Relyea’s pace on fast track
Madison Relyea is a sophomore cross country runner at Mayfield. As an eighth-grader, Relyea finished sixth in the Class D state championships. She was seventh as a freshman last fall.
Also an accomplished cross country skier, Relyea has posted a series of impressive results this fall — including capturing the Class C race at the 80th annual Grout Run.
Q: Sectionals are fast approaching, so how would you assess your season so far?
a: I definitely feel it is going good so far. I am not Pr-ing (personal record) too much, so I have room to grow. I am also not running slower than I was last year, so I feel like I am at a perfect spot with my times.
Q: You have won at the Grout Run a couple of times. Is that one of the events each season you really look forward to competing in?
a: Yeah, I prefer the shorter races like that. They are really fun. You get that one over pretty quick. I really like that.
Q: As you prepared to go into the season, did you have any set goals in mind in terms of results?
a: I definitely want to get top five at states and maybe break 18 (minutes), but I am not rushing it. It will come when it does. Those are my goals.
Q: What are your impressions of the Spa State Park course for sectionals?
a: I definitely know that it is challenging. I have run it three years in a row. It has a lot of hills, but I have run it before in sectionals since seventh grade. It is challenging and I do like it. It is definitely not one of the worst.
Q: How exactly did you get your start in running?
a: When I was in elementary school, they had this race called the Turkey Trot. I won it, so I thought, why not try something new? I started doing soccer and a lot of my friends were doing soccer. I didn’t really know anyone that was doing cross country, except for one person. I started doing cross country and found that I really enjoyed it. Q: Is skiing an offshoot of running? a: How I started skiing were the other people on the cross country team, all of the runners would cross country ski. I was doing basketball. I thought if I want to be a good runner, I need to ski. The first year I skied, I wasn’t very good. In the second year, I kind of blossomed in it and now do both sports.
Q: Time management must be important, correct?
a: Yeah it is, definitely. I am not a person that likes a lot of down time, so it definitely works out. I like going to meets all the time and not having much down time. Q: Are you hoping to win at sectionals? a: Yes, I would love to win it. I am really going to work hard to do so.
Q: What would it mean to you if could achieve a top-five finish at states, and even challenge for the title?
a: That is something I am really going for this year. I don’t want to overthink it. You never know what is going to happen, but I really want to be in that top five. A top three would be amazing.
Q: You ran by yourself last year, so is it nice to have a teammate again?
a: Yes, it makes so much better having someone with you. Fianna (Halloran) and I are friends, so it is just so much better. Q: Are you planning to run in college? a: Definitely. I wouldn’t see myself not running after high school.
Q: When you actually have some down time, what do like to do?
a: Other than running, I will cross train with skiing. I will roller ski. During the Nordic season, I will also do some downhill as well. Other than that, I like hanging out with my friends and having fun. I also like to water ski as well.
Q: You have enjoyed what most would consider a full varsity career and you still have two more years to go. Is that pretty cool to think about?
a: That is very cool. All the different things that I have been able to do, there are a lot of seniors that would be happy to have those accomplishments. I still have a chance to add things. That is pretty cool.
Q: You enjoyed early success. There are some athletes that take such early achievement for granted. You look to be someone that is inspired to accomplish even more, right?
a: Yes. There has never been a time I didn’t enjoy a race or did not want to do more. I want to achieve more and I definitely don’t take anything for granted.