Freshman Sophie Munoz proved skill doesn’t always come with age when it comes to cross country.

Munoz took 4th place in the three-mile UIL district meet with a time of 19:05. She was first out of all her teammates, but Munoz isn’t stopping there.

“One of my goals is to place in the top five at Regionals,” said Munoz

Although she may be young, Munoz has been training since the age of two.

“I started running competitively at age seven, but even at age two, I used to jump out of the jogging stroller while my mom ran around Town Lake,” said Munoz. “I would run about a mile beside her.”

To achieve her goals Munoz has many training sessions ahead of her. However, running isn’t a chore it’s something she looks forward to.

“What I love about running is not only being outside but also getting to meet so many great people through the sport,” Munoz said. “Many of my closest friends are those I’ve met through running.”

Munoz has learned to overcome many challenges that face her while she runs. Although the problem for Munoz isn’t going too slow, it’s going too fast.

“The biggest challenge I face when running is keeping a steady pace and not going out too fast with the other runners at the beginning of races,” Munoz said.

Munoz is not hard to find, just look for her on her morning run.

“I run every day on the Austin High track or the Town Lake trail with my team,” she said. “We are so lucky that our school is so close to the trail.”

Running isn’t just good for exercise and making friends, it helps to relax and prepare Munoz for her day.

“It calms me and gives me time to think,” Munoz said.

Being one of the best cross country girls may seem like enough to fulfill her goals. However, Munoz is thinking bigger than high school.

“I would love to run at a college like Oklahoma State University or the University of Texas,” Munoz said. “I would also like to become a professional runner. My biggest goal though is to run on the US Olympic team.”