In Her Own Words: Stefanie Kurgatt

Habari! Hope everyone is doing well, as the weather is cooling off. I absolutely love this weather.Tallahassee has been just gorgeous. Like always, Florida distance running is a powerhouse! Thanks for everyone who does the race recaps, they are wonderful, and it is nice to be updated on races that Maclay does not attend.


 
After taking a weekend off from racing the Marauders were ready to roll. This past weekend we attended the Panhandle Championships and everyone absolutely KILLED IT! First off I’d like to congrats my fellow captain Travis Covert. He just broke the 16 minute barrier, WAHHOO. On top of that, he made All Panhandle. So, Congrats Travis, keep up the hard work and everyone in 1A better watch out.
 
 
On the ladies side, the Marauders had yet another outstanding showing. Most of our girls had huge pr’s and ran their hearts out. Kristin Sweeny led the way with a 12th place finish and Elizabeth Santoro and Caroline Willis were not too far behind. All the morning practices and long runs are definitely starting to pay off. Panhandle is absolutely my favorite cross country course ever (and it’s not because that is where I pr’d). I am for sure going to miss that place a lot, and although I did not race this year it was still a wonderful experience. I will never forget the train with less than a mile to go.
 
The best part  about this race was watching the More Olders run and boy can they run. All the parents/coaches got the chance to run in the open race, and it was pretty cool watching them tear up the course. I guess that is why Maclay is so speedy; we get it from our parents. Coach Stephen wasn’t so much a “More Older”, but was our top runner, so I guess we counted him as one! He blasted 16:30 and came in sixth overall. Way to go Stephen.
 
I could talk forever and ever about how awesome the whole Maclay gang is, but I guess everyone is probably awaiting my college decision. I would like to thank all the coaches and schools for allowing me to visit and just including me in their recruiting process. I made so many friends along the way and lasting memories. Every school is truly amazing. I wish everyone the best of luck in the season and seasons to come. I did find the perfect fit for me in the end! It is truly an amazing place and cannot wait to start my journey next year. If you have not seen the wonderful interview Todd and Jason put together, this picture should give you a slight (by slight I mean BIG) clue to where I am going to spend the next four years of my life. Yes it is a cupcake shop! If that didn’t help….you should figure it out at the end of this blog. But if you still can’t figure it out, the interview will tell it all.


 
As far as running goes, I am back at it!! I recently got cleared to run and am excited to get back into things. It will be a gradual process, and I know I have to do everything that is needed so I do not get hurt again. I have learned a lot and still have a lot to learn. This all is just making me a better athlete for later on in college and hopefully after! 
Keep up the hard work everybody!
 
Happy running, God Speed, and GO HOYAS!

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