All-American honors
Earns First Team
All-American honors
By Mike White
Staff Writer
Katy Trotter had the best showing in Shore Conference history when she ran second at this year’s national cross country championships in Balboa Park in San Diego, Calif.
As if her already historic season needed any further punctuating, Red Bank Regional’s Katy Trotter provided it Saturday at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships in San Diego.
Trotter ran the best race of her life, turning in a performance that ranks with the best-ever from a New Jersey harrier, when she finished second at the national championships to Zoe Nelson of West Flathead High School (Kalispell, Mont.) held at Balboa Park.
Trotter’s 17:43.9 over the 5,000-meter course is her fastest 5K ever, and best-ever from a Shore area runner. The only New Jersey girl to have done better than Trotter at the nationals was J.P. Stevens’ Janet Smith, who won the national title race in 1983 in San Diego in 16:43.
"It’s my most memorable race," said Trotter, who earned First Team All-American honors in San Diego. "It was the most difficult I’ve run because of the competition.
"All of the girls are so good," she added. "Everyone earned their way there."
After a New Jersey state campaign in which she was under the gun from the start, Trotter welcomed being a part of the crowd last weekend.
"I wasn’t concerned about place," she noted. "The spotlight wasn’t on me, which was great.
"I just wanted to finish in the top 10 or 15," she added. "I can’t believe it. It’s quite an accomplishment. I was up against the best."
Trotter followed the same game plan that she had used at the Northeast Qualifier held at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City on Nov. 30 (where she was third in 17:55.57).
"I ran a conservative first mile (around 5:30) and then tried to pick off girls," she explained. "At the mile I was 17th, but it was a comfortable pace and there was a tight pack not that far ahead of me. I gained confidence with each runner that I picked off."
Trotter began to steadily pass one runner after another, especially on the sharp-inclined hill that greets runners at the first and second miles of the two-loop course within Balboa Park. It was there that Trotter thought she benefited the most from all of her races at Holmdel Park this fall.
"Holmdel Park was good preparation for the race," she pointed out. "The steep hill is similar to Holmdel.
"I used the hill to my benefit," she added. "I knew the girls from the South were not that used to it. I passed a lot of people on the hill."
It was there, on the second loop of the race, that Trotter made her move. She finally caught up to the pack of four runners trailing the front-running Nelson (who took off at two-miles and was never threatened, winning in 17:30). With 800 meters to go, she moved into second place passing Caitlin McTague from Niskayuna (N.Y.) High School (whom Trotter had beaten at the Northeast race). But McTague countered on the downhill and went by Trotter as they approached the finish line. This being a national championship race, Trotter was not about to surrender a position without a fight. She dug down deep one last time to out-kick McTague and grab the runner-up spot.
"You leave everything in a race like this," she explained.
Just as pleasing as the second place was the personal best that Trotter posted in the last race of her season and short, but brilliant, career.
"It was nice to think that I didn’t peak too early and had something left," she noted.
Trotter’s second place led the Northeast team to a 26-43 win over the West. The Northeast had five runners in the top nine. There were 32 elite runners in the field, with the top eight finishers from each of the four regional qualifiers (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) advancing to San Diego.
Cheering Katy on was twin sister Amanda, who had run side by side with Katy virtually all season until the Northeast Qualifier, where she was 11th.
"She made me so proud," said Amanda. "She ran a great race. It feels great to be a part of this. I’m so proud of her."
Katy was well aware that her sister was there cheering her on.
"I saw her all over the place," she noted.
Now that her first cross country season is behind her, the Stanford University-bound Trotter is going to take some well-deserved time off.
"I’m real thankful I didn’t do cross country until this year," she remarked. "It’s a brutal season on the mind and body. I need a break from racing."