One of the greatest stars ever in Alaska high school cross country is running now in Allie Ostrander. Well the next future star of the Alaska can quickly be found in two-time Alaska 1A-3A state champion Briahna Gerlach of Glenallen High School. After running a sub 11 3200 and 5:06 1600 last spring, the sophomore Gerlach won her second straight state title last weekend. Before she heads into her long winter hibernation from races, shares her thoughts on her successful first two years of high school cross country and promising years to come in the sport in our latest Future Stars Spotlight presented by Hoka One One.
Interview with Glenallen (AK) sophomore Briahna Gerlach
How did you first get started in running?
Well I first started running when I around 7 or 8. My mom ran in college so she was always trying to get us to do fun runs and stuff like that. When I was in 5th grade, our school got a cross country team started, and so even though I was too young to compete in any races, I still practiced with the team and realized that I really enjoyed the sport. Since then I've been running ever since.
You just repeated as Alaska state cross country champ. Was there any difference in feeling of winning your second title compared to your first?
There was definitely a difference in competing this year as opposed to last year. Last year I felt a lot less confident running becasue I hadn't had as much experience and also I had never raced taylee. This year I knew my competition and had raced against them before so it was a lot different. Also, last year when I won I was a lot more surprised then this year. This year I didn't know for sure I would win, but I knew I had a good chance. Last year I had no idea what the outcome would be.
In the same state meet, you witnessed Allie Ostrander set a 31 year old state record in the 4A state champ. Has having a once in a generation runner like Allie in your state been an inspiration and role model for you to strive to become the best runner that you can be?
Definitely. Allie is such an amazing runner and also a great person. She is a legend in Alaskan running and obviously has amazing athletic abilities, but at the same time she is very humble and an all around very nice person. I am very inspired by her, and she has definitely helped me strived to be the best runner that I can be.
What is the craziest weather conditions that you have ever trained or raced in Alaska?
Well there's definitely been more than a few times that I've had to train or run in crazy weather, but I'd have to say that the worst was this year's race at Seward. It was extremely rainy and muddy. And the course was covered with mud and water. It was also super cold! It was definitely tough to run in, but it was kinda fun because since I knew it wasn't a course to get a PR on. I just had fun and made it a pressure free race.
After running 5:06 in the 1600 and 11:05 in the 3200 last spring, what are your goals for the upcoming track season?
I have a lot of goals for this track season. For the 1600, It would be my dream to run sub 5. I know it will take lots of hard work, but I really hope I am able to do that. For the 3200 my goal is to get 10:35. I ran a 10:37 at a post season meet last year in Kodiak but they combined boys and girls together so I stayed with the back two guys, and that the only reason I got such a big PR. I'm not sure if I can do that unless I hav close competition, but I hope that I can.
Will you be taking a break from running now that state meet is over? What do you do during the winter months to stay active?
Now that state is over and I don't have any other sports until track, I'm going to do a lot of strength and core training to get ready for track. I'm also going to do a lot of skiing and some running, but only running if it's somewhat warm out, which might not be too often! But skiing will definitely be good for me and will help me stay in shape.
What are areas that you would like to improve upon most as a runner over the next 3 years?
Over the next few years, I would like to improve in many areas as a runner. First of all, I want to work on my pacing. In a lot of races, I start out too fast, and then get tired out quickly. I also need to work on not looking back in races. Even though I know I shouldn't look back I do it all the time and it slows me down. I've gotten better at it since last year but it's still a problem, especially at the end of a race when I'm nervous someone is close. Probably the biggest area that I need to improve on is not getting nervous in races. In a lot of races against big schools and at state, I get really nervous and tense up, and so it's a lot harder to run.
When you graduate in 2017, what would you like to look back and say you accomplished in high school?
When I graduate, I want to say that I accomplished things in both running and academics. I want to say that I improved as a runner by getting good times and by working hard. I also want to say that I did well in school and got good grades.
You had a good battle with another sophomore in Homer's Megan Pitzman for the state title last week. Are you looking forward to having Pitzman to push you in races over the next few years?
I'm really looking forward to competing with Megan in races over the next few years. I think that we will both push each other to become better runners, and that will be very beneficial to us both.
How big or popular is the sport of cross country in Alaska?
Cross country is definitely not one of the most popular sports in Alaska. Even though there are lot of people that do enjoy it and participate in cross county, sports like basketball, hockey, and volleyball are a lot more popular.
Are there any meets that the team has to travel to that requires traveling some interesting ways/roads?
Glennallen, even though it is a very small school, is actually based on a main highway that goes straight to Anchorage, and so we are able to drive to and from meets very easily.
Does part of you wish the weather in Alaska would stay in fall mode longer to enjoy cross country a bit longer like rest of country?
Haha oh yes for sure. I hate the fact that literally a couple days after the season is over, there is snow on the ground. As of now, it's impossible to run without underarmor, a hat, gloves, and wool socks. I honestly wish that there could be at least a couple extra weeks of fall to enjoy running without having to run in the cold weather.
What's the college plan? Go somewhere with no snow?
As of now, I really have no idea where I will go to college, but I know it will be somewhere much warmer than Alaska with not too much snow. I don't want the weather to be too hot though.