Usually the normal human being wouldn’t enjoy running a mile or strenuous miles competitively. This is a rare case though, senior cross country runner Kate Leatherman, looks to make her last year of high school running a good one. Leatherman, a Texas native, said that she started running competitively in second grade. Running a sub 7:30 mile in Elementary School is when she knew running might become one of her passions. “I knew it would be something I was good at! And I loved it.”

Junior year was a big one for Leatherman. Throughout her sophomore and junior year, Kate had several top 10 finishes and had broken the 5k school record in cross country, becoming the leader for a very prestigious Fossil team. “To be honest, I didn’t do it for the running in my junior year, I just loved hanging out and being with my best friends.”

The biggest inspiration throughout Leatherman’s high school running career was mid-distance track coach, Marissa Beard. Sophomore year of track is when Leatherman said Coach Beard really made a difference for her, “She tells you it like it is. If you have a bad race or workout she’ll tell you.” Classifying herself as a mental runner, Leatherman said, “She makes you mentally tough, which I really needed.”

Photo Creds: Kate Leatherman

Looking to finish senior year out with a bang, the senior runner says the cross country team has a chance to do something really special at conference and state. However the year for Leatherman won’t end after cross country, she will begin her training for the track season in the spring where she will run the 4x800m relay, the mile, and the 800 meter race.