This was your first experience racing outside of the country. Can you explain what it was like?
Absolutely amazing. Not only was Switzerland incredibly beautiful and clean, but the food was delicious, the people were friendly, and the experience as a whole was eye-opening. It made me realize the great extent of opportunities running can open up for me. It was also neat to experience different cultures.

What were your goals going into the race?
Because it was both my first international race and my first mountain race, I was not sure how high to set my standards going into the competition. I remember thinking, "Wow, how crazy would that be if I got to stand on the podium." I guess I kept that goal in the back of my mind, and once I actually arrived in Crans-Montana, I told myself I was going to do it.

Was the international competition nerve wracking?
To be honest, not really. I just tried to treat it like any normal high school race, because I knew I would psyche myself out if I thought too much about the intensity of the competition.

You've got some fast times on the track, but do you consider hills, or in this case, mountains, your strong point?
I have always loved hill running. However, I also love speed work. In cross country races, I definitely use the hills to my advantage to pass other runners. Hill running was something that came naturally to me, whereas my speed (on the track) has gradually increased over the months/years.

You earned the 1st ever individual medal for a Jr. Woman. Were you expecting to place that high and what was that experience like?
I really wanted to be in the top 3, but I had no idea what the competition would be like, so I did not put too much pressure on myself to place that high. When I crossed the finish line, I was ecstatic. As cheesy as this may sound, it was the greatest feeling of accomplishment I have ever experienced. I am so honored to have been able to represent the USA and I feel so blessed to have been part of the Mountain Running Team.

Tell us a little bit about your training leading up to the race. (Mt. Whitney?)
Mt. Whitney was primarily a way for some of my teammates and I to toughen ourselves mentally. At the time of the climb, I did not know much about the World Trophy race, but I definitely think it prepared me for the course both mentally and physically. In terms of training, I stuck to my usual high school training regime, but I added in an extra day of hills per week. This way, I was doing hill repeats twice a week.