High school athletes aren’t supposed to admit how big of a factor such things as athletics and the weather play in their college choice. Park Tudor track star Hannah Farley, however, singled out those very aspects in her decision to attend Stanford University.

Of course, with Notre Dame, Princeton and Purdue as the other finalists, she knew her academics weren’t going to be an issue.

“All the schools were great and I’d have been happy at any of them,” said Farley, who enters this season trying to be the first female athlete to win four consecutive 400-meter dash titles since North Central’s Maicel Malone from 1984-87. “(But) I loved the weather (at Stanford). It’s perfect for running (and) there’s a big track community. It’s a great academic school and I felt at home there.”

Farley, who is considering majoring in Chemical Engineering, received her first recruiting letter from the Cardinal after her sophomore season and received a call from the coaching staff on July 1 last year, the first day the school could make contact with her.

Farley also finished third in the 200 as a sophomore and second in the event last season and expects to compete in both events at Stanford, with the 800 a possibility as well. Farley, who was also a member of Park Tudor’s sixth-place 1,600-meter relay team, led the Panthers to a fifth-place finish in the state meet last year, the best in its history.