that his role as a coach isn’t just athletic development but that we grow as young women,” said Barowski.

“I think through track I have really reflected on my world perspective, my self perspective, and my work ethic. The more important facets of who I am come out one way or another through my training, through my drive for competition, and through how I prepare myself for a race. The way that I think is kind of centered around my home at Jadwin. You go down to Jadwin and you change for practice and you don’t think about deadlines or papers, what you have or haven’t done. It is a totally compartmentalized life.”

As Barowski did her prep work for the trials, she focused on staying sharp.

“I run two solid 500s at race pace or a little faster, I have a couple days of filler, some recovery days in between,” explained Barowski.

“It is one day of track work and two days off the track, a 30-40 minute jog on recovery day and then drills and accelerations.”

Returning to Eugene for the competition gives Barowski a comfort level.

“We are staying at the same hotel we stayed at for NCAAs, we are walking distance from the track, we are walking distance from Pre’s trail, and walking distance from downtown,” said Barowski.

“I know the places I can eat. I also know exactly how I don’t want to feel before the race and after the race.”

Barowski is confident that she will end up feeling good about her races at the trials where the heats are set for July 1 with the semis slated for July 2 and final scheduled for July 4.

“I am looking to break 2:02 and if I surpass 2:01, all the better,” said Barowski, who plans to stay in the sport and run professionally with a club no matter what happens in Eugene.

“In terms of placing, I would love to make semifinals; it is reasonable to make the semifinals. It is one tier up of a goal to make the final eight. I am going to see how I do the first day and how I do the second day. I am not counting myself out.”

After what Barowski accomplished in her senior year, it would be foolish to count her out of any race.