Redmond High’s distance-running dynamo Sarah Lord is living proof that hard work and dedication pays off in the long run.

The accomplished senior, who started running for the Cascade Striders of Bellevue in sixth grade, was known as one of the best in the state ever since she began running the trails and track as a sophomore.

Lord overcame a number of heartbreaks and close finishes to achieve every high school runner’s dream of winning a state championship last month at Star Track, the 4A State Championships held at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

Lord, running in her final 3,200-meter race as a Mustang, saved her best for last as she ran a personal-best 10 minutes, 30.47 seconds to take the gold, and tacked on a silver medal two days later in the 1,600 meters.

And it wasn’t just at state that Lord crushed the field. Her win at Star Track was the 17th of her remarkable senior year, which included league meets and invitational events. She crossed the finish line first 23 times during her senior year if you count her six cross-country victories last fall, including winning the 3.1-mile Bi-District II/IV Championships in a season-best time of 18:25.

For her dominating senior-year performance, Lord has been named the Reporter’s Female Athlete of the Year.

“Sarah is an amazing young woman, smart, super-talented and super-consistent,” said Redmond head track and cross-country coach Denis Villeneuve. “She’s a once-in-a-career athlete. You wait your whole career as a coach for someone like her.”

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

Lord’s state championship meets, up until this year’s Star Track, had been a story of close calls and tough breaks.

As a sophomore in the 3,200, Lord suffered a fall early in the race when she was tripped by another runner, only to persevere and climb back up to sixth place after being in the rear of the pack.

She continued to tack on two consecutive third-place finishes, one in the 3,200 last year as a junior and another in the state cross country meet last fall, as Lord wondered if she would ever break through to get that elusive gold.

“Sarah dedicated the winter to core training, yoga, swimming, and running extra miles, with the goal of winning the state 3,200 meters race in May,” remarked Villeneuve, who added that Lord’s win came not as a surprise. “All of her hard work, commitment, and determination paid off as she won the state meet and in the process broke a 28-year-old school record.”

Lord, who described the feeling of finally winning a gold medal as “pure bliss,” was adamant that without the help of Villeneuve, she would never have reached the pinnacle of her sport.

“Vill has just each season, been building and building training-wise… he’s also helped me pay more attention to my form, like keeping the chin down,” Lord said. “He’s really instilled confidence in me, he knows what I can do, and it’s nice to have a little reminder that I can run that fast.

“As a freshman I was like, so quiet, I rarely talked, but now we have a good relationship and I really trust him.”

Unlike many distance runners that put wear and tear on their young bodies and end up injured, Villeneuve says Lord’s conditioning and strict fitness regimen has helped her stay healthy throughout her prep career.

“She’s never been injured, very coachable, very modest and always helps everybody out,” said Villeneuve of his star runner. “She has really helped to elevate our program, as we’ve had a lot of success in the last few years. We’re really gonna miss her a lot.”

FLYING HIGH IN BOSTON

Come this fall, Lord will be running for Boston College, where her goals are simply to keep improving her times, and most importantly, stay injury-free.

But she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trying for something bigger.

“I would love it,” said Lord of the prospect of attending an Olympic Trials. “I went down last summer and it was just incredible, the atmosphere. That’s kind of a long-term goal.”

In keeping with Redmond High’s tradition of not overtraining athletes, particularly distance runners, Villeneuve hopes Lord will peak over the next decade or so, leading to more success in the sport.

“Her future is real bright,” said Villeneuve, adding that distance runners usually peak in their mid-20s. “We could get better performances if we ran the kids harder and further, but at this age, that’s detrimental. Sarah will get stronger and faster every year of college, and she’s already a great runner… so it will be really fun to follow her through college.”

Lord’s performance this year has also been an nothing short of an inspiration to underclassmen track hopefuls who wish to one day be in the same position she is right now, possessing a state gold medal and a scholarship to run in college.

“I’d tell them just to stick with it,” said Lord when asked what advice she would give younger runners ready to chase their dreams. “It’s the way that you come back season after season that really builds towards good races.”