Boston College Athletics
King's Determination Comes From Close Family Ties
November 18, 2011 | Women's Track & Field
Nov. 18, 2011
Despite her long list of individual accomplishments, Jillian King relishes the ones she shared with her family and teammates most of all.
The senior has been a key member of Boston College’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams since she transferred from Georgetown after her freshman year, compiling records and emerging as a team leader.
Currently one of the captains of the cross country team, she placed 10th overall in the Northeast Regionals with a time of 21:04.0, helping to take BC to an NCAA Championship by seeing the team to a second-place finish. At the earlier ACC Championships, she ran her best time of the season (20:37.0) to finish seventh overall and lead BC to a second-place finish.
“It’s always a great opportunity to go to nationals,” King said. “I’m really excited about how well our team did at regionals. It’s an amazing experience to share with teammates. The NCAA is the end goal, and we’re looking to do our best.”
If you ask her about individual success, records or fast times, King will stress how happy she is to help the team win and cite the people who have helped her throughout her career.
But her sister and last year’s cross country captain, Caroline King, will tell you that the difference between King and other runners is her dedication to success.
“Her determination to do well and how consistent she is with her training have made a difference,” she said. “She genuinely wants to do well and that’s one of the main reasons she’s had so much success. She cares so much and never gives up. She doesn’t easily accept defeat.”
King, who began running early in life because of the influence of her sisters and her father, John, who ran in college at Siena, fondly recalls the beginning of her career.
“As kids we’d do little fun runs and little road races, and we’d do the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving,” she explained. “When I was playing soccer, there was a big loop around the field that I’d keep running and running, and I wouldn’t want to go home. So instead of soccer practice, I’d want to run more so it went from there.”
In high school, King ran with Caroline and her other sister, Keela, on a relay team, gaining valuable experience by running with them and growing into a talented runner in her own right. She signed to run at Georgetown, but, because she broke her leg in a skiing accident and suffered a variety of setbacks from that injury, she never actually ran for the Hoyas.
Transferring to Boston College was a relatively easy decision, one driven by her desire to be close to her family and run with Caroline, then a junior.
“Caroline and I are really close, and I wanted to be a little bit closer to home,” King noted. “I get to see my parents more. I have an older sister who lives in Boston too, so when my parents come they can visit all three of us. They can come to a lot of the races because we’re together so it’s really nice to have more support.”
The support of her family and the relationship she has with Caroline have been main factors in helping her make the most of her talent. Caroline in particular has been an important role model and running partner over the years and has helped to push King to the next level.
“Going into the season, she gave me some good advice about having fun with it and not putting too much pressure on myself,” King noted. “She’s a good person to talk to.”
Caroline, who set a number of her own records while running at BC, notes that her little sister had a big influence on her career as well.
“When I’m feeling tired during a race, I think Jillian wouldn’t give up,” she said. “I’ve never really seen her give up, and knowing that she always pushes through things motivates me.”
Being able to run with Caroline throughout her life has been special for King, and the highlight of her running career took place at the historic Penn Relays in May. Running the 4X1500 relay with Caroline and teammates Caitlin Bailey and Siobhan Breagy, she was sure they were going to finish in third place at the start of her sister’s anchor run.
In the end, Caroline blazed past the runner from Villanova on the final turn and edged out the runner from Georgetown at the finish line, covering her leg in only 4:12.20.
“That’s probably one of the most memorable things in running for me,” said King, who often watched the relays growing up with her sisters. “One thing for me was sharing it with my sister and both my other teammates, Caitlin and Siobhan. Being able to share that with them was an incredible experience. I was in disbelief. I just remember yelling so loud and being so overwhelmed with joy.”
A biology and theology double major who is also pre-med, King is hoping to go to graduate school at BC to pursue a master’s degree in public health before going to medical school. The reasons why she is able to succeed in academics and running at the same time are her passion for the sport and competitive drive that have propelled her forward, especially in running, even during the difficult times.
“I try to do the little things, and I enjoy it so much,” King said. “It’s really something I love to do. If you really have a passion for something, you’re going to devote yourself to it. It’s always been a part of my life, and in college you dedicate yourself to it a little bit more and spend some more time.”
If she goes to graduate school at BC, she’ll be able to run for all three teams again as she received an extra year of eligibility because she didn’t run at Georgetown. Right now, she’s just looking forward to running again with Caroline, who has a fifth year of eligibility in the indoor and outdoor track, for the Eagles.
And, of course, there’s always that national championship to attend to. Knowing King, it’ll end up being a fitting end to her senior year on the cross country team.
Written by Jen Dobias
