Before She Was A Champion, Ariel Pedigo Put The Work In milesplit.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from milesplit.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
This Washington Distance Standout Has Turned It Up A Notch
Photo Credit: John Hays/Arizona MileSplit She s got good physiological talent, but I d say her biggest asset is really her mental strength and guts, that grit, especially when the gun goes off. Troy Anderson, Eastlake Head Caoch
By Ashley Tysiac - MileSplit Correspondent
Eastlake (WA) High School cross country coach Troy Anderson knew early on that Emily Van Valkenburg had the makings of an elite runner.
Anderson vividly remembers a moment when Van Valkenburg was a freshman, running in the junior varsity race at the league championships. Right from the gun she took off, leading the entire race and gapping the field by around 20 seconds to take the win.
Behind The Unprecedented XC Season In North Carolina
By Ashley Tysiac - MileSplit Correspondent
As North Carolina s best high school cross country runners and teams gather to compete for the state s top prizes in cross country on Friday and Saturday at Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, their successes reflect a commitment to succeed together amid a global pandemic that has turned their season upside down.
It s the end of January, a time when most high school runners find themselves running laps on the track indoors. Yet due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic that has riddled the nation, North Carolina distance runners instead find themselves racing at 5,000-meters in the dirt and mud during the cold winter months.