From cross country runner to cross country leader, senior Kayla Friesen has emerged as this year’s one-to-watch…and the season’s only just begun.
“We’ve always known she was talented, but as athletes mature they learn to trust the coach and with help from her parents, Greathouse [science teacher and girl’s cross country coach] and myself, she was able to whittle away and correct the problems she was having,” Ryan Banta, social studies teacher and assistant girl’s cross country coach, said. “She battled through it and is now being rewarded.”
Over the summer Friesen trained with Banta as well as Adam Bergeron, science teacher and boy’s assistant cross country coach. Her workout differed from a typical cross country exercise. It consisted of general mileage in the morning and speed work in the afternoon.
“She ran twice a day which was really tough to do, because it was one of the hottest summers ever. It was amazing what she was able to do,” Banta said.
Friesen also ran summer track with the St. Louis Lightening Club. With the club she placed fourth at Nationals in the 3,000 meter which was held in Baltimore.
“I put in a lot more miles over the summer and got a good enough base to keep myself from getting injured and to stay healthy,” Friesen said.
Friesen struggled freshman and sophomore year with injuries, and was diagnosed with Anemia, a lack of iron, her junior year. Although her coaches always saw the potential for a star runner, physical barriers had held her back. This year, however, with a strong junior year track season and summer training behind her, Friesen has the momentum to push her across a victorious finish line.
“I am confident she will be one of the fastest girls ever in cross country,” Banta said.
Friesen has individually won the Webster Invitational, as well as led her team to victories at the Parkway Quad and Webster Invitational. According to her coaches, choosing Friesen as team captain was one of the best captain decisions they have made.
“It’s a lot of fun [being captain]. The girls are respectful and have fun, they don’t make it hard to be a leader because they’re all leaders themselves,” Friesen said.
Friesen’s goal for the season is to bring her 20:08 time down to a 19 flat and to medal at the state championship. Tonight she inched closer to that goal as she brought her time to 19:56, placing fifth at the Central Invitational.
“Because of her improvements, that conversation [about state] isn’t silly, it’s a genuinely possible and really cool thing,” Banta said. “Kayla is the living, running example of perseverance.”
