Sports
Athlete of the Week: DGS Runner Amanda Thate
The latest in a series of interviews with star athletes
It’s always impressive to watch an athlete dominate the field. Amanda Thate did just that on Monday for the girls cross country team, beating the nearest competitor by 45 seconds with an 18:03 time in the dual meet against conference foes Hinsdale South and Morton.
The impression deepens when you realize she’s only a freshman.
“She (Thate) is still learning something new every race, but she’s done very well for us.”
Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Thate finished second overall on Saturday in the Naperville Invitational with a 17:45 time. Her excellent finish helped propel the Mustangs to a team victory, edging Naperville North 77-79.
She is Woodridge’s Athlete of the Week.
Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
How do you feel after today’s run? “I feel pretty good, actually. Thought it went very well.”
How long have you been running? “Since sixth grade. Since I was at .”
What attracted you to running over other sports? “Well, my older sister (Jacqueline, who finished ninth on Monday) and brother have done it. I tried it in junior high and I really liked it so I decided to keep doing it.”
How much do you run a day? “We practiced over the summer and we run at least 6 miles every day.”
Are you planning on running in track in the winter and spring? “Yeah, I’m definitely going to do track. The only question is whether or not I want to play basketball because if I do I’ll be missing on the indoor part of the season. So I’ll definitely be doing track for at least part of the season.”
You have a favorite subject in school? I really like science. I’m in biology right now.”
Last question … what’s the longest distance you’ve ever run in one sitting? “I believe it’s 11 miles over the summer.”
