Gabby Smith is a junior and a varsity runner for the Girls’ Cross Country team. The girls are ranked 10th in the state and are looking to improve their placement this year.
What are your goals going into your Junior season?
My goal going into my Junior season is to get low 19s. I want to break 19:30. I would say that is one of my main goals.
Who has impacted you most on your team this year?
I would definitely say my three best friends Ari, Lila, and Belle. They are so sweet and I love them.
What are you most excited about going into your Junior season?
I am excited because we have so many new freshman coming in that are so speedy. Shoutout to Shreya and Sami. They are so fast and it’s kinda scary but I am excited to see how they improve throughout the season.
What keeps you going during your races?
I play a song in my head and then keep repeating it until I am done with my race.
How important is the team to you personally?
I have played on a lot of sports teams at Penn and I would definitely say that they are my favorite. I will always talk about them. They are just my favorite team. The community is great and they feel like a family to me.
How is the team preparing to compete against high-ranked schools such as Carmel?
The team prepares by having very consistent workouts and making sure we have set time ranges and having different drills that keep those high intensity workouts going.
What is your plan for your upcoming race this Saturday?
I am planning to break 19:30 since it is a faster course and I am really excited because we are split. Top 12 are going to we’ll see how it goes.
What are your goals after high school?
My goal after high school is to play at the collegiate level but not for XC, I don’t want to run. I want to play lacrosse and that is probably one of my main goals.
What was one senior leader that you looked up to during your Freshman year?
I could talk about this for hours. All of the seniors were great but my freshman year we had Julia Economou and that girl was a machine, to say the least.
What advice would you give to incoming freshmen about XC?
Don’t be scared. I know everybody comes off of middle school XC and they are like “I hate running. This sucks.” It’s such a different dynamic going into high school. The team is so much better and the coach cares so much more. It is such a family and I would tell them not to be scared and try new things.
