My name is Caitlin Wennerstrom and I am a class of 2028 athlete at South Elgin High School in Illinois.  My cross country season consists of 3 mile races and during track I run distance races. My main events are the 1600 and 4×800, but I also run anything from the 400 to the 3200. I won conference for my 1600 back to back my freshman and sophomore year. My goal for the 2026-27 school year is to break 17 minutes in the 3 mile, get into low 11’s for 3200m, and break 4:55 in the 1600m. My PRs are 17:05 for 3 miles and 5:08 for the 1600. My 4×800 split is a 2:22 and my 4×400 split is a 1:02. My teammates voted me MVP my freshman year in the cross country season and I was also named MVP of my track team my freshman year where I scored my team the most points for track season. I have been All-Conference freshman and sophomore year as well as All-Academic award both years. In the off season, I’ve had opportunities to take my training to the next level through various camps around the country including Team Prep USA in Colorado and COR camp in Rhode Island. One of my biggest accomplishments was qualifying to run the mile at Under Armour Nationals in Florida in 2026. 

When I am not running I compete in Irish dance. I have been doing it since I was 4 years old. It really helps me engage other muscles I use when running and shows me to never give up. I am also a member of Erika’s Lighthouse club at my school. It is to talk about mental health. Mental health is not talked about enough, especially in high school sports, so I decided to join this club to help more people understand mental health. I am very passionate about helping people. This is why I want to go into the nursing field. 

I am a very hard working person and I do not give up when things get hard. I will always cheer on my teammates in and out of running and always encourage them to never give up. I am excited to pursue what I love to do at a collegiate level. For more information, please email me at caitlinwennerstrom2028@gmail.com.