Katie Gaffney '17 Recruiting Profile

 As a high school student athlete, I have come to realize that I have strong collegiate goals and aspirations. My number one goal its to attend an academically strong school, while continuing to run cross country and track. I aspire to not only earn a chance be part of a collegiate track and cross country program, but to be a vital member of improving the competitiveness of the team.  I am a great candidate for a collegiate sports team because I have a very strong work ethic, I am a solid team player, I possess great leadership skills, and I have achieved academic success as a 4.0 student.  I believe that several things set me apart from other recruits. First, is that I am highly self-motivated. I set goals for myself, map out a plan, conquer obstacles, and stop at nothing to achieve them. I feel that I am personally responsible for all the choices I make, and therefore I am in control of the outcome of any given situation. I am a leader in all situations, as well as a good friend and teammate. I can always count on myself and others can always count on me to give my best in everything I do. In terms of athletics, my track and cross country times are improving each year and I have a desire to see how fast I can get by becoming a student athlete at the college level. I love to compete, I love to be a part of a team, and I love to work hard.  In terms of academics, I have had much success over the course of my life. I have maintained a 4.0  throughout high school and I always challenge myself in school by taking advanced classes. Achieving this academic succes takes organization, responsibility, and hard work. I am willing to continue to utilize these qualities in my academic future.

Running has become a big part of who I am, and it is my ambition to continue running competitively at the college level. As an athlete on a State Champion team that has always been consistently competitive, it is difficult to get on varsity and also challenging to stay there. I have constantly had to push myself to reach and stay at the varsity level on my team. This has taught me a lot about myself and about the power of perseverance and determination. Overall, distance running has become one of the most important things in my life and has helped make me who I am today, and I know my hard work and success in academics will take me far in life.