Shelby's Anna Will's dedication to running craft has her competing with the best of the best

SHELBY — Anna Will said goodbye to the mint Oreos and mint chocolate chip ice cream and hello to the country roads of Shelby and the Mad Dog Gym.

After making her way out of Lexington High School's stadium, home of the Division II regional track meet, Will made a promise to herself. That promise was to dedicate herself. Put everything she had into running. She had just finished ninth in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:30.19 missing out on a state meet berth and to Anna Will, that wasn't good enough.

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It was still a very successful freshman season. She qualified for state in cross country and took 71st individually with a time of 20:07.30 in her very first varsity season.

Still, to Anna Will, that wasn't good enough.

"After track, I turned every bit of focus on cross country season," Will said. "I made the decision that I needed to really improve and work hard if I want to reach my goals."

And go to work she did. She hit the hilly roads of Shelby with her mom, Katie, on a bike right beside her. Many times, they had to wear lights and reflective gear as Will wouldn't head back him until she was completely satisfied even if it meant running after dusk.

She hit the weight room hard focusing on strengthening the muscles that would help her shave seconds and even minutes off of her times. And she revamped her diet putting fuel in her body that would allow her to get the maximum performance out of it instead of indulging in the sweets and snacks.

"I stay away from the junk food and desserts and just eat a lot of fruit," Will said. "That helps so much. And lifting has helped so much. I feel stronger, and I can feel it in the last mile. That is all thanks to the weight room."

Will has taken her competitive desire to the next level and is always mindful of ways to help her improve.

"I roll my muscles out a lot, and that has helped," Will said. "I eat after I run, and I have been more mindful of my diet. That has been one of the biggest changes from last season to this season. I have a better diet and recovery and that has helped with my workouts."

Shelby coach Jordann Garrett has noticed a huge change in Will's mentality. She knows Will has always been a competitor with a special talent, but since she has taken things even more seriously.

"I see it more with her experience," Garrett said. "She has been through it. She has ran in big races, and it sparked a desire. She saw she had ability and all she had to do was believe she could do this and work hard in the summer. She is seasoned, and it is awesome to see."

Garrett can be credited with the shift in diet for Will. The coach made an appointment for her entire team to visit Females in Running Stronger Together, which brings in a bunch of experts on female nutrition, exercise and strength training that is specific to females.

They heard from Brian Knight, author of DailyDicipline.com and a private advisor to many NFL, NBA, MLB and major college athletic programs. His focus was on executing simple skills and the practice of elite discipline. The next speaker was Miah Desantes, a college runner at Ohio University who is now a sports nutritionist working with athletes on performances and recovery diets and lifestyle.

That was where Will really began to understand that to become the runner she wanted to be was going to take more than just practice.

"They have all taken it to heart so it is great to see that they are benefitting from that," Garrett said. "Anna has raised the bar."

So far, Will is off to a hot start to her sophomore season. She won the Richland County Championship in her first race with a 20:26.6 before taking fourth in the Black Division of the Seneca East Tiger Classic with a time of 20:09.11. Most recently, she took sixth individually but was the first Richland County runner to cross the finish line with a time of 19:38.9 at the Ashland Cross Country Invite.

She set a goal to run in the 19s and did it in the third meet of the season. And still, to Anna Will, that isn't good enough. She wants to be the best of the best.

"Over the summer training, the only thought in my head was just wanting to be the best I can be," Will said. "When I was lifting, I just kept thinking I want to be one of the best and in order to do that, I need to train harder than I ever have in my life. I built my mental approach to this sport and I haven't let that go."

It is what sets Will apart and Garrett sees something special in her as a runner and a leader.

"There is a lack of a ceiling to put on her," Garrett said. "Our team goal is to raise the floor and not just the ceiling by doing the little things right and consistently and that starts with Anna. She is a leader out there by doing those little things consistently. She leans on her support system and knows she has teammates backing her up."

And her unwillingness to be satisfied is going to be a driving force for the next two and a half years. Sure, she will celebrate victories, milestones and goal achievements, but it won't be with a mint Oreo or a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Her celebration will consist of a weight room visit and a few mile run through the Shelby countryside with her mom on the bike beside her.

jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

X: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Shelby's Anna Will has Whippets cross country back on the map