When senior Rosie Gonzalez started her journey as a cross-country runner, she did not expect anything serious to come out of it. Starting cross-country in seventh grade, Gonzalez hated running. She would often skip practices and only stuck with it because it gave her a reason to hang out with a close friend.
Gonzalez’s perspective changed in her freshman year of high school, when she realized how rewarding running felt, even when she was not the best at it. At an outdoor track meet her freshman year, Gonzalez remembers realizing how much potential she has to love running. She was able to secure a freshman school record for the two-mile, which ended up being a major motivation for her.
“I ended up getting second in conference [and] I got the freshman school record,” Gonzalez said. “That’s when I realized that [running] is something I want to take seriously and really try to work on.”
Throughout her first three years of high school, Gonzalez grew incredibly as an athlete, both mentally and physically. Gonzalez tries her hardest not to worry too much and overthink things while she’s running, to encourage herself. Just between her junior and senior year, spectators have noticed great improvements to her athleticism.
“She’s always been a talented runner, the physical attributes have always been there, she’s always had what it takes to be a good runner,” Cross-country coach Christopher Bailey said. “I think her mental approach to the sport has changed, it’s even changed from her junior year to this year.”
Leading up to sectionals and conference, the cross-country team focuses primarily on the mental strength it takes to be a runner, along with protecting the stamina and strength they built throughout their season. Gonzalez primarily worked on staying focused and keeping her head on straight during her practices leading up to her big wins. Although Gonzalez has won several track races in her history as a runner, she had not in cross-country.
“In cross-country, it’s very different, there’s a lot of publicity right after, it’s kind of overwhelming sometimes,” Gonzalez said. “I’m very thankful for it, it’s a really just crazy experience, [it is] unreal to win a race.”
After Gonazlez had won her races, teammates and friends ran to supported her. Even people she did not know were going up to her, asking for pictures along with congratulating her on her impressive performance. Gonzalez never expected herself to be able to get to the point where she is now, considering she did not start running until she was in seventh grade.
Gonzalez is a prime example of how a sport can change a person for the better. When running, Gonzalez feels nothing but determination. Cross-country has taught her personal discipline along with healthy ways to have an outlet and let go of any person struggles.
