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Our second visit is to one of the fastest high school female distance runners in state history (and this fall's Class A State Girls XC Champion), Karly Ackley of Grand Forks Central.
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| Leading the 1600 at State Track last year Photo Courtesy: Grand Forks Herald |
Karly first popped up on the state-wide scene in 2012, when she placed 6th at state cross country, and followed it up with a 6th place finish in the 3200 at state track that spring, all as only an eighth-grader. She followed it up her first year of high school with a 5th place finish at state cross country, and 3rd and 2nd place finishes in the 1600 (5:10) and 3200 (11:07), respectively.
Her sophomore year in 2014 she exploded out of the gates with a state championship in cross country, finishing the 4k course in a super-fast 13:57, and followed that up with an 18:22 5k time at Nike Cross Regionals (NXR) for 24th place. At state track that year she placed second in both the 1600 (4:58.26) and 3200 (10:50.61). Not many high schoolers are able to go sub-5 in the 1600 or sub-11 in the 3200; she did on back-to-back days!
2015, her junior year, brought a 2nd place finish at state cross country, running 14:05 for 4k (still quite fast). In the spring she did great at state track, finishing first in the 1600, first in the 3200, second as a member of a 4x8 relay, and 7th in the 800.
Her time of 10:32.86 in the 3200 stands as the current fastest 3200 time ever by a North Dakota female prep, and her 4:53.76 in the 1600 stands as the second-fastest time ever, trailing only Becki Wells, who ran an incredible 4:42 in high school!
Not to be outdone, this past cross country season, when girls moved up to 5k for the first time, she won State XC again with a time of 17:13. She then continued to Nike Cross Regionals, finishing 4th (17:13) and qualifying for Nike Nationals, where she placed 84th. I'm sure we can expect great things from Karly this coming outdoor season! Here is my interview with her:
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ND Runner: First off, congrats on your state cross country championship in the fall! What was that race like?
Karly Ackley: Thank you! The race went perfectly for me. I remember being at the line and all I could think about was how this was my last ever state cross country meet and how I wanted to go out on a high note. As soon as the gun went off I went to work, and I came home with first place. It was probably one of my favorite races I’ve ran, since it was my last one, a PR, and a state title.
NDR: How did it play out for you?
KA: It played out the best it could. My race plan went perfectly, taking the lead early and pushing the entire way. It couldn’t have gone any better.
NDR: You qualified for Nike Cross Nationals this fall and competed. What was it like to qualify for a
national race? What did you take away from that experience?
KA: I’ve been dreaming about qualifying for the national competition since I was in middle school. Actually doing it was a dream come true. I’m pretty sure I didn’t stop smiling for the next week afterwards. However, Nike Heartland, the qualifying race, was actually one of the hardest races of my life. I had had state the weekend before and with training I was at a point where I had already peaked a little bit. I started the race in about 8th (top 5 qualify). By about midway through the race I was in 6th and the chances of moving into 5th didn’t look too good. I stayed calm though and just kept racing and was able to move up into 4th in the last few hundred meters. The biggest thing I took away from that experience was to keep racing no matter what could happen because you never know.
From the national race itself I learned so much. Being around so many people all at such a high level was definitely intimidating, but also very exciting. I had the chance to talk with several Olympians that were there with us and hearing them talk about how they themselves have been where I was was very inspiring. It was also a bit of a wake up call to realize that no matter how good you are or fast you get, there’s always someone, or in my case 80 someones, who are faster and better. It gave me a new drive to want to keep improving and get to the next level.
NDR: Are there any runners or other athletes that you look up to or draw inspiration from?
KA: I really like to watch the pros run the really long distances, like Galen Rupp and Shalane Flanagan in the marathon. Just watching people go so fast for so long is so amazing to me and they’re inspiring to me. After college I would really like to become a marathoner, so I really like to watch those races.
NDR: Out of all the different high school sports out there, why run cross country in the fall and track in the spring?
KA: I’ve played other sports in my life, but none of them I was very good at. I am a very uncoordinated person, so anything involving a ball doesn’t mix with me. When my older brother started running and then told me I should too, I just went with it and fell in love with the sport. Being good at it is definitely a bonus, but doing a sport that’s so individualized and not requiring any type of coordination works for me.
NDR: What are some of your goals moving ahead into this outdoor track season?
KA: I would really like to defend my mile and two mile titles at the state meet in May. My coach and I have been talking about time goals, but we’re not really sure what to expect at this point. I’m hoping to PR of course. We know that the state record in the mile is 4:44 and I for sure have that in the back of my mind, but we’ll see what happens. Any type of PR would really make me happy.
I’m also planning on going down to North Carolina this summer to compete at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor meet and see how I can do against the nation's best girls on the track.
NDR: Where is your favorite place to run?
KA: Pretty much just anywhere around Grand Forks. We run everywhere and having a bunch of different routes is nice.
NDR: What does the Grand Forks Central team mean to you? How have they helped to develop you as a runner and athlete?
KA: My Central team is my family. I for sure wouldn’t be where I am without them. Our girls team has gotten really strong in the past few years and it’s really fun to have a bunch of girls with all the same mindset and drive to be successful. My coach has been amazing in giving me lots of opportunities to race outside of just north dakota and that has helped me to reach the point I am at.
NDR: What has been your biggest challenge in running so far?
KA: Not getting frustrated and giving up when things don’t go the way I want them to. After my state cross country title my sophomore year, I had a few losses that were hard for me at first. I eventually accepted it though and refocused myself to improve, realizing that it’s not always about winning but about doing the best you can.
NDR: My understanding is that you plan on running for Iowa State. What led you to decide to be a
Cyclone? What are you most excited about?
KA: I went on four college visits and everywhere I went was awesome. Iowa State however just stuck out to me. The city is a lot like Grand Forks so it felt like home and the atmosphere was great. The coach and girls just clicked with me and it felt right. The program has been really successful and going onto a team that can push me makes me really excited.
NDR: If you could give any advice to another runner, what would you say and why?
KA: What I would say is that if you love it keep doing it. It doesn’t matter if you run a ten minute mile or a five minute mile, if you enjoy it keep doing it. Running is such a magical thing since anyone who has the drive and the determination can do it and become successful. But also realizing that sometimes to reach the success you want will take a lot of mental toughness. The best advice I can give is to be mentally tough all the time. They say that running is 90% mental and I’ve always found that to be true.
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Thanks again to Karly for agreeing to do the interview! Happy belated Easter to all!
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