By Ken Hansard
Wichita North High junior cross country runner Nelly Puente loves to try new things, which is what led her to sports and running in the first place. “I was just born competitive, so that drive to win and compete was always there. As a youngster, I took P.E very seriously. I was always good at running and endurance-based activities. I did jump rope club and running club in elementary school, so naturally I joined cross country and track during middle school. I love many other sports like football, soccer, tennis, and volleyball, but in the end, I stuck with what I know I’m good at.”
Puente’s cross country and track coaches have to be pleased that she stuck with running, because she has proven to be good at it. As a sophomore, Nelly qualified for state in both cross country and in track, and she also won the GWAL Meet in track in the 3200. She placed 20th in the city in cross country last season.
Nelly took her freshman year off, but then joined the cross country team as a sophomore. “Cross country for me last year was more of a ‘let’s see how it goes.’” This season is anything but that, and it promises even better things for Puente. She has taken two minutes off her 5k time just since the summer. She did that through challenging herself – both physically and mentally, “I can overthink things sometimes. At times I’m scared about not playing it smart enough, and sometimes it costs me. The pressure can get to me, as well, so, I have to trust myself. I’ve become a lot more disciplined than I used to be, I did not miss a single day of running during conditioning for cross country. I’m going to do what is necessary because I know I won’t get what I want if I don’t.”
As for her other goals, Puente just plans to enjoy the ride and help her teammates to do the same, “I’ve had to step up this year with leading the girls’ varsity team. I know the underclassmen need someone to look up to, and I need to set an example for them. I also want to be someone my coaches can count on. And finally, I want to create memories, bond with my teammates, and learn lessons along the way.”
Besides running, Nelly has many diverse interests. She has been invited to join the prestigious National Honors Society. She volunteers for various charities and other organizations. She is active in her school culture and is involved in HALO, STUCO, and AVID. When asked about her various interests, Puente remarked, “I dabbled in BPA. I take honors and AP classes, and I’ve had artwork submitted to scholastics. I’m interested in many things, so I try to join or try out stuff and see how it goes.”
Nelly is a standout in the classroom, also, with a G.P.A. of 3.7. She still has another year and a half to figure out her goals for life after high school, but she plans to go to college and would love to continue running at the next level.
