GAYLORD — Katie Berkshire has her eyes on the prize today.
And she’ll have her eyes on another prize come Tuesday. After that she’ll move on to more conquests yet this track season at the Big North Conference finals Friday.
That pattern will be repeated for the next two years on the track and along the cross country course.
Berkshire, a sophomore at Gaylord High School, is already a long-distance record-holder and a regular feature at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 finals. Saturday, she threw out the welcome mat to her opponents as Gaylord hosted its annual Blue Devil Classic.
She welcomed the competition because she knows fast races help her get better every day. Winning, although it happens often, is not her top priority. Putting in the work and getting better is what matters most, according to Gaylord girls track and field and cross country coach Lindsey Yates.
“She’s more than just a fast runner,” Yates said. “She knows she has to put the work in to get good results, and she’s always wanting more.
“The proof is in the pudding in what she does,” Yates continued. “She is a special — very special — athlete and young woman.”
Berkshire started this season by breaking the school record in the 3200-meter run at Gaylord’s first meet. She’s hoping to break the school’s 1600m record this spring. And, she’s hoping to add to her collection of regional and conference titles this month.
Higher finishes at the Division 2 final on June 2 also are on the mind of the running sensation, who had a strong showing as a freshman finishing third in the 3200m and 10th in the 1600m.
Track is known as an individual sport, but Berkshire looks at it more as a team sport with friendly competition.
Running, which started in Gaylord Elementary’s “Mileage Club” for Berkshire, wouldn’t be the same without teammates.
“Cross country and track are individual sports, but the team is a huge part – without the team it wouldn’t be the same at all,” Berkshire said. “We have all put in so much effort, and we deserve to go out and race and show what we can do.”
“She’s a gift to the team,” Yates added. “It is an individual sport, but she has the whole team with her and she rallies for the team and the team rallies for her — it’s a family.”
Gaylord has had its share of individual finals champions in the past under boys coach Matthew Warren, who Yates noted has played an integral part in Berkshire’s training. But Berkshire is a one-of-a-kind runner for Yates, who has served as both the girls track and girls and boys cross country head coach the past two years at Gaylord.
“I have not seen anything as fine-tuned as Katie Berkshire, and it’s a breath of fresh air,” said Yates, who assisted both Blue Devils programs a few years before taking over. “The intrinsic desire for her is amazing.”
Running cross country and track brings endless challenges for Berkshire to conquer. The results, she notes, come from the training.
“Running shows me any challenge that comes my way, I can just overcome,” Berkshire said. “It shows me if I have a goal in my mind, I can accomplish it if I work hard and put in the effort.”
During the fall, Berkshire won eight of her 12 cross country races including the Big North Conference meet and regional. She’s already qualified for three Division 2 finals across the two sports and is likely going to add a fourth finals next month at Hamilton High School.
Before that, Berkshire is going after another Big North title and a regional championship. Competitions, like those ahead always bring out her best; the conference includes Division 1 opponents.
“I enjoy running against even girls that are faster than me because they always push me to be better and they are there obviously to race and try their best,” Berkshire said. “They are an influence to me that I can get there one day and I can maybe even beat them the next season.”
This year she has hopes of running a sub-5-minute 1600m to capture the school record; her best in the race is 5:11. She takes on both distance races regularly and also is a regular in relays.
Berkshire’s favorite event by far is the 3200m, as she likes finding the right pace and rhythm to handle eight laps.
“Most people would think I am crazy for that,” she said of her pick for favorite. “It’s the longest race on the track, and it feels the best for me.”
Yates says Berkshire has yet to run her best 3200m time of the season. The conference, regional and final should bring out the best in Berkshire, she noted.
“She’s amazing, and setting the record isn’t good enough for her. She wants to do it again,” Yates said. “She also wants the mile record, and she’s hungry for it.”