Game Faces: Murielle Ahoure

Year: Sophomore
Sport: Track
Major: Administration of Justice

Claim to Fame: She competed in the 100- and 200-meter dash at the USA Junior Track and Field Championships. She was also one of only three freshmen who competed at the National Championships in the 100-meter dash and the only freshman in the 200-meter dash.

Latest Achievement: She was named the Rookie of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the outdoor season in 2006 and was the Most Outstanding Track Performer at the CAA Championships. She finished just two places out of qualifying for the semifinals in the 100-meter dash at the National Championships.

Ranking in NCAA Division I: 26th in the 200-meter dash and 33rd in the 100-meter dash

A Turning Point: Ahoure ran track for the first time during the outdoor season in her sophomore year at Hayfield High School in Fairfax County, then she ran indoor and outdoor track in her junior and senior years. “In my senior year in high school, when I saw some schools were talking to me and offering scholarships, I said, ‘Hey, this is cool. I can do this.’”

On Mason Head Coach Angie Taylor: “I felt like I could get along with her, and we get along great. She is a coach and a friend at the same time.”

Where She Likes to Hang Out on Campus: “I like to soak in the hot tub at the Aquatic Center; we do pool workouts there every Wednesday.” Ahoure also enjoys getting together with friends at her apartment and at the Johnson Center and SUB II.

What She Does When Not on the Track: “Shopping! I love shopping. I love fashion. Cooking is also a huge hobby for me.” Because Ahoure was born in Cote d’Ivoire, she cooks a lot of African food.

Signature Dish: Pasta alfredo with shrimp

Favorite Fashion TV Shows: America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway.

Best Memory: “Just before my race, when I was getting in the blocks for the 100-meter dash [in the NCAA Championships outdoor meet in 2006], I looked at the finish line and around me and thought to myself, ‘Wow, I am really here.’ I was amazed at how far I had made it.”