STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.\u2014 Katelyn Kliesch, a senior at Notre Dame Academy and the first athlete ever to win four individual Island cross country championships, has announced her commitment to attend Villanova University\u2014 home to a powerhouse program with 15 Big East cross country titles and nine NCAA track team championships.<\/p>\n
Kliesch had plenty of options for continuing her athletic career in college, but she said she knew early on that Villanova was the right fit for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were my top choice because I loved the school beyond running. When I visited, I connected with the coaches right away, and I knew then that it was where I wanted to go. There were other schools, but if Villanova was an option, that\u2019s where I was going,\u201d the soon-to-be Wildcat said.<\/p>\n
Along with praising the team\u2019s welcoming environment, Kliesch said that even though the suburbs of Philadelphia aren\u2019t far from home, the campus immediately felt like where she belonged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWalking around the school, it was really homey, and I could just see myself there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Kliesch said that securing a spot on an NCAA team should give her an extra boost heading into the indoor track season. She\u2019s hopeful it will help her lower her Island records in the 800 meters, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters, and the mile, further cementing her legacy as one of the Island\u2019s best-ever runners.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely more motivating because I want to show what I can do and carry that momentum into next year. Seeing how well the girls are doing in college makes me want to prove I can be part of that too,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n
The Gator standout also made sure to thank her support system of family, friends, and teammates for their guidance and encouragement, saying she wouldn\u2019t have gotten this far without them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve all been important in helping me through the days when I\u2019m not mentally there or just not feeling my best, giving me that extra push. Showing up every day isn\u2019t easy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the close-knit environment at NDA, Kliesch emphasized the importance of camaraderie and team spirit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s really about the team and the girls. We\u2019re all close, and being friends and having fun takes away the pressure. That support has helped me get through year after year, week after week,\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n
Notre Dame\u2019s head coach, James Walker, also highlighted why the Big East school is an ideal destination for his record-setting athlete, saying, \u201cVillanova isn\u2019t just the next step for her; it\u2019s a perfect fit. It\u2019ll be a great home for her next chapter where her drive, toughness and passion will continue to rise.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also praised Kliesch\u2019s contributions to the NDA program, saying, \u201cWatching Katelyn grow into the athlete and person she is today has been one of the greatest honors of my coaching career. I couldn\u2019t be prouder of the athlete and the young woman she\u2019s become.\u201d<\/p>\n
With her NCAA future now cemented, Kliesch will aim to close out her time at NDA on a high note, beginning at Ocean Breeze at the Loughlin Games for the indoor season opener on Dec. 20. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.\u2014 Katelyn Kliesch, a senior at Notre Dame Academy and the first athlete ever to win…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":65958,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-65957","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65957"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65957\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}