How many students enjoy multiple hours of running a day on top of a very hectic academic schedule? Camella Carlson does.

Camella Carlson, National Merit semifinalist, is very passionate about running and cross-country.

She has participated in cross-country since sophomore year and is currently on varsity.

Cross-country is an all-year time commitment. The team puts forth about 2 ½ hours daily towards training for cross-country.

Running 10 miles is not out of the ordinary for Carlson and her team, but on an average day, they run around five to seven miles.

Carlson is the only senior girl on the team and also the top varsity runner. Her personal record is 21:30 for a 4K.

She went to regionals and qualified for state last year

Pasta dinners and team bonding are two reasons Carlson loves cross-country. She loves how close the team is and how supportive they are of each other. Pasta dinners are a chance for the team to get to know each other and socialize outside of their daily running.

Carlson said, “Cross country is enjoyable because of the positive environment the team gives off. The coaches are great and really supportive, which makes the entire experience fun.”

Running is not something she plans on pursuing in college, but she does assume she will continue running as a hobby for the rest of her life.

Other than cross-country, she participates in German National Honor Society, StuCo, takes AP classes, does math competitions, and she plans to major in biomedical engineering.