NorthWood senior Erica Stutsman is prepping for a big cross country season. (Photo by Scott Davidson)

NAPPANEE – Erica Stutsman is one bright young lady.

The well-rounded and grounded NorthWood senior cross country ace does not want to be defined as just a great “runner”.

Even though that description fits the soft-spoken leader as well as the most comfortable pair of running shoes used to cover the courses that she excels on.

Stutsman, who is coming off an eye-opening track season this past spring, is preparing to make a run though literally at a big goal this fall.

“I’m hoping to make it to State this year,” said Stutsman after a recent morning practice with her team. “I think that I’m capable of it, but I know that it will take a lot of hard work and pain to accomplish that.

“I want to be a good example to my team. I want them to see me working hard and follow suit. I also want our team to set some crazy goals for this season. I’m excited to see of us progress together as a team. That’s what it’s going to take for us to advance this year out of the regional as a team and I want that to happen.”

Stutsman ran her way to the New Haven Semistate a year ago after placing fourth overall in the Elkhart Sectional and 10th overall in the Elkhart Regional, both held at Ox Bow Park. She was 44th at the semistate race at IPFW in a time of 19:46.

The Panthers, under the direction of coach Mark Mikel, were fourth at the sectional in 2016. The team then finished sixth in the regional, just missing a top-five finish and a berth in the semistate.

Stutsman, who was also a semistate qualifier as both a freshman and a sophomore, admits that she did not have a lot of time to put in a lot of training this summer. She had a full plate between working as a lifeguard at Shanklin Park in Goshen and being involved in 4-H activities. Additionally, her family is in the process of moving into a new house.

“I ran when I could this summer, but I feel kind of slow right now and not really in shape,” remarked Stutsman. “But I trust coach and our training and the process. I just need to get my endurance and get my muscles built back up.”

Stutsman also took a little time off after some finish to her junior track season. She blazed to a third-place finish in the 800-meter run at the State Finals in early June in Bloomington. Stutsman, who broke the school record in the 800 as a freshman, posted a new school standard at State by going 2:13.21. Since then, she has been receiving a lot more attention from college track programs, including several Division I programs.

“I’m not sure what to think about it (being recruited),” said Stutsman, whose time in the 800 was 2:20.65 as a freshman when she broke the school record that had stood for more than two decades. “I go back and forth on it.”

Mikel, who is in his third year of his second stint as coach of the NorthWood ladies’ program, realizes the potential of his frontrunner.

“I would love to see Erica go to State this year and it’s well within her reach,” said Mikel. “The thing about her is that she is intelligent and she likes a challenge. She’s aware of her abilities, she’s confident and she recognizes her strengths. She trusts me and I trust her.

“She had a very intense track season that was physically and mentally exhausting and she needed a break. She’s fine right now. She will race fine early in the season, but we are looking at the big picture. We are concerned about the end of the season, not what happens in August and September.”

The Panthers finished fourth in the Elkhart Sectional last season and were then sixth in the Elkhart Regional, just missing a semistate berth by one spot in the final team standings.

Mikel has very high hopes for his entire team, which opens its season at home versus Wawasee, Fairfield and Bremen on Aug. 15, this fall. His top seven runners from last year’s regional team return, including senior Kate Jarvis, juniors Jennifer Martinez, Amanda Jenkins and Hannah Brubaker and sophomores Ariana Runge and Megan Miller. The Panthers will also count on senior Brianne Resler and juniors Whitney Wolfe and Laura Schrock.

“I love these kids,” said Mikel, who played football and ran track back in his day at NorthWood. “We have great senior leadership on this team. I think that it’s huge for them to get to semistate this year. I’ve told them that this is a year that they can leave their legacy and a year that will help to define our program. This is a year where they can really leave a mark.”

The mark starts with an outstanding leader in Stutsman.

“I want to represent this community well,” concluded Stutsman. “But my life is not all about running and my identity is not just being a runner. There’s more to me.”

Sounds like one intelligent young lady.