By Johanna Gretschel, Senior Editor of MileSplit (@jojo_shea)

Candace Hill talked to Jojo of MileSplit one day after signing on with ASICS as the brand's first female sprinter. The sixteen-year-old high school junior at Rockdale County High School in Conyers, Ga. is the youngest track and field athlete to sign a professional contract. She dishes about her decision to go pro, her training schedule and what her favorite ASICS gear is...

Jojo: Congratulations on signing with ASICS! Can you describe the timeline and process of turning pro?

Candace: Initially, I was not thinking about going pro; I just thought that I'd continue my junior and high school years and go to college and go pro in college. However, my mom came to me and said, 'Candace, people have been asking you to turn pro and I feel like it's your next step in life because... high school's getting too easy for you, it'll prepare you for the next thing.'

I was like, 'no, I don't want to. I want to finish high school, finish college.' Because if you look at some of the people who turned pro in the past, I didn't think that was a good idea for me because I didn't think I was that fast and I'd be able to handle the pro competition. And my mom and coaches said to me, 'this is the next step...'

How long did it take for you to change your mind?

Like a month.

Was there a particular moment that changed your mind?

After many times, my coach said, 'okay, Candace, you need to go pro. I think it's best for you, you've already made it to the highest level in high school and what's left for you? They're not gonna push you like professional track athletes would.'

What are your expectations for 2016?

I'm looking at 2016 for a learning experience. I'm definitely gonna go to the Trials, but only as an experience and if I make the team, I do, and if I don't, I'm not gonna beat myself up about it. I'm not gonna go in saying I'm gonna do something and then if I don't... then people will be like, 'what happened?'

Photo: MileSplit.com

What events do you plan on focusing on this year?

I don't really know what my coaches have decided, they have 100m and 200m throughout out my race schedule. But we're talking about it right now. 

When's your first race?

I know it's on Jan. 16. I think it's the Vulcan Invite. It's in Birmingham. I think I'm doing the 60m and the 4x400m with a couple other people.

What do you run for 400m? How do you like it?

I think the last time my coach calculated [from my relay split], it was a 52. I hate the 400, I do not plan on running it. After I'm done with the 200m and 100m in regular high school meets, I'm done with it. I'm into the spirit of the 4x4 race so I do my best but I hate it.

What is your coaching situation? The NYT reported that you switched coaches to Tony Carpenter recently.

Actually, I didn't switch coaches, I just added another coach. I'm working with Tony Carpenter... he's the head of the Titan Elite, they're out of college and they're running in the meets too and he puts them with me. [The training group is] about a good seven people. I do run with the guys because sometimes the girls are doing a different workout than me. I'll run with the guy sprinters... some of them are [post-collegiate] and a few of them are in high school.

[On] Tuesday, Wednesday I practice with Coach Sayon Cooper. He trained me in 10th grade and in 9th grade throughout the summer time, along with my high school coach Vinson Elder, but he's not training me now - not until the spring.

With Cooper, [there's] one person training with me; she's post-collegiate.

Monday and Thursday, I'm lifting weights and that's basically at the gym, working out at the gym.

Saturdays and Sundays, I work with Coach Carpenter at Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

I'm off on Fridays.

They [ASICS] just wanted to keep it as normal as possible. They didn't want to make any changes -- "she works best with these coaches."

To read the whole interview go to MileSplit.com.