It’s the work you put in when no one is looking, when there is no crowd to cheer you on and it’s just you, your wristband watch, your running shoes and your sheer passion to just get better.
It’s a big part of why Smithville girls cross country coach Greg DeRodes has nicknamed senior standout Kaitlyn Carr as "shark." Originally, he called her "shrimp" before she graduated to shark in her freshman and sophomore years. He then offered to call her "champ" after she won state titles in the 1,600 and 3,200, which she declined, instead saying, "No, I want to stay shark."
“That says everything about her,” DeRodes said. “She is hungry, still going after it, still has goals she wants to meet. She isn’t settling, and she isn’t done with high school cross country yet.”
On Saturday, Aug. 30 at the Hot Summer Bash in Columbus, she made an emphatic statement with a run of 17:31.86. With that time she finished second overall, breaking her own school record of 17:49.86, set a year ago, by 18 seconds.
“It was really nice to get down to Columbus, race a bunch of Division I girls and have some good competition,” Carr said. “It absolutely pushes me so much. Running against Div. I girls, it is really helpful, and it helps to bring the time down.”
More importantly, she moved closer to the all-time area record of 17:15 set in 2022 by former Norwayne standout and current Nebraska junior Jaylee Wingate.
“Yep, that is absolutely on my list,” Carr said when asked about the all-time area record.
As a freshman Carr ran against Wingate, who was a Bobcat senior and Tennessee-bound at that time. Even from a distance, she took note of Wingate and her success.
“She always worked hard and was always out in front,” Carr said. “She was always really encouraging to her teammates, and she was a great team leader.”
As for Wingate’s record?
“It’s really cool to see the different girls from this area that are really good,” Carr said. “That record is really a big goal of mine. It’s something that I look at and think, 'She did that, so why can’t I do that?'”
Much like Wingate, who could be seen running all over Wooster during her years at Norwayne, Smithville residents are privileged to see Carr running through their community. It’s that work, drive and willingness to put in the time that has catapulted her to results like the Hot Summer Bash and why Carr is closing in on the all-time area record.
“It’s that combination of talent and hard work," DeRodes said. “She’s able to maximize her God-given talent with her hard work ethic, and she gets the most out of herself mentally and physically.
“In so many ways, she is a mental runner because she prepares, strategizes and does everything she can before the gun goes off. When the gun goes off, her talent takes over. She’s that combination of smarts and athleticism. It's fun to watch.”
In Carr’s eyes, a big part of her success is the improvements she has made.
“I feel a lot stronger than I did last year," she said. "I really focused on my endurance. I’ve been doing some cross-training and worked on my mental state. It’s really been helpful.”
And then there are her peers, her friends and fellow runners.
“We are a really tight-knit group of girls,” she said. “We are always there pushing each other.”
“She leads the way by example, and they all believe that they can run faster because they see her doing it,” DeRodes said. “But it’s what she does after running a bad race or one that she isn’t happy with that stands out to them. She always goes to them, is encouraging to them, wants them to do well and is making sure that they are in a good place after the race. She is definitely the team leader.”
With more records to topple in the future, Carr is keeping everything in perspective. With official visits to Notre Dame, Ohio State and Princeton, she will have her list of options, but it’s what she is looking for in her future destination that reflects who she is.
“Academics, good team culture and somewhere that I can continue to grow in my faith,” she said. “I definitely want a good running program. I want to see the chemistry that I have with the girls in the program and if I like the program.”
And as for the rest of her prep cross country season, the best is yet to come.
“I have great teammates, and seeing all the great local talent is really cool to watch and to be a part of,” Carr said. “I am really thankful for that, and now I am looking towards the county records, lowering my time and doing well at state.”
For DeRodes and many others in the area, it’s just soaking in the opportunity to watch the "shark" attack the next cross country course.
“She really is special,” he said. “There was a time that we were excited when a girl broke 19, and now Kaitlyn is running in the low 17s. It’s amazing. It’s nothing that I’ve done. It’s all her. She does it on her own. She is an amazing young lady.
“It’s been fun to watch her progress over the years, and I just can’t believe how fast it’s gone.”
