Mykala Seresun and Eva Wilson, a pair of 16-year-old runners from Sedona, traveled south to Gilbert on Saturday, Nov. 19, to participate in the Southwest Nike Cross Regionals.
At Toka Sticks Golf Course, over 500 participants from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada gathered Saturday to run for a spot at the Nike Cross Nationals on Saturday, Dec. 3, in Portland, Ore.
Although Seresun and Wilson did not finish in the top five, which is what’s required of a runner looking to go to nationals, the two still had a valuable experience they won’t soon forget.
“It was a great experience for me,” Wilson said. “What was interesting is Mykala [Seresun] and I usually race together, and this time we didn’t, so it was interesting to know what it feels like racing without her pushing me. I usually feed off her.”
Seresun ran in the Girls Championship race, finishing 57th overall out of 193 runners with a 19:04.43 time. Wilson ran in the Girls Open race, finishing 59th overall out of 300 with a 20:09.56 time.
“It was a great experience overall. It was fun to run against some of the top girls from other states. It was crazy to see what’s out there from other states,” Seresun said.
The dynamic duo ran cross-country for Sedona Red Rock High School as juniors this fall, but they are hoping to go further than just high school with their talented running skills.
“I’m not at Mykala [Seresun]’s level, but I’m hoping to run at a small private school on the east coast, or maybe in Michigan,” Wilson said.
Wilson hopes to pursue a degree in the medical field as a pediatric surgeon. Seresun hopes to go into the medical field as well, but wants to be in physical therapy or a chiropractor.
“I’m looking to keep my options open right now, but I am looking at NAU,” Seresun said.
The two certainly have the grades for whatever they choose to do in life, with Wilson earning a 4.0 grade point average while Seresun sits around a 3.8 GPA.
Seresun and Wilson also elected to not play soccer this winter, stating they didn’t want to risk getting beat up on the field of play for the Scorpions, focusing more on their running for the future.
“We’re small, so when we come out of soccer season we are always beat up,” Wilson said while Seresun nodded her head in agreement.
The girls are among the best long distance runners in the state at their level, but said they both hope to improve over the next year and be able to compete nationally one day.
“This is what we love. It’s what we want to do,” Seresun said.
