Athlete: Kelsey Chmiel
Year: 2019
School: Saratoga Springs, NY
Analysis: Kelsey Chmiel developed into one of the nation's leading distance runners in her freshman campaign for Saratoga Springs last fall. She led the Blue Streaks all fall, netting third place finishes at the New York State Championships and New York Federation Championships, plus a runner-up showing at NXN NY Regional and a fourth place, 17:15.4 5K PB run at NXN.
This spring saw her clock 10:27.05 for sixth place and All-American honors in the two mile, plus a 9:35.63 PB for 3K and a 4:23.81 PB for 1500m. The motivation will certainly be there this fall, as Chmiel leads a Saratoga Springs squad that returns its entire top seven that placed fourth at NXN and could potentially challenge nine-time national champions and local rivals Fayetteville-Manlius.