Kaia Hampton Reflects on Benefits of Choosing the University of Tampa

When it came time to decide where Kaia Hampton wanted to continue running cross country, there was no competition with the University of Tampa.

Now a senior, Kaia reflects back on her choice to represent herself as a Spartan under head coach Jarrett Slaven, "Coach Slaven is one of the biggest reasons I decided to run for UT. My sister ran in college and had problems with coaching, so I knew I was not only taking no chances with coach Slaven, but I would be more than happy at UT."

Kaia was running in the right direction with no hesitation. She was just as decisive about what she wanted to study as who she wanted to run for, "I major in biochemistry for the same reason I run; I can't see myself doing anything else. I love what I'm doing and the research in my field makes me feel like I have a purpose."

The day-in and day-out routine does not seem to faze the women's cross country captain and stresses time management, "It's rough getting up at 6 a.m., for practice and then going to biochemistry labs on top of the classes for that day, but it's all worth it in the end."

A massive sinus surgery and tonsil extraction sidelined Kaia for part of her freshman season, but she cites her motivation to run and support from her teammates and coaches brought her back for a successful sophomore year.

Determination and confidence do not seem to be characteristics the lone senior on the Women's Cross Country Team is missing, and she certainly brings that fuel to the team. She planned on setting the stage and attitude for the season with that energy, but her teammates have been ready to match it since day one, "the atmosphere of the team is awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better team to run with in my last season."

Although it is hard to fathom losing four seniors from last year's team, Kaia has been thrilled with the new members of the squad. She admits she felt like there was a void when the women in the class of 2012 graduated, as they were phenomenal runners and friends, but the freshmen have been a pleasant surprise. Kaia exclaims that "they are very motivated and have embodied the spirit of last year's team," and adds, "It's awesome to have a class like that come in."

Kaia is thankful for the support each teammate shows one another, but it doesn't stop there. Her parents, who still live in Tallahassee, Fla., come to every meet and are a vocal support during the meets. She notes that she loves how enthusiastic her family is.

Speaking of family, Kaia is the sister-in-law to the Baltimore Orioles' catcher Matt Wieters. "Matt is humble and so down-to-earth. He doesn't act like a superstar and he actually came out to one of my races last year. He's just a normal, relaxed guy and I'm really happy for my sister and him; they just had a baby boy!"

The environment Kaia has been in this season is one that she and her team can thrive in. When asked about goals for this season, Kaia says, "Our goal is to just have a strong season." She also hopes the team can place in the top ten nationally.

As for her future after this year, Kaia is applying for Ph.D. programs in neuroscience. Kaia notes she has cherished her years at UT, "I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at UT. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Written by Jimmy Kelly