THIS is my sister!! What a woman!

from the Springfield News Leader
Catching up with ... Mallory Thomson

She's also an old soul with a penchant for old soul music, as well as jazz and acoustic guitar.
A former gymnast, she flipped through some questions at her home field, JFK Stadium.
How did you get into track and field, especially jumping?
"I started in seventh grade. I played all the sports I could. I'd done gymnastics for 10 years. ... Track came after volleyball and I thought it would be a good fit. It's similar to gymnastics, it's individual and it's mental. You compete with your mind against yourself. That's what I like."
What do you do for fun?
"I'm a little bit of a homebody. I like to hang out with my family and dogs, maybe watch some movies. This sounds cliché, but I like music, too."
What's in your iPod right now?
"I'm obsessed with Norah Jones, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. I've seen some of them (at the Starlight in Kansas City). It's been some of the best experiences of my life. ... But I like a lot of older stuff like Dionne Warwick and Diana Washington."
What about movies?
"I'm also obsessed with River Phoenix. Yes, he's dead, but Running on Empty and Stand By Me are two of my favorites. I don't know, I just like him."
What are you planning to do when you graduate?
"Not too long ago, I visited the University of Texas at Austin for its business school. I liked it a lot and (for international business) they require you to study abroad, which I like. I'm also considering the University of Wisconsin in Madison."
Why did you pick places so far away from Springfield?
"My older siblings were Army brats. They got to live all over the place. I've lived a completely different life, staying in Springfield my whole life. I've traveled and I want to try something different, see different cultures. ... I just want to be away, try to make it on my own."
Do you have senior-itis yet?
"Yeah, it's not too bad right now. Spring Break helped. I'm fifth in my class, so my grades are taken care of."
You seem pretty outgoing, are you politically inclined?
"Well, I'm not going to tell you who I'd vote for, one because we don't know who's running yet, but let's just say I'm inspired by Hillary Clinton."
If a female candidate runs for president this time, will she win?
"I won't vote for someone just because they're a woman, but as much as I hate to say it, I'm afraid she wouldn't win."
Do you read the News-Leader?
"I do. Not necessarily every day, but I like to read the high school stuff. I like the VarsityHQ. You can't miss (that logo). It's always so eye-catchy."
-- Allen Vaughan