I am Maggie Mason, a class of 2021 cross country and track runner from Cary-Grove High School in Illinois. I compete in cross country as well as track in the 3200, 1600, and 4x800m. I have had limited experience in both cross country and track as I joined the running scene midway into my sophomore cross country season. I have played competitive soccer for my whole life and during my sophomore year, I was competing for one of the top few girls clubs in the country. I ran with the cross country team a few days a week at practice to stay in shape, but ended up running in the JV race at Detweiller’s First to the Finish Invitational and placed first. From there, my love for running blossomed. I came out of the season with a time of 17:38 at the IHSA State Meet at Detweiller, placing me at 52nd in the state in 3A. In my sophomore year track season, I ran a 5:29 1600 at the Palatine Invite on a stress fracture, and had to end my season early because of it. On the academic side, I have received the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. My current GPA is 4.615 on a 4.00 scale, and I am taking AP Calculus BC, AP Physics, and AP Economics my junior year. I scored a 1370 on my PSAT 10. This year, my goal is to go sub-17 in cross country at Detweiller and become all-state. In track, I want to achieve a 5:10 1600 and a 11:10 3200.

I am very self-motivated, and have the determination to follow through with what I set my mind to. When I commit to a goal, I will follow through with it, and can help others do the same. I hold myself accountable. I am hard on myself when I need to be. But that is how I succeed. This strength of mine will make me a positive asset to the team. On every team I have ever been on, whether it be soccer, cross country, or track, I have led with my actions. My experience in the sport of soccer has led me to a multitude of high-stress situations, which has ingrained in me the ability to perform at high levels, to perform under pressure, and to perform when I need to most, which is a very important asset that is needed to compete in cross country and track at the collegiate level.

This past year as a sophomore, I played club soccer on the #1 girls team nationally during the same season in which I was competing in cross country at my high school. After school, I would go to cross country practice, complete my cross country training for the day, and then drive straight to soccer practice, which was an hour and a half away. I did my homework in the car, usually reading and annotating a book for English class, mostly because it was easier to do in the car than a more writing-heavy subject like math or science. On many Saturdays, I had to leave my cross country meets immediately after I raced so that I could get to my soccer games in time. That fall season was taxing, but also one of the most enjoyable segments of my life, which highlights my love for putting in the work and chasing my passions. I am ecstatic for college because it will grant me many new opportunities that I can put my heart and soul into. For more information, please email me at maggiecmason2021@gmail.com.