Current Residence: Indianapolis, IN

Hometown: Queen Creek, AZ

Qualifying Race and Time: Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, 2:36:33

Qualifying was an experience I'll never forget. I qualified at my hometown race, supported by friends and family! My coach, and close friend, was one of the official OTQ pacers for the race. He ran the first 21 miles with me, giving advice and keeping me calm, until I made my move to push for the standard. I finished and had a brief moment to realize I had gotten the standard before getting wrapped in a huge hug from my coach, as he finished shortly behind me. I had a pretty messy and difficult build to this race, including an injury a few weeks before. Simply making it to the start line was something to celebrate, so getting the OTQ was that much sweeter!

At the Trials, I am hoping to race for the love of racing. My focus over the last year and half has been getting the OTQ. Now that I've crossed that threshold, I'm excited to refocus and see what I can accomplish without the pressure that was the goal of an OTQ.