Sprinting to the end, running step by step, using her final push of energy, freshman Lilly Knauss passes the finish line ahead of the rest. Knauss is the only freshman on varsity and ran to victory in her first cross country race.
Knauss has been working out since middle school, running track because her friends encouraged her to. As she entered high school, Knauss decided to continue her newfound passion for running throughout the year and beyond.
“The first time I had run was in 8th grade, and it was mostly because my friends were doing it too,” Knauss said. “I didn’t have any expectations, but I ended up really liking it. So, I decided to do track in high school. Then my friend told me about a cross-country camp, and I enjoyed it, so I kept doing it during the school year.”
So far, Knauss has been successful with a varsity win already under her belt. Knauss describes how the race went for her and the highs and lows of the race.
“I won the Marble Falls race with a time of 18:15,” Knauss said. “Towards the end, I started slowing down because it got really hard for me, but when I started to hear other runners coming up behind me, it encouraged me to push to the end.”
Every race during the cross country season is important because they count towards whether the team goes to districts or even further. However, Knauss believes she won this race because of the low stakes of this race.
“It was the one meet that didn’t really mean anything before we went to districts,” Knauss said. “I went there with the mindset of wanting to try something different, like let’s see how fast I can go without being worried about maybe slowing down later in the race.”
According to Knauss, for athletes, practice is important to improve in the areas of weakness. Cross country coach Lora Tilson credits Knauss’ success to her work ethic.
“Lilly works very hard at practice. She has perfect attendance, shows up on time, and learns from her leaders and peers,” Tilson said. “She contributes not only her speed, but also, she comes with a positive attitude, she is excited to attend, and she is competitive.”
Knauss’ success isn’t just noticed by her coach, but also by her teammates. Senior captain Miah McAulay has high praise for her underclassman teammate.
“Lilly has such a drive for success that she puts the right amount of pressure on herself to do it herself and for the team,” McAulay said. “Her positive energy enables her to push through anything and complete it with a good mindset.”
Preparation for a race is one of the most important things a runner needs to do, according to Knauss. She believes working hard is the key to preparation for a big race or even a small race.
“Coach Tilson has us do stuff every day, whether it’s a long run or a short run, throughout the week,” Knauss said. “To prevent myself from injuries during the race, I make sure to roll out and stretch before every race, and then eat healthy food and drink lots of water to prepare.”
As a freshman, Knauss still has three years of running ahead of her. Tilson has high hopes for the future of Knauss and is excited to see where she goes throughout her running career.
“In Lilly’s future, I hope that she becomes a top-5 runner in the state,” Tilson said. ”Her progression this season has been amazing, and she is already competitive with top runners in the district.”
Cross country is at the tail end of their season, heading into the state meet. Knauss describes her expectations and goals going into this upcoming important race.
“I just came off a couple of not-so-good races of mine, but this upcoming course is my favorite course,” Knauss said. “I just need to go and stick with someone because there will be a lot of people, but hopefully that can push me to do my best and get the best result I possibly can.”
