Senior captain Micaela Reed seems to have saved her best cross-country season for last.

“She has been running XC since her freshman year. Micaela faced some adversity over the past two years, struggling to run the times she had as a freshman despite being one of the hardest workers on the team. From a coach’s perspective, I believe that Micaela has improved so much in the area of mental toughness over the past year, and that has made a huge difference for her,” Lake Region varsity cross-country coach Laura Pulito said. “When Micaela ran a PR (personal record) time at our Homecoming meet of 24:24, finally beating her freshman year PR, I thought, ‘finally!’ as she deserves it more than anyone.”

Then, three days later, Micaela absolutely shattered that time, running 23:33 at Festival of Champions. 

“Micaela has been a scoring runner for the girls’ team all season and is also one of the kindest people you could ever meet,” Coach Pulito noted. “She cares so much for her teammates and their individual success just as much as her own, and we are so fortunate to have her as a leader on our team.”

In recognition of her strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Micaela is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.” Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed t-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

Player Profile

Name: Micaela Reed

Year in school: 12

Hometown: Bridgton

Parents: Chaz and Kari Reed

Sports you play: Cross-country and softball

School organizations: Homeschooled

Q: Why did you choose cross-country? A lot of my aunts and uncles ran cross-country and they would always tell me about it, so I had a good opinion of it. I really made my decision, though, at an indoor softball practice. Partway through the practice, Coach Peterson walked through and used his classic, “You look like a runner” line to get me to join. It worked!

Q: Complete the following: “I know I’ve had a good meet if…” At the end of the race, I am completely out of breath and can hardly stand up. Also, if I had a good race, my legs hurt like heck the next day.

Q: What goes through your mind before a big meet? “Just stick with Carly (Dyer) and Sadie (Plummer) and you’ll be fine. The faster you run, the faster you will be across the finish line. Don’t focus on how bad you feel, focus on catching the person in front of you, then the next, then the next. Don’t have any regrets: give it your all. You’ve got this!”

Q: If things are not going well, what do you do to rebound and clear your mind to be more positive? I have the best team in the world, and they really help me to stay positive. Being part of a team means that even if I am not happy with my race, I can still be happy for the others who did well and enjoy my time with them.

Q: How has sports changed you as a person? Cross-country is pure willpower. Training will make your body strong, but your mind is what ultimately decides whether or not you will be fast. This sport pushes you far past what you once believed you could do, and I think that translates very well into the rest of life. It has made me realize that I can’t always blame my failures on other people and other things. I am the only one who can put in the time and effort to succeed.