By Blake Chadwick
Wichita North senior Nelly Puente has put the city and the state on notice as one of the best runners in the state to watch this year.
“She is a very determined athlete and student,” head coach Katherine Reimer said. “When faced with any challenge, she persistently works to overcome it. She has worked so hard these last couple of years to drop her 5k time by several minutes. She never misses a practice, never quits a workout early, and never makes excuses. She is incredibly competitive and is so fun to watch race.”
For Puente, unlike a lot of runners, she hasn’t been running for her whole life. She started running in eighth grade, stopped in her freshman year, and then picked it up again her sophomore year. From there, she has grown so much every year.
“I would say my biggest strengths are my discipline and my care for the sport,” Puente said. “Because of my discipline and my care for the sport, I take it seriously, I never miss a day of running, and when it comes to race day, I do everything I can to run my best. I also want the people around me to do their best, so I push them as well.”
Puente finished top 20 in the state last year at the Class 6A state championships. This year, she wants to accomplish even more.
‘I feel like I need to start focusing on the little things like eating better, getting more sleep, and overall just believing I can do better,” Puente said. “The small things can be a huge help. I’m working towards a sub-19 5k, but I think I can for sure get to an 18:30.”
For the senior, as much as cross country is a self-focused sport, she also wants to invest in her program a little more before she leaves.
“I want to be a leader for my team as well. As for my team, I want everyone to work hard and stay focused. I want as many teammates to qualify for state as well.”
