Stay humble, stay hungry: UWG freshman track star breaking records

Freshman track runner Ashley Davis desires to run in the Olympics.. With her humility and drive to reach her goals, this dream may very well become a reality. Davis is already shattering UWG track records in the 200 and 400-meter events, proving this theory.

In the 200, Davis ran at 25.1 seconds, breaking UWG’s 25.7 record.

Her time for the 400 was 57.9. The previous record for UWG was 59.9.

Davis is not only breaking UWG records, but she has also been beating her own..

At the Gamecock Quad Meet on March 12 in Jacksonville, Al., Davis ran the 400 in 56.71 and the 200 in 24.7. Davis also participated in the 4×400 relay with fellow runners; the group set a program record with a time of 3:59.48.

The UWG track team attended the Emory Classic on March 19 at Emory University in Atlanta and placed second overall. Davis set some personal records, too. With them, she received the Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week award. Her time for the 400 improved to 55.86, and she placed first in the 200 with 24.90. In the 400, she placed for the provisional national mark.

Davis began her journey with track as a sophomore, attending Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Ga. John Selent, Davis’ math teacher and head coach of the Central Gwinnett track team, saw potential in Davis to become a phenomenal track athlete.

The coaches at Central Gwinnett first attempted to put Davis in field events, but quickly realized short distance sprinting was her true specialty. These same coaches pushed her to attend UWG. At first, Davis was hesitant, but she knew immediately she wanted to make a difference at UWG.

She majors in marketing and hopes to add convergence journalism as a minor. She wants to be a brand ambassador for a company, like Nike, with the opportunity to still run track. At the same time, she wants to get involved with the business aspect and possibly become a Nike model.

When it comes to role models, Davis looks up to her mother most as opposed to professional track athletes.

“I don’t tend to look up to other athletes because I feel like everyone is capable of the same thing: success,” said Davis. “So I don’t really try to compare myself.”

Davis admits her mother can be difficult at times; she always pushes her but only because she recognizes her potential and knows that she should be more confident in her abilities. When Davis sees her mother in the stands at her meets, she immediately feels a sense of relief and knows she can accomplish her next goal.

Davis’ personal motto, “Stay humble, stay hungry,” keeps her grounded as a person and as an athlete.

“It’s just something I try to live by,” she said. “I don’t want my accomplishments to alter who I am.”

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