By Josh Christensen
Never knowing that her hobby of running would replace the sport she was originally training for, freshman Claire Rawlins, has become a record holder as one of the top five long distance runners at Coronado. With staying in shape the only thing on her mind, Rawlins never realized all that she’s capable of.
“I originally started running to stay in shape for lacrosse because I knew cross country was a good workout, but then I found that I was pretty good at running long distance and liked the team a lot,” Rawlins said.
In her first year running cross country and track for Coronado, Rawlins has already posted the top times of the class of 2020 in Nevada. Rawlins says she has learned to persevere even when her legs want nothing more than to stop.
“I’ve learned that I can do hard things and endure even when people laugh, even when it hurts and even when I plain just don’t want to. I’ve gained a greater self confidence, better time management skills, discipline, and a nice watch tan,” Rawlins said.
The freshman plans to continue to strive through her three more high school years. Her love for sports and desire to stay healthy and fit motivates her as she continuously practices to work towards a faster time. Her parents are her most ardent fans as they encourage her by cheering her on at meets.
“After this last season, if she keeps progressing, we hope she’s going to become one of our better runners. Just like everyone, she still has some work to do, but she has potential,” Mr. Tondryk, cross country and track coach, said.
