A Peoria high school senior is competing for Team USA at the Great Edinburgh Cross-Country International Challenge in Scotland this weekend.
Peoria Notre Dame senior Maryjeanne Gilbert was runner-up in the girl’s cross country national championships last month.
Cross Country Coach Dan Gray says despite Gilbert’s rise to runner stardom, she’s been able to stay humble along the way.
“I’ve had a little bit more insight into what makes her go, and she’s very, very spiritually motivated. You don’t see that in a lot of kids at the high school age, where they’re so able to understand that they’re working with a big time gift from God,” Gray said.
He says his star runner maintains a “zen” mentality inspired by a class she took on world religions. At mile two during nationals, Gray shouted, "stay in the moment," and it inspired her to stay positive on the last mile. Gilbert finished 9/10 of a second behind national winner, Weini Kelati, of Heritage High School in Leesburg, Va.
Gilbert is scheduled to run the 5K Sat. at 7:00am Central Time in Edinburgh. The race will be broadcast live on BBC One and streamed online here.
Gilbert's mother Beth said in an email her daughter spent this week touring Scottish castles and running the trails at Holyrood Park, where the race will take place.
After Scotland, next year, she’ll run with the Irish -- at the University of Notre Dame, that is. Gilbert signed to run for the University's cross country and track teams, beginning in the fall.