Mary Grace Pellegrini is a senior at duPont Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky. She won two KHSAA State Titles in the 1600m Run & 3200m Run in June. Pellegrini helped lead the Lady Crimsons to the 2006 KHSAA Class AAA State Team Title last fall. She was the KTCCCA 2006 Kentucky Junior Girl Runner of the Year and was named to the Class AAA 1st All-State team.
Personal Best
800m Run: 2:18.4
1600m Run: 4:59.78
3200m Run: 11:39.38
5000m Run: 18:17
KYtrackXC: Favorite Course
MP: McAlpine Greenway in North Carolina.
KYtrackXC: Favorite Race
MP: I like the Tiger Run a lot, but that’s probably more for nostalgic reasons. It’s always the first meet of the season and has been since I was little. Plus, I live ten minutes away from both the River Road and Seneca courses, so in a way the Tiger Run has always been my “home course,” which is convenient!
KYtrackXC: Favorite event (800,1600,3200, XC)
MP: The 1600 is always a lot of fun to race because it’s so strategic. It’s probably my favorite track event right now, but I know that in the future, I’ll probably stick to the longer distances.
KYtrackXC: Goals for 2007
MP: The first goal is state. I’d like to win my first individual title and, more importantly, help my team to win our second championship. Afterwards, I have always dreamed of making it to Footlocker Nationals. The South has gotten a lot stronger in past years, so I know I’m going to have to run about a 17:30 to qualify. I think that if I can run in the low 18s during the season, I should have a good shot.
KYtrackXC: How would you rate your track season? How will it help you with cross country this fall?
MP: This track season was really a breakthrough. I’ve had strong seasons in the past, but up until this point I had been unable to pull it all together for the state meet. I accomplished almost all of my goals, but the best thing that came out of this season was a better understanding of how I need to train, sort of what does and doesn’t work for me. For cross country, I’d really just like to build off of that progress.
KYtrackXC: Is duPont Manual ready to defend its team title?
MP: I think so. One of our top runners just moved to Colorado, so that should make things more difficult. Then again, I think that we have some girls who are ready to step up to another level. We have a group of runners who have known each other, for the most part, since grade school. In no way will it be easy. A lot of teams like Assumption and Sacred Heart will be hungry for the title and will come ready to race. Then again, so will we!
KYtrackXC: What schools are you looking at for next year?
MP: Now that’s a good question! Academics are as equally important to me as athletics. That’s helped me narrow it down a bit, but really I’m just glad I don’t have to make this choice quite yet! We’ll see…
KYtrackXC: You have been one of the top girls in the state your whole high school career. Talk about your growth as a runner to this point.
MP: Thanks. I guess I’ve come a long way, and I think I’m just now starting to find out what I can really do. As a freshman and sophomore, I benefited a lot from simply growing and getting stronger. I’ve had my share of ups and downs, and unfortunately up until now most of my “downs” seemed to happen at the state meet. With experience, I’ve learned to better prepare for the big races. The biggest difference for me has been the confidence I now have from doing the workouts. Running is such a simple sport. You don’t get bonus points for overcomplicating or obsessing over it.
KYtrackXC: What are your top strengths and your biggest weaknesses?
MP: My greatest strengths are my passion for the sport, drive, resilience, and competitive spirit. Likewise, these are also my greatest weaknesses. When I let things get out of proportion, it backfired. I’ve come out on top now as a stronger, better, more knowledgeable runner.
KYtrackXC: Any other comments?
MP: Good luck to everyone and stay out of the heat!