Never count out Union Catholic's Peyton Hollis!!
In a sport that's all about ups and downs, Hollis refused to stay down after she suffered a stress fracture in her femur that forced her to drop out of the State Non-Public A XC Championship race last November in her rookie season on the trails.
While it was obviously a difficult time for Hollis, who was rolling through an undefeated season at the time, she picked herself up off the mat and used that adversity to ignite a captivating and emotionally-charged comeback.
Hollis worked feverishly during her rehab, cross-training religiously over the next few months, knowing that the hard work would eventually pay off.
It sure did!
Hollis returned near the end of the indoor track and field season to win the 800-meter title at the Meet of Champions in breathtaking fashion, running an indoor PR of 2:11.92 to edge teammate Kaleigh Gunsiorowski (2:11.95) and lead a historic 1-2-3 finish for the Vikings.
Hollis went on to have a spectacular outdoor season, highlighted by a pair of electrifying anchor legs on UC's record-breaking 4x800 relays.
Hollis dropped a 2:09.73 to bring UC across first in the 4x800 at the Penn Relays at historic Franklin Field in April in a NJ state record 8:44.98, which is No. 2 all-in U.S. high school history. Hollis earned the MVP award for her red hot carry.
Then a couple months later on the same track, Hollis, who is always at her best when the stakes are highest and she smells blood in the water, was even more impressive when she slammed on the gas with about 100m to go and blasted by Charlotte Bell of Cuthbertson (N.C.) and completed a masterful 2:07.96 anchor carry by charging across the line with her arms in the air, stopping the clock at a meet record 8:47.08 to give the Vikings their second straight New Balance National title!
Hollis, who has ridiculous range (her PR's are 55.81 for 400, 2:06.42 for 800, 4:49.88 for the mile, and 10:54.98 for the 3,200), will bring that rare mix of speed and endurance and a blend of resiliency and tenacity and some added motivation into her final high school XC season as she leads a UC pack that is a big favorite to repeat as Meet of Champions winner this fall.
Hollis is the fastest returning runner in the state at Holmdel Park with the 18:33 she ran at the Shore Coaches Invitational, and she's eager to burn up the trails again this season!
NJ MileSplit recently caught up with ultra-talented Hollis in between her summer workouts to get her thoughts on lots of topics. Hollis talked about her recent college choice, the upcoming season, overcoming adversity to become a Meet of Champions winner, her goals for this season, her journey to become one of the state's biggest stars, her summer training, and she offered great advice to runners who are dealing with injuries. And she also gave a shout out to her mom.
NJM: How is your summer training going? I am sure you're cranking out the heavy mileage and building a strong base. How many miles a week have you been running, and where have you mostly been running? Is your training different from last summer? If so, in what way is it different?
Summer training has been very good so far! In order to ease myself into the XC season I have been running around 30 miles a week, but have also been adding in a lot of cross training as well to stay healthy. Most runs I've done this summer have been with the team at Oak Ridge so we can get acclimated to running on uneven terrain again.
Since last year was your first season of XC and you unfortunately suffered the leg injury at the State Group meet, I imagine your training is a bit different from last summer? If so, in what way is it different? What changes have you made in your preparation for this season to maintain a high fitness level and stay healthy?
Focusing on staying healthy is definitely a priority this XC season. In order to do so, I have been adding in cross training regularly and the team is focused on strength and mobility drills/circuits outside of just running.
I know how difficult the end of the season was for you personally last year with the leg injury, which forced you to miss the Meet of Champions and the Nike Regionals and Nike Nationals. How tough was that to deal with, and how much extra motivation did missing those meets give you to come back and have an even stronger senior season. How much did that setback fuel your competitive fire and make you even hungrier for XC?
Yes, while femur stress fractures are uncommon, I was the lucky winner! But all jokes aside, seeing and feeling how much I wanted to be a part of the bigger meets only showed me how much I cared. Watching my team win MOC's and qualify for NXN filled me with so much joy, but at the same time I became extremely motivated to have a chance to be a part of those wins this year.
You came back after the injury to have a great finish to your indoor season, including the 800 title at the Meet of Champion, and you had a very strong outdoor season, highlighted by your amazing anchor legs in the 4x800 at the Penn Relays where you were named MVP, and of course the New Balance National title in the 4x800. What kind of rehab/cross-training/workouts did you do while you were sidelined to stay as fit as you did and come back so strong?
Although not being able to run was difficult, I found enjoyment in swimming as a form of exercise. To give a quick shout-out to my mom, she and I would go to the LA fitness gym every other day for swim workouts. Even though I am no Michael Phelps, I truly believe all the hard work I put into cross training helped to maintain my fitness for when I was back and running.
What advice would you give runners out there who are dealing with injuries, and are rehabbing and making a comeback?
Always listen to your body! I learned very quickly that when I felt off it was not because I was weak. It is very easy to mistake injuries for fatigue, so always give your body the rest it deserves. I also would like to emphasize how important it is to surround yourself with people who make you happy. The mental part is oftentimes the harder part when coming back, so spend time with your teammates even if you're not running with them.
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You had a fantastic rookie season last year in XC, running 18:33 at Holmdel last year, which makes you the fastest returner in the state, dropping a course record 17:49 at Warinanco Park, a course record 17:52 at Oak Ridge, and a 18:51 at Bowdoin. So what type of goals do you have for yourself this season? What times would you like to hit at Holmdel, Warinanco, Oak Ridge, and Bowdoin?
This year my goals are pretty simple. I want to enjoy my last year of XC as a high schooler and I want to finish each race knowing I gave it all I had. And as for times I'd like to hit this season, I just want to run fast. I can't promise any specific times, but I want to go into every meet excited to just race.
How surprised were you by all the success you had during your first season on the trails, and what did you learn the most about the sport that you think will help you this season?
Not knowing anything about XC I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it along with my successes. Last year, the biggest thing I learned was how to re-engage myself in a race much longer than I was used to.
How about your squad, Peyton. UC returns a lot of great talent from a team that won the Meet of Champions and finished No. 1 in the state last year, and you have added a lot of great young talent. There is no doubt this team is capable of being the No. 1 team in the state again and returning to Nike Nationals. So tell me what the team goals are for you and your team this season? Can this team be even better than last year? How much potential do you see with this pack and how excited are you for this season?
This year we have added in a lot of talented freshmen as well as our now experienced returners! We're really excited about all the possibilities this season, but most importantly having fun spending time together as a team. We would love to make another team appearance at MOC's and are super excited to take on the challenge at Bowdoin!
What is the story behind how you became a runner? When did you first start running, and how did it come about?
In first grade, one of the parents on my youth soccer team mentioned that Maplewood had a track program called the Jaguars and that I should try it out. So at the age 7, I showed up for Outdoor track not knowing anything about racing. As you might expect, running ended up working out because I have been enjoying it ever since.
I know you played soccer until last year when you made the switch to XC and became a runner for all 3 seasons. Tell me why you decided to run XC last year and what was the toughest part of the transition/adjustment to becoming an XC runner?
Soccer was a lot of fun, but I always knew running had my heart. Even though I made the decision to run XC so I could focus on running full time, the transition was extremely easy because I already knew most of the team.
When was your first big breakthrough moment when you began to realize that you could do big things as a distance runner?
I first realized I could have success in XC during my first race at Roxbury. My teammates and I mistakenly took a wrong turn during the race, but still were able to pull it together and finished 1-2-3. Although we laugh about it now, I really enjoyed the race and knew I wanted to do big things.
What do you consider your biggest personal highlight during your high school career and why? I know you have a lot to choose from.
Indoor MOC was extremely special to me. It was not only my first individual state title, but it also showed me I could persevere through setbacks and overcome the mental challenges that came from my injury.
What do you consider your greatest strength as a distance runner? You obviously have a rare and unique blend of speed and endurance?
I believe my greatest strength is my speed. At the end of every race it always comes down to what you have left in the tank for the last 200 and speed has always helped me when I've truly needed it.
What do you love the most about being a runner, and what do you love the most about running in N.J.?
I have always loved the running community that now feels like family. New Jersey has one of the best High School running communities I've ever seen. I am extremely close with so many different runners from all over the state. I have truly never seen such a close-knit group of people but I could not be more grateful to have met so many awesome runners that I can now call my friends.
What do you love the most about running for Union Catholic, one of the greatest programs in state history? What makes the XC and T&F programs so unique and successful?
I believe the program's success has come from its ability to attract such motivated and talented runners. My coaches have done a great job personalizing our training programs to help us become the best version of ourselves. As a team, we trust each other to hold each other up during workouts when we are struggling. It is truly a team of friends who want to win but also want to have fun along the way.
When do you plan to open up your XC season?
We hope to run a meet at the beginning of September, but aren't sure which meet that will be. However, we have already started planning for fun challenges this fall.
If you could for a long run with any 4 runners (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
I'd have to go for a run with the go to Jersey girls - Ajee Wilson, Olivia Baker, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, and Athing Mu! I feel like it would be such a fun group of women to run with.
How about the future, Peyton. I am sure by now you've probably lined up some college visits for September. Which schools do you plan to visit, and what specifically are you looking for in a college?
Actually... I just recently verbally committed to run track and XC at Duke University next fall! I could not be more excited to be a Blue Devil and be part of such an amazing program.
