From pastime to passion, cross country has developed into a sport senior Katelyn Huber dedicates herself to every day.
When she signed up for Jesuit cross country in August of her freshman year, Huber had no previous running experience apart from middle school P.E. All she knew was she wanted to make new friends through the fall sport.
What started out as running 2-3 miles a day eventually became 4-5 with hard work. Huber quickly learned about her dedication to personal improvement, and running started to become something more than just a social outlet.
“This is cool. This is something worth working towards,” Huber recalled thinking when she started out.
Her journey hasn’t come without its challenges of course. At the end of freshman year, Huber tore a tendon in her leg putting her in crutches for a time and keeping her from running.
Finally being able to get back to cross country sophomore year was thrilling and the start of something big for her. After serious dedication and improvement, Huber was able to earn a varsity letter last year.
There’s something special about putting in the grit and watching it pay off for Huber. Sometimes it can be difficult to not compare herself to runners who have been in the sport for nearly their whole lives, but Huber’s self-starter attitude keeps her going.
“Working hard towards a personal best is kind of like a challenge against yourself…[Running] represents how self motivated I am and how I work towards a goal. Every single week I want to get faster,” Huber said.
It also helps her in the classroom. Getting fresh air before setting up inside to study has been a successful strategy for her.
”[Running] helps me focus on homework. Having a good workout after school makes me feel accomplished… and get other things done,” Huber said.
On September 28, Huber raced in the Nike Portland Invitational and placed fourth out of about 200 national runners. She reflects that she’s happy with how she did, and also notes what she would do differently next time. Currently running a 5k in under 20 minutes, Huber hopes to get her time down to under 19 minutes in her last year running for Jesuit.
Looking back on her time running at Jesuit, Huber is “really happy she joined cross country freshman year.”
Practices can be long and tiring, but for her, that’s just part of getting better at something she loves.
Teammate Emerson Strub ‘25 commented that she “was very happy when Katelyn was moved up to A team.”
“I can see how much dedication she puts in,” Strub said.
