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After Busy Postseason, Dudek Has One More Finish Line Waiting In San DiegoPublished by
Zofia Dudek Looking For One More Big Effort At Foot Locker By Theresa Juva Brown for DyeStat From winning state and regional cross country titles to competing overseas for Poland, Zofia Dudek has had one heck of a cross country season. And the Ann Arbor Pioneer MI senior isn’t done yet. A week after finishing fifth at the European U20 Cross Country Championships in Lisbon Portugal, the 17-year-old is set to run Saturday’s Foot Locker National Championships at Balboa Park in San Diego, Calif, where she hopes to cap her illustrious season with one more dazzling performance.
“I’ve never been more excited to continue to run 5Ks,” Dudek said in a phone interview with DyeStat. “The success is what makes me want to keep going.”
Following individual and team victories at the Michigan LP Divsion 1 state championships, Dudek won the Nike Cross Midwest Regionals on Nov. 16 at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, setting a course record and edging out Illinois state champion Katelynne Hart in a gutsy sprint to the finish. Knowing she would skip Nike Cross Nationals so she could compete at the European U20 Cross Country Championships, Dudek ran the Foot Locker Midwest Regionals on Nov. 30, snagging second and qualifying for Foot Locker nationals this weekend. “Of course I do feel a little pressure just because it’s such a big race with great competition, but at the same time, I’m happy to have the opportunity to participate,” she said. As she has done in previous races, Dudek said she plans to go out hard with the front pack and aim for a top spot. “I think I’ll be satisfied as long as I give it my best,” she said. “I’m not worried about having regrets.”
Without a doubt, the whirlwind of high-pressure races and thousands of miles in travel in recent weeks has been a tough, Dudek said, but she remains more energized than exhausted. “I don’t really feel too tired after running all these races — I thought I would be more tired,” she said, adding that her runs between races are shorter and less intense than usual. In addition to the demands of running, Dudek, who plans to go to Stanford University next fall, makes sure to stay on top of her schoolwork, so “I’ve been taking my books everywhere,” she said. Ann Arbor Pioneer coach Nancy Boudreau said she’s happy Dudek has accomplished so much this season, but after Foot Locker, Dudek should be ready to press pause. “She really does need a rest, both mentally and physically,” Boudreau said. More news |
