The senior cross-country star might not see her name in the headlines as often as fellow Hokies Tyrod Taylor or Jeff Allen, but Fanning is one of Tech's preeminent athletes. She capped off an exemplary 2007 campaign by becoming the fourth Hokie woman to ever receive All-American honors in the sport.
When talking about last season, Fanning's face lights up when she gets to describe her experience at the United States Olympic Trials in Oregon.
"I said to my coach, 'I'm just so happy to be here, I'm just so excited','" Fanning said. "It was a really cool atmosphere."
Fanning advanced to the trials by clocking one of the nation's top-24 times in the five-kilometer event. She qualified through the preliminary round and finished ninth overall -- six spots away from representing the United States in the 2008 Olympic Summer Games. Fanning looks to build on that experience this year, as she has already qualified for the 2009 USATF National Meet in June. She refuses to speculate as to the 2012 London games.
"We will have to see how things go," Fanning said.
Born in Seattle, Tasmin came to Charlottesville with her mom and sister -- eventual Tech cross-country teammate -- Jess. The roots of the girls' running success can be traced as far back as their grandfather, who ran the 400-yard at Cornell University.
"I always ran the mile in gym class," Tasmin Fanning said, on the beginnings of her path in the sport.
This would continue into high school.
"My mom said Jess and I had to pick a sport," Tasmin Fanning said. "Jess picked running, and when it was my turn, I thought I'd give it a try."
Heavily recruited, Tasmin Fanning ended up choosing to join her sister at Tech for the same reason many students ended up here.
"I fell in love with the campus," Tasmin Fanning said.
Her success has probably made the campus love Fanning back, especially after 2007: Out of the six Hokie meets she ran in, she won the Wake Forest Relays, the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational and the William and Mary Inter-Regional. She then finished sixth in the prestigious Chile Pepper Invitational, fourth in the ACC Championships, third in the NCAA Southeast Regionals and topped the whole thing off with a 12th place out of 255 at NCAA Nationals.
Tasmin was also an NCAA national meet qualifier in the 1,500 meters and set a new Tech record with a time of 4:17.79. She accomplished all this even prior to her being named an All-American and her trip to the Olympic Trials.
Off the track, grass and trail, Tasmin Fanning is a human nutrition, foods and exercise major with aspirations of becoming a chiropractor after she graduates this spring. She's also an avid chef and cites her athletic enjoyments as badminton and cornhole.
Tasmin Fanning will lead the cross-country team this fall, and the long-distance group of the track team in the winter. Fanning's favorite distance is the 1500-meter, an event for which she holds the Tech record. She also holds the Tech records for the 1,000-meter and the 5,000-meter.
When asked whether she would ever consider a marathon, she laughs and answers, "No, no, no -- no marathons. I have no desire to go on 26-mile runs. I like to race for something I've prepared for and can perform at."
Tasmin Fanning's 2008 season begins today as the Hokies host the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational at 6 p.m., where Tech will take on Wake Forest, Florida State, College of Charleston, Concord and Montreat College at the Virginia Tech Cross Country Course.
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