Senior Kara Muller broke the school record for the girls’ 5 kilometer race on Sept. 8 and will compete at the cross country state competition for the fourth time on Oct. 20.
Muller said her reaction after breaking the record was complete shock, a feeling that her hard work had paid off in an unexpected and major way.
“As soon as I crossed, I literally asked my mom, I said, ‘I think I missed a lap,’ because I didn’t believe that I had actually gotten that time,” Muller said. “Because that was 45 seconds faster than my PR. That was insane.”
Muller said that she loves the sport, as it allows her to blow off steam in a healthy way. She takes pride in her accomplishments and the effort she’s put towards them.
“I’m in total control of my outcomes,” Muller said. “So the amount of work I put in directly correlates to what I get out of it. So that’s probably the most rewarding thing about this sport is just seeing your progress.”
Cross country coach Larissa Knudson said in an email that she has worked with Muller this year to create more of a game plan, attempting to shift from starting the race faster to keeping a more consistent speed.
“She has become comfortable with, and trusts herself and her training, letting the field go out faster while she maintains a steady pace and picks off her competition one-by-one,” Knudson said. “Then at the end of her races, she uses her grit to grind out finishes against the other elite runners.”
Muller says that a huge source of newfound drive for her this season comes from her dad, who recently fell ill and whose circumstances have also strengthened her religious beliefs.
“I think that it pushed me to a point over the summer that I wanted to get better,” Muller said. “And I had such a will that I didn’t have before. And I can attest that all to God, God gave that to me. God gave me that ability. God saved my dad. So it all comes full circle.”
