After wining the Middle School State Championships as an eighth grader in 2019, Julia Scrudato came into a high school with a lot of huge expectations.
She has lived up to all the hype!!
Scrudato, who finished 9th in 18:34 at the Meet of Champions last year, has been one of the state's biggest stars on the trails and on the track ever since arriving at Montgomery High, and after her latest race, she certainly seems poised to once again be a major factor at the upcoming state meets.
Scrudato, now a junior, looked very sharp this past Tuesday when she combined great racing tactics and the ability to finish strong when she ran 19:25 to finish first at the Skyland Conference Championships on the rugged layout at Phillipsburg.
It was the first championship XC title in Scrudato's high school career after several near misses in the past. Scrudato, who has PR's of 10:451 for 3,200 and 4:54.69 for 1,600, finished second at the Somerset County, Skyland Conference, Central Jersey, Group 4, and State Group 4 meets last year.
NJ MileSplit caught up with Scrudato this week to get her thoughts on her big conference victory, the goals she has for the rest of the season, how her distance running career began, and a whole lot more. So lean back in your fancy recliner and enjoy our latest installment of Feature Friday as we shine the spotlight on Montgomery star Julia Scrudato.
NJM: First of all, congrats on your great victory at the Skyland Conference Championships. What does it mean to you to be the conference champion. You finished ahead of a lot of great runners, and you must be very proud, especially after placing second last year?
I am happy with my finish on Tuesday, and being a conference champion boosts my confidence going into the championship season. The Skyland Conference is very completive, with so many fast girls, so being able to win the meet means a lot.
Take me through the race a little bit as far as what your race plan was and how you executed it, and when you took the lead for good?
It is still early in the season, so I did not have any big goals going into the race. I wanted to finish in the top 3, I wasn't too worried about my time because there are still many races left this fall. At the beginning of the race I was overwhelmed by how many girls were in front of me, so I just stayed patient in first mile. I was in third place going up the big hill, and I just kept my placing untill the downhill. At the downhill, I ran down with "no brakes" and then I passed the front 2 girls, and was in first place for the rest of the race.
A lot of runners consider the course at Phillipsburg to be the toughest in the state. What are your thoughts on that, and what makes it so difficult?
I think Phillipsburg and Holmdel are the hardest course we run, but also the most fun. These courses are difficult because of the many hills on the course.
What do you consider your greatest strengths as a distance runner?
I consider that one of my biggest strengths is being able to be determined to get faster, so it makes it easier to put in the hard work and training that our sport requires.
What are your thoughts on the Somerset County championships week? What are your goals for that race, and what would it mean to you to win that title?
I am excited for counties next week, there is going to be a lot of the same girls running counties as conferences, so I know what to expect. It would be amazing to win counties and it would put me in a good place for sectionals.
You had great races at the state meets last year with runner-up finishes at the sectionals and the Group 4 meet, and a ninth place at the Meet of Champions in 18:34. What are your biggest individual goals for the rest of the season? I imagine trying to win those races at the state meets are big goals.
It would definitely be amazing to be a section and group champion, but there is going to be a lot of competition. My biggest goal that I have had going into this year is to be first team all-state, and run a new PR.
How about your time goals for Holmdel Park? What kind of time would you like to run at Groups and Meet of Champions?
I hope to PR at Homldel Park, and hopefully run a sub 18:30 at Holmdel at Groups or MOCS.
How many miles a week did you run this summer, where did you do your long runs, who did you run with, and did you go to any XC camps etc?
This summer I ran around 45 miles a week. I do most of my long runs on the Canal in Princeton. I love running with my team, I got super close with them last spring, being close with them makes practice fun. They always push me to do my best. I went to a Duke XC camp this summer, and learned a lot about what is it like to run in college.
What is your favorite long run (distance, place, and time) during the summer, and what is your favorite workout during the XC season?
My favorite long run is a 10 mile run on the boardwalk at the beach. My favorite workout during XC season is 1200 repeats.
What is your training like now? How many miles a week are you running and what kind of workouts are you doing?
Right now I am running about 45-50 miles a week, and I'm doing one speed and one tempo workout a week.
What are your thoughts on how loaded NJ is with distance running talent? How much does that motivate you and push you to train even harder.
It helps having so many talented girls in NJ, being able to compete with them helps me to run faster. It is great that I can form a friendship with my competitors while also having them to push me. Seeing all of them train throughout the season and run fast times, pushes me to work even harder.
Let's rewind the clock. How and why did you get involved in running? Tell me how all this started for you?
I first got involved in running when I joined Girls on the Run in third grade. I enjoyed it, and eventually found out that I was good at it so I continued to do it in middle school. Our middle school has a strong program, and a great coach. I fell in love with the sport, and continued it in high school.
When was your first big breakthrough race when you realized that you had a special talent in this sport?
In Middle School, I won the NJ Middle School State Championship in 8th grade. After that, I knew that I had some talent, and I kept training so that I could have more than just talent.
What do you love the most about running XC?
There is so much I love about this sport.
The culture of this sport is amazing, everyone I have competed against is so nice, and I have been able to form so many friendships through XC and track. I also love my teammates, they always cheer for me during my race, and motivate me.
If you could go for a long run with any four pro runners (past or present) who would it be and why?
I would love to go on a long run with Molly Seidel and Emily Sisson. I have looked up to these runners for so long, so it would be amazing to meet them. They have both accomplished so much so it would be great to get to know them.
Running shoes:
What type of shoes do you train in and race in and why are they your shoes of choice?
I run in Brooks Ghosts for all of my easy runs, and I run my workouts in Saucony Endorphin Speed. My favorite racing shoes are the NIke Dragonflys, I run track races in them.
Favorite running season and why?
My favorite running season is spring track. I like spring track because it is so fast, and I like being able to run different events.
Favorite subject in school and why?
My favorite subject in school is history, because it is interesting to learn about how the past has impacted us today.
What did you do this summer when you weren't out there training?
I was at the beach for most of the summer. I went to Hawaii with my family for 2 weeks, which was amazing. There was so many cool things to see. I loved going on hikes in Hawaii, and eating a lot of delicious food.
If you weren't a runner, what sport would you be playing?
If I was not a runner, I would be playing lacrosse. I played lacrosse when I was growing up, and I played my freshman year on the varsity school team.
What advice would you give to younger runners who are first starting out in the sport?
I would tell young runners to make sure that they are having fun with the sport, and to always have a positive mindset before races.