Name: Ella Rosenkranz
School: Manhattan High School
Q: What does your training look like right now given the current situation?
A: Lots of running by myself, about 7 miles a day, 6 days a week. Usually just easy volume, but sometimes, I do intervals.
Q: What are you doing to stay busy other than run right now?
A: Scholarship application essays, a little bit of baking, piano practice, and I have some art projects that I am planning to take on.
Q: What was your most memorable race/moment?
A: In the Moonlight Mile (intra-squad time trial), I fell hard on the track, but rolled, got right back up, and ran a good time.
Q: What was the funniest thing that happened during your running career?
A: Keeping watch just outside the woods while the entire varsity girls' team "answered the call of nature" in the woods.
Q: Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
A: At the end of the day, the only person you really compete against is yourself.
Q: What was your greatest accomplishment?
A: Winning the regional cross country championship last year was pretty great to me, but my greatest accomplishment was learning how to come out of my shell and be a leader for the underclassmen.
Q: If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?
A: Don't take the days that it's difficult for granted-those are the most important.
Q: What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
A: Mostly a few minor injuries, and breaking the mental barrier I unknowingly constructed for myself.
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: My like-minded crazy friends and teammates-they always pushed me to be the best version of myself, and they made the hardest workouts and the most challenging meets a lot of fun.
Q: What advice would you give to younger athletes?
A: Dedication is important, especially in the off-season, but it's also important to remember that at the end of the day, you're just a kid running around outside with a bunch of other kids. Don't take it too seriously, or let it stop you from making friends with other people or other teams. Finally, don't take the opportunity for granted-you never know what could happen.
Q: What kind of an impact has your coach had on you and your team?
A: Coach Cool has taught me and the rest of the track team how to handle the ups and downs of being an athlete, and how to find a more personal reason to stay healthy and internally motivated. He is one of the smartest and coolest-pun intended-people I know, and it's been a privilege to be able to run on his team.
Q: What are your college plans?
A: I'm headed out to Colorado Mesa University for the fall semester of 2020, where I will be continuing to pursue my passion for running on their D2 Cross Country team, while majoring in writing and minoring in theatre or voice.
Q: Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?
A: I would like to thank both of my amazing coaches, Susan Melgares and Kory Cool, and both of my wonderful assistant coaches, Alex Brown and Erin Spreer. I would also like to thank everyone who's been on the team with me over the years-I don't know where I'd be without my Tribe or my Pink Ladies. To the parents, the athletic administrators, Pat Melgares, and Tony Wichmann-seeing you at every meet, supporting us even when meets didn't go well, and being immensely proud when they did go well made our efforts worth it. To my parents, Sara and Richard Rosenkranz-an especially thank you for being the people who sparked this eight-year running journey, and I'm so glad you got to go on it with me every step of the way. Love you bunches.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
A: Go Indians and Rumble Mavs! (college mascot)