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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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Driscoll's Hard Work in the Gym Helped Her Set Pace for Stuart
By Bill Alden
Emily Driscoll put in a lot of miles preparing for her final cross country season for Stuart Country Day but it was the work she put in off-road that ultimately set her apart this fall.
Working with a personal trainer, Driscoll hit the gym this summer for an eight-week program in which she did abdominal and weight work-outs four times a week in grueling 1 1/2 hour sessions.
The upper body development gave Driscoll an edge which translated into a season to remember. Over the course of the fall, Driscoll broke the school and course record for the 3.1 mile distance when she clocked an 18:51 in a meet at Peddie and finished third individually in the state Prep B meet to help lead the Tartans to their third straight state title.
After completing her season by finishing sixth in the Mercer County Championship race in a time of 19:43, Driscoll acknowledged that she came into the fall with a special confidence.
"I was so ready, I felt in such good shape," said Driscoll as she reflected on the impact of her upper body training. "I felt like last year that if I got tired, I would just die in my arms. When I got tired this year, I could use my arms and pull myself through because of all the extra muscle."
Driscoll was happy with her performance in the county meet, considering that it took place just two days after the Prep B championship meet.
"I was really pumped up for this because it was my last race," said Driscoll, who put in around 30-35 miles a week on the road in her summer training. "I felt really good, really loose. I was really, really happy with my place, I've never gotten this close at the county meet."
For Driscoll, the county performance was a satisfying final chapter in the success story she produced this season. "I loved this season because I saw a lot of improvement," asserted Driscoll. "I got under 19. I think I showed the most improvement of any of my four years."
Stuart head coach Tom Harrington isn't surprised by how Driscoll peaked in her senior season. "Emily is very internally motivated," said Harrington, who has guided the Stuart cross country program to five Prep B titles in the last seven seasons and six straight Patriot Conference crowns.
"She's very open to coaching, she wants to be better, she will call me and ask me about workouts. Every year, she's wanted to get better. She is always open to questions and trying to improve."
Harrington believes that Driscoll's work in the gym this summer did put his senior star a step ahead of the competition. "I think it made a tremendous difference," said Harrington, referring to Driscoll's work with the personal trainer.
"I think more than the physical part of it was the psychological benefit. It allowed her to continue to prepare and come on strong. It gave her a base of encouragement and that carried over to the season."
Driscoll also drew encouragement from the hard work of her teammates. "I think the team was so fantastic this year," maintained Driscoll. "We weren't sure if we could win the state this year. I thought it was good because people really rose to the occasion. We had some injuries but we all worked so hard. To be part of such a hard-working team, it feels so good."
Looking ahead to next year, Driscoll is hoping to work hard on her running at the college level as she is looking at schools such as Penn, Loyola, and Lehigh.
"My goal is to run at the next level and knock another few minutes off of my time, maybe three minutes," said Driscoll, who will finish her Stuart career this spring by running the 1,600 and 3,200 for the school's track team. "I want to go to the NCAAs someday to get the experience of being in a race at that level."
Based on what Driscoll accomplished this fall, there is no telling how far she will go.
