University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Autumn Wilson
May 21, 2023 | Track & Field, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Autumn Wilson has been winning races for a long time already. The Georgia track and field freshman won Texas high school state championships in the 100 meters, 200, 4x100 relay and long jump in her first year. Many more followed.
As if that wasn't enough, Wilson's high school days also included membership in the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Math Honor Society.
A sprinter from Austin, Wilson has had a very good first spring with the Bulldogs. Later this week, she and 24 other members of Georgia's men's and women's track teams will be competing in the NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville, Fla., at North Florida's Hodges Stadium. Wilson will be there competing in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay.
During a recent Quick Chat, Wilson talked about her start in the sport, finding her best events, making sacrifices in the pursuit of track success, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: As your freshman year heads toward the finish line, have college and collegiate track been about what you expected?
Wilson: I think transitioning from high school to college, which I definitely knew was going to be an adjustment — different coach, different kind of training — but I think knowing that and experiencing it are two different things. Through our fall training and stuff, that was pretty tough, it was hard to get through, but it was really rewarding knowing that I did get through it.
The competition, being in the SEC where it's basically like an NCAA final every single week, is really challenging. But I really enjoy it, actually, because I feel like it brings really good times out of me.
Frierson: How did you get started in track?
Wilson: I first started when I was six years old, so really young. My dad ran track in high school and college, so he's the one that got me into it. He's been my coach all my life up until college.
I started at six — not super seriously, just running meets and him training me. I think when I was eight years old is when we started doing AAU and Junior Olympics, just trying to get better every year. But I did other sports, as well. I played volleyball, basketball, flag football — I was a very active kid. My dad didn't want me to specialize in track my whole life; I didn't really just do track until high school.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite event?
Wilson: I think it just depends on how I'm doing. I feel like I like the event that I'm doing the best that year. This year, I've really been working on my 200, getting that race strategy down. I'd say the 200 is my favorite right now.
Frierson: When you come to college and you're trying to improve, is the biggest gain to be main in the first 10 yards or is it everything else?
Wilson: I think the 60 (indoors) is pretty much all start. You do have to use some strategy and know when to attack, but it very much hinges on your start. The 100, kind of the same, but you definitely have time to come back if your start is not too bad. In the 200, the start is important but you can come back, for sure.
Frierson: When I talk to sprinters and bring up the 400 or 800, they often get a look of dread on their faces. And judging by your reaction, you're also not a fan of anything involving one or two full laps?
Wilson: [Laughs] I've never done an 800 before, but I have done 400s — definitely my share of 4x400s in high school. Can't say it's my favorite thing to do, but I will definitely do it if the team needs me.
Frierson: What was it like winning all of those state championships as a freshman in high school? How were you so good so early?
Wilson: I think it's just the progression, all of the years that I put into track from a young age. It's also being consistent and making sure that you don't miss practices. Sometimes there's an aspect of sacrifice, like in high school I had friends that were making all these plans and wanting to go out and do things, but sometimes I couldn't do it. I had to lift or run or practice. I think that is a big part of it, for sure.
Frierson: One of the great things about a track team is there are women and men of all shapes and sizes doing this wide variety of events all around the facility. It's a bit like joining the circus. Is there one event that you wish you could do? Or one that you'd never try in a million years?
Wilson: [Laughs] I think the one event that I wish I could do is the high jump. My little sister is a high jumper and I'm like, the way that you sail over the bar, it just looks so fun. I wish I'd tried it at a younger age.
An event that just looks so hard and terrifying to me is pole vault, for one. And the 400 hurdles. The 400 by itself is already horribly hard for me, and having to go over barriers on top of that would be terrible [laughs].
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Autumn Wilson has been winning races for a long time already. The Georgia track and field freshman won Texas high school state championships in the 100 meters, 200, 4x100 relay and long jump in her first year. Many more followed.
As if that wasn't enough, Wilson's high school days also included membership in the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Math Honor Society.
A sprinter from Austin, Wilson has had a very good first spring with the Bulldogs. Later this week, she and 24 other members of Georgia's men's and women's track teams will be competing in the NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville, Fla., at North Florida's Hodges Stadium. Wilson will be there competing in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay.
During a recent Quick Chat, Wilson talked about her start in the sport, finding her best events, making sacrifices in the pursuit of track success, and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: As your freshman year heads toward the finish line, have college and collegiate track been about what you expected?
Wilson: I think transitioning from high school to college, which I definitely knew was going to be an adjustment — different coach, different kind of training — but I think knowing that and experiencing it are two different things. Through our fall training and stuff, that was pretty tough, it was hard to get through, but it was really rewarding knowing that I did get through it.
The competition, being in the SEC where it's basically like an NCAA final every single week, is really challenging. But I really enjoy it, actually, because I feel like it brings really good times out of me.
Frierson: How did you get started in track?
Wilson: I first started when I was six years old, so really young. My dad ran track in high school and college, so he's the one that got me into it. He's been my coach all my life up until college.
I started at six — not super seriously, just running meets and him training me. I think when I was eight years old is when we started doing AAU and Junior Olympics, just trying to get better every year. But I did other sports, as well. I played volleyball, basketball, flag football — I was a very active kid. My dad didn't want me to specialize in track my whole life; I didn't really just do track until high school.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite event?
Wilson: I think it just depends on how I'm doing. I feel like I like the event that I'm doing the best that year. This year, I've really been working on my 200, getting that race strategy down. I'd say the 200 is my favorite right now.
Frierson: When you come to college and you're trying to improve, is the biggest gain to be main in the first 10 yards or is it everything else?
Wilson: I think the 60 (indoors) is pretty much all start. You do have to use some strategy and know when to attack, but it very much hinges on your start. The 100, kind of the same, but you definitely have time to come back if your start is not too bad. In the 200, the start is important but you can come back, for sure.
Frierson: When I talk to sprinters and bring up the 400 or 800, they often get a look of dread on their faces. And judging by your reaction, you're also not a fan of anything involving one or two full laps?
Wilson: [Laughs] I've never done an 800 before, but I have done 400s — definitely my share of 4x400s in high school. Can't say it's my favorite thing to do, but I will definitely do it if the team needs me.
Frierson: What was it like winning all of those state championships as a freshman in high school? How were you so good so early?
Wilson: I think it's just the progression, all of the years that I put into track from a young age. It's also being consistent and making sure that you don't miss practices. Sometimes there's an aspect of sacrifice, like in high school I had friends that were making all these plans and wanting to go out and do things, but sometimes I couldn't do it. I had to lift or run or practice. I think that is a big part of it, for sure.
Frierson: One of the great things about a track team is there are women and men of all shapes and sizes doing this wide variety of events all around the facility. It's a bit like joining the circus. Is there one event that you wish you could do? Or one that you'd never try in a million years?
Wilson: [Laughs] I think the one event that I wish I could do is the high jump. My little sister is a high jumper and I'm like, the way that you sail over the bar, it just looks so fun. I wish I'd tried it at a younger age.
An event that just looks so hard and terrifying to me is pole vault, for one. And the 400 hurdles. The 400 by itself is already horribly hard for me, and having to go over barriers on top of that would be terrible [laughs].
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
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