Caitlyn Bobb is determined to give it her all when she lines up for the 400 metres semi-finals at the NCAA Track and Field Championships tonight.

The Bermudian sprinter will take to the track in Eugene, Oregon, at 10.14pm Bermuda time after booking her spot at the regional championships a couple of weeks ago, and she is excited to take on some of the best young runners in the United States.

“I’m excited that it’s time to run with the big girls at Oregon,” Bobb said.

“I am a senior and this is my last NCAAs, so there is no going back. I’m planning on leaving it all out on the track.”

Bobb, who will compete in the first of three semi-final heats, heads into the race with the sixth-fastest time in the eight-runner field but is comfortable with the level of competition after arriving in Oregon early.

“I am in a higher conference with VTech, so I am comfortable at the level,” Bobb said.

“I’m used to the venues, the officials, the set-up and in practice we get to these facilities and these meets, so it’s normal for us.

“The competition is on the other side of the country from Virginia, so we got there early to give the body time to be adjusted. Oregon is also three hours behind Virginia, so I’ll probably be racing at about 10pm Virginia time and I want to give my body some time to adjust to the weather and the environment in order to execute.”

“Execution” is one of Bobb’s keywords, liberally sprinkled into the conversation when she talks about past and future races. Despite securing a spot at the finals, she was disappointed with her qualifying performance and has worked hard in the past couple of weeks.

“I went in last time with one goal to punch my ticket to Oregon — and I did — but the execution definitely needed to be worked on as well as the race plan and strategy,” Bobb said.

“Every race is situational and that is even more so when you are a woman, as our bodies and menstrual cycles take a toll on our body.

“The first couple of days of regionals was a shock, as even though I am in Virginia and it’s summertime now, it doesn’t get that hot, so going to Florida and competing in the heat and humidity was a bit of an adjustment.

“That took a toll, but moving forward with hydration and nutrition, I’ll make sure I have all of my electrolytes and supplements in place.”

Bobb feels that she needs to focus on the early part of her races to bring about further improvement

“I’ve definitely needed to work on my aggression in the first half of the race, as I need to get out of my comfort zone earlier and push harder if I’m going to hit the times I think I’m capable of.

“Every 400 metres is an opportunity to execute better, so I’m excited to see what I’m going to produce.”

She may be entering the final race of her college career, but Bobb has plenty to look forward to, including competing for Bermuda at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay in August.

“I am excited for the Pan Ams in June, as a lot of my team-mates and friends will be there, but I’m taking it one race at a time, one meet at a time,” she said.

“I don’t want to look too far ahead and live in the moment because if you don’t that moment can slip away.”