By EMILY BARY ’15

Co-Editor in Chief

Meg Kelly ’17 has had a good year so far running cross country and track for the Blue. The New Jersey native was part of a cross country squad that took second in both the Seven Sisters and conference championships in the fall, and she herself finished first in a home meet in late September.

She carried that momentum over to the spring, and has been a steady performer on the track team. Kelly took third place in the 3,000-meter event at an MIT invitational in early February. She’s also a part of Wellesley’s 4×800 relay team, which took first at a Tufts meet last month.

Though Kelly has a calf injury, she’s working hard with her teammates and hoping to be healthy for the Eastern College Athletic Conference and New England Division III individual championships, which she qualified for at the MIT meet. She spoke with the Wellesley News about her history as a runner and her training at Wellesley.

Emily Bary (E.B.): How long have you been running? Why did you start?

Meg Kelly (M.K.): I ran track and cross country all throughout middle school and high school, mainly because I’m the least coordinated person ever and I was terrible at every other sport.

E.B.: Why did you decide to run at Wellesley?

M.K.: I really wasn’t any good in high school until my senior year when we got this really great coach who really motivated us and helped us make state and nationals in track. I had been recruited by some of the other Seven Sisters schools, and that’s how I learned about Wellesley and the program here.

E.B.: What’s it like being a multi-season athlete?

M.K.: I definitely get jealous when someone tells me its their offseason! But I like how it keeps me in shape and makes me more organized because I have to manage my time between practices and meets.

E.B.: Do you like track or cross country better?

M.K.: I feel like I should like cross country more because everyone’s doing the same event and you don’t run in circles, but I love track because there’s more variety and it’s more individualized, so if I have a terrible race I haven’t let down the team as much.

E.B.: What has the transition from high school to college running been like for you?

M.K.: I’ve never actually run indoor track before since I always swam in the winter, so that’s a big adjustment. Also in high school my team had about 11 girls at most, whereas here it’s over 30. At first I was intimidated, but now I really love it.

E.B.: What’s been the best part of your Wellesley athletic career so far?

M.K.: Definitely my teammates and coaches. I’m a total headcase at meets and workouts, and they’re easily the most patient and supportive people I know.

E.B.: What do you do to get ready before a big meet?

M.K.: I used to be really superstitious and think that I needed to wear a certain sports bra or listen to the same music to have a good race, but now I just try to relax with my teammates and trust in the work we’ve accomplished throughout the week.

E.B.: How many miles do you run per week?

M.K.: Only around 45 to 50 miles, which I’m pretty sure is low for the team. My goal for outdoor is to work on getting more comfortable with a higher mileage.

E.B.: How do you avoid injuries?

M.K.: The sad thing is I’m actually sort of injured right now! But I’ve been cross training and making sure to eat and sleep better, so I just need to stay calm and be patient.

Kelly will next compete in the New England Division III meet on Feb. 21 at Springfield College.