Sugimoto excels as cross country leader

By Rebecca Hext
Staff Writer

As the fall sports begin their new seasons, senior Kelli Sugimoto is training hard to help the girls cross country team keep their Bay League Champion title.

Being a part of Costa’s Cross Country team for the last three years, Sugimoto is used to the vigorous speed workouts and intense strength training that comes along with being a varsity runner. After a summer of waking up at 6:00 in the morning and running 45-50 miles a week, Sugimoto is ready to take on her senior year as captain for the girls team and have her best season yet.

“Freshman year when I joined I knew I liked running but didn’t have much experience, so I was just hoping to become a better runner,” Sugimoto said.

She has become and amazing athlete over the past three years and at the Nike Cross Nationals last year in Portland, Oregon Sugimoto placed 62nd out of an estimated 200 of the nations best runners. Although Sugimoto is such a gifted athlete, she is very modest about her achievements and credits them to her team.

“I’m very lucky to have had the opportunity to compete on the varsity level and be in the program for all of my high school years,” Sugimoto said. “I am also lucky to run with such an amazing team of girls because they are the people who push me to be what I am today.”

She has been and inspiration to many of the other athletes on the team and a role model for many as well. The girls look to her for running advice and aspire to be the great runner that she has become.

“Kelli has an amazing energy and charisma; she is the kind of person who makes you want to be a better runner,” Junior teammate Morgan Livingston said.

Kelli has already accomplished all of her personal goals for her high school career, so this year she plans on simply making sure the team as a whole does the best that they can. She is running this season for her coaches and the rest of the team to thank them for everything thy have done for her.

“My coaches Renee and Annmarie are really my inspiration to do well this season,” Sugimoto said. “Renee always tells us ‘Don’t be afraid to be great’ and that is going to be my philosophy for this year.”