Sarah Hurst '21 Recruiting Profile

    My love for running started early on in life and that combined with my competitive nature gave me the motivation, perseverance, and passion I developed for this sport.  When my older brother was in fifth grade, he had a junior olympic track event that my mom was coaching him for. I was inspired to run like my mom had when she was a kid, and I thought I might live up to the success she had in the sport, becoming the fastest 1500 meter runner in Germany in her youth. My brother and his four other friends would go to the track a few times a week for practice, and being the competitive self I am, wanted to train with the boys and race them. So I did, and ever since that exposure to running and track, I haven't stopped running. I joined a track team the next year, and eventually in sixth grade joined cross country at my middle school, as well. As I kept running, I realized that I had a talent for it. The first season of cross country I ever competed in, I qualified for the Junior Olympics National Championships. Throughout middle school, I  was one of the fastest in the area. Not only did this give me confidence going into high school running, but it also humbled me. I learned at a young age that success and improvement comes with several failures and bad races, I learned from my mistakes. Throughout high school I was the only female to qualify for states three years in a row, two of those years being the only one in my school to qualify. I broke the two mile record, am a three year varsity letter holder, voted the "Top Dawg" award two years in a row, scored the most points in my school for track, achieved first in the central league in cross country, second team all central league in track, undefeated in the central league in the two mile, improved from 100th to 27th in the AAA state championships, qualified for districts in track in the two mile in the most competitive district in Pennsylvania, I just recently got voted captain for the 2020-2021 season, and I hope to achieve much more. 

    The road to these accomplishments is bumpy. However the bumps are what makes me a strong, and experienced runner. I have had countless bad races and workouts that did not go the way I planned. Last year I missed the state qualifying time in the 3000 meter in indoor track by one second. I had been working towards qualifying for states the whole season only to come up one second short of qualifying. This was a big blow to me for I thought I was worthy and fast enough to compete at the state level. I learned that this one race does not define me, and It was in the past, so I had to move on and focus on the outdoor season.

    The most important thing I've learned in running is that it is just as physically demanding as it is mentally. One only unlocks their full potential when they are mentally strong as well as physically. To run the absolute fastest you can, you must be fearless, take risks, and be out of your comfort zone.  I learned that success comes from the painful workouts that you are unmotivated for, going out everyday and giving it your all, leaving everything on the track. What makes me passionate about running is how improvements and Goal achieving are emotional and special because it is so well-deserving; they are rooted from all the time and hard work you put in to get where you are. This has influenced my academic career, too, from all the lessons I have learned. The grades I want and strive for is also rooted in hard work and knowing that a bad test does not define you as a student. Running has taught me that you must move on from unsuccessful performances to the see the bright future of success that awaits ahead. 

    Throughout my running career I have also participated in the competitive sport of Irish Dance, that has played a significant role in my life. I have competed in national and international competitions. I started when I was six years old and it culminated with a 3rd place at the world championships in North Carolina in 2019.

     I have been lucky to have never gotten injured in any season in running. My coaches have been very careful to not overwork or burn us out. the highest mileage a week that I've hit in my running career is 40 miles. Averaging per week around 35 miles.

    My goal is to be able to bring my experience and talent to a competitive running team in college where I can be challenged academically and athletically, continue to improve, and be a valuable asset to the team.