Heart pounding at the line, the gun about to go off, but this wasn’t any regular race for Leah Navarro. It was the PIAA State cross country championship race.
Navarro knew that she would need to stay confident to keep a top spot in this race, considering her opponents were most likely more experienced in running at States than her.
Along the back gym lobby holds Navarro’s plaque in the trophy case for her performance at PIAA States.
Navarro is only 15 years old and a freshman but has already made a huge impact on Dallastown sports.
She started her running career when she was 5 as a side activity to swim, only taking running seriously after she quit swimming.
Navarro won gold at YAIAA countie meet and the District III meet , and at the PIAA States she placed third.
When asked if she was pleased with her cross country freshman season she replied,
“Yes I was very happy with last cross country season, I did better than I expected myself to do”
Not only does she run everyday, but she makes sure to get the nutrition she needs to be a strong runner like including a beet smoothie into her everyday routine.
To Navarro a pre-meet is very important. She makes sure to fit in time to stretch and get plenty of sleep because she knows that a race is coming.
There are many things that motivate Navarro like her competitors, she says
“One of the best parts about running is the competition, the girls I compete against are the reason I stay motivated”
Navarro is also extremely well liked by her teammates including Neila Granger who placed second at districts.
“Leah is a great teammate, running with her always helps me to run faster,” Granger said.
Between track and cross country, she prefers cross country because she likes the long distance.
Long run days at practice are Navarro’s favorite because she finds them peaceful and getting to run with her friends makes her remember how enjoyable the sport is.
She sets her expectations high for the current track season.
Some of her goals include going to states for the two-mile, with a time of 10:30 and running a sub-five-minute mile.
Navarro’s name is likely to be said more and more as her as the track season continues, and maybe it will even be added to the school records board.
