Quaker Valley athlete of the week: Annie Wicker

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, October 18, 2018 | 7:03 AM

Annie Wicker

School: Quaker Valley

Sport: Cross country

Class: Junior

Claim to fame: Another top-three finish did not completely satisfy Annie Wicker, who has been an active runner since she was in third grade.

The Quakers’ star cross country runner recently earned third place at the Midwestern Athletic Conference championships in Beaver one year after finishing second. Her goal for next season is to win the title.

Why does competing in cross country resonate with you?

I think there’s something about it that is really relaxing. It takes a lot of effort and determination. I think if you do it you have to love it, and I really do love looking forward to it every day. Obviously, I guess there are some days you don’t want to run, but in general it’s what I love doing.

How much training do you do throughout the year?

I train six days a week. I will take a two-week break after cross country season, and then I will run throughout the winter. I will take a two-week break after track, and begin to run again in the summer. (I take the breaks), because I know it’s important. My former coach during my freshman and sophomore year always emphasized getting a good rest, especially if a season doesn’t end the way you want it to, to stop, reset and give yourself time to reflect before coming back fresh.

What’s the most challenging part for you?

I think going from middle to high school I felt like every race I ran I was improving. Then in high school everything was more up and down. I wasn’t guaranteed a good time every race, especially during my sophomore year in track season, which was disappointing for me. It was something to learn from and adjust to not always experiencing constant, consistent improvement.

How does it feel to consistently be one of the best runners in the region?

It’s definitely a good feeling. This year, I was actually hoping for a little more out of the (Midwestern Athletic Conference) race than I think I got. I didn’t feel great this year. I didn’t feel as ready for it. I felt tired warming up, and from there it was a mental block I couldn’t get past.

Do you think that it’s impressive you could finish in third despite not feeling well that day?

Yeah. I think there is just a standard I set for myself. I’m not upset about third at all. I’m glad I did that well. It just wasn’t as good as I had hoped.

What would it mean to you to win that race a year from now?

It would feel like everything came full circle. It would be nice. I came in second place (my sophomore year), third this year and it would be nice to move all the way up, so I hopefully next year I get first place.

Do you think you’ll ever stop running?

I hope not. I hope that I continue to love running for my whole life. I want to run in college and then recreationally and do a few marathons, especially the Boston Marathon because of how historical it is. It is held in a high esteem, and it would be cool to run in international marathons, too.

Shawn Annarelli is a freelance writer.

Tags: Quaker Valley