As she begins her final season of high school cross country, state champion Olivia Thomas remembers that she never intended to compete in the first place.
“A friend agreed to do cross country with me to stay in shape,” said Thomas in an interview Monday, “just to try it out. We weren’t even going to run in the meets.”
That was in ninth grade. Now, as seniors, Thomas and her friend Lauresa Smith are co-captains of the King’s High School cross country team and returning state champions. Hoping for a repeat, Thomas plans to approach this season like those before it.
“I haven’t done something new every year,” said Thomas, who said her regular workout was consistent with her training workout. “It’s been working in the past.”
Other than to improve, she has only one specific goal this year.
“My dream is to get under 18 minutes in the 5K,” she said, although she admitted it all depends on the day, course, and weather. “I’m not giving my hopes up, but we’ll see.”
Balancing an average of running 40 miles a week while maintaining shining report cards is no easy feat, but Thomas’ four years of track and field and cross country at King’s High School in Seattle will pay off as Thomas explores possible college opportunities. Among the universities she visited this week were Yale and Cornell.
Not that she’s itching to leave her high school year, or her team, behind.
“My high school experience has been amazing,” she said. “I just thank God that he’s given me these abilities and these relationships. I met so many great people out there. I’m going to miss it.”
To the incoming students, Thomas advises that all of the hard work and long hours of cross country and track are worth it. As she tries to convince her seventh-grade sister Sophia to join cross country or track, Thomas insists it’s not too late for new hopefuls to get into running, since she didn’t get serious until her first high school year.
“You may not be sure you can make it through the first couple of weeks cause it will feel like death,” she said, but “the friendships you make are worth it.”
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