Feature Friday: Thomas Continues Haddonfield's Great Legacy

NJ Feature Fridays
Jim Lambert


Ava Thomas checks just about every box you can think of when it comes to being a great distance runner.

Running in her blood. Check 

Overcoming adversity. Check

Never stop believing in yourself. Check

Puts team goals ahead of personal goals. Check

The heart of a lion. Check

Historian of the sport. Check. She knows who Dave Wottle is!!! That should be worth 2 check marks!!! 

Great coach: Check

Committed to continuing Haddonfield's legacy of greatness established by the all-time great runners/teams who ran before her. Check.

I told you! Name a box, and Thomas checks it. She is the total package! 

Oh jeez!!! Wait a second. I forgot a really big one.

Meet of Champions winner. CHECK!!!!!!!

You didn't think I really forgot about Thomas winning the 3,200 at the M of C last spring, did you? That would be impossible since it was one of the most unforgettable, stunning and breathtaking moments of the entire season last spring!!

To refresh your memory, Thomas looked like she had no shot at winning the 3,200 at the M of C this past June. If fact, it didn't look like anyone had a chance to reel in Tilly O'Connor of St. Rose, who had a huge lead with 400 to go 

That's when some of those checked boxes came into play for Thomas. 

Thomas, in fourth place at the bell, 8.58 seconds behind O'Connor, refused to pack it in. Instead, she dug down deep like she always does and began to close the gap with every stride as O'Connor stared to struggle, paying for her ambitious front-running. Thomas had more left in the tank than anyone as she slammed on the gas and stormed past O'Connor with about 50 meters left and charged across the line first, stopping the clock at 10:44.34. Rosemary Shay of Middletown South was second in 10:45.76 and O'Connor was third in 10:46.36.

Thomas, who ran 1:14.55 for the final 400, was in shock and disbelief when she crossed the line (her face says in the photos says it all). As she walked off the track, Thomas was immediately swarmed by her teammates and her coach, Jason Russo.  It was a truly magical moment.



NJ MileSplit recently caught up with Thomas in between her summer runs to get her thoughts on her epic comeback win at the M of C, 
the upcoming season, her journey to become one of the state's biggest stars, her goals and team goals for the season, what it means to run for one of the greatest programs in state history, and a whole lot more.  

So lean back in your fancy beach chair or grab your favorite spot on the couch and enjoy our latest installment of Feature Friday as we shine the spotlight on Haddonfield's rising senior, Ava Thomas, one of the biggest stars in the state!

Ava Thomas 

Haddonfield 

NJM: How is your summer training going? How many miles a week have you been running, and where have you mostly been doing your running?


My summer training has been going really well so far! I have been steadily increasing my mileage over the course of these past two months, and I am currently running about 35 miles each week. Haddonfield definitely has a focus on easing into higher mileage to avoid burnout later in the season. I have been doing most of my running around town, though I have made it a point to do some of my runs on softer surfaces like Pennypacker Park.

Have you changed your training from last summer? If so, what is different about it and what made you decide to make those adjustments?

My training is similar to last summer's training plan, with the biggest difference being a slight increase in mileage and additional strength training. Given that it is my senior year, I'm running more miles than I was at this point last year. I'm also putting a bigger emphasis on cross-training and have spent a lot of time swimming. Swimming has been an excellent way to build a solid base.

How was the RunningWorks Camp, and how important do you feel it is for teams to bond and train together at a Running Camp? In what ways do you feel it helps prepare your team for the upcoming season?

RunningWorks Camp is always a lot of fun and we come out of it as a stronger team. I think that doing this type of bonding prior to the season is incredibly important, since it builds an important foundation of trust and genuine love for one another at the start of the season. Given how long and exhausting the XC season is, having a good team dynamic is essential to having success. On the practical side, RunningWorks camp taught us a lot about other aspects of running like recovery, mental toughness, and strength training, all of which is also important to having a successful season.

One of the greatest highlights of the entire season in New Jersey last spring was your remarkable comeback win in the 3,200 at the Meet of Champions. At the time you were in complete shock. What are your thoughts now on what you accomplished after having a couple months to think about it? Does it still blow your mind?

I think I'll always feel shocked by that race. I still have a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that I won. It was just so unexpected, especially considering the start of the race and how I was toward the back of the pack. I went into it hoping to medal, so placing first absolutely blew my mind.

Winning a M of C title is something every track and field athlete in NJ dreams about. How awesome is it to be able to call yourself a Meet of Champions winner, Ava? What does it mean to you?

Like I said earlier, it's absolutely surreal. Being able to call myself a Meet of Champions winner is an incredible honor. It means a lot because it wasn't really supposed to happen the way it did. And maybe that will inspire other runners to believe that even if they aren't considered to be contenders in a given race, there's always a possibility that big things could happen.

You've come a long way over the last couple years. You ran 5:17 and 11:21 as a sophomore, and dropped those PR's all the way down to 5:04 and 10:43 last spring. What was the biggest difference between your soph. and junior years that enabled you to run so much faster, and how much confidence did that give you heading into this XC season?

During my sophomore cross-country season, I had tendonitis in my knee and really only raced once before I had to stop and recover. Losing that season really affected the remainder of my sophomore year, and I was focused on making up for all of the training I missed. I managed to stay healthy my junior year, which allowed me to enter track season with all of my cross country training under me. It is always a tough transition back to 5Ks after shorter track races, but my improvements over the spring have made me really excited to see how I can build on that momentum.

You had a very strong junior year on the trails last fall, running a Holmdel PR of 19:27 to place 16th at the Meet of Champions, you ran 19:41 at Bowdoin, and you won the Camden County Championship and the South Jersey, Group 2 title. (Note-Thomas is the 10th different girl from Haddonfield to win a Sectional XC title). What are your personal goals for this XC season? What kind of times are you shooting for, Ava.  I am sure sub 19 at Holmdel is a huge target for you, and is something you're more than capable of running. 
One of my main goals this season is to stay healthy. As I said earlier, my entire sophomore year was really impacted by my injury during cross country. Having a strong senior year is very important to me, and staying healthy is the most important element in that. As for times, sub-19 at Holmdel and sub-18 at Pennypacker are both big goals of mine. However, cross country races are very unpredictable and dependent on racing conditions, so I plan to focus on placement over time for many of my races.


Let's get into your squad, Ava. Last year your team came so close to winning the Meet of Champions (second to Union Catholic, 79-88) and came just a couple points away from qualifying for the Nike National Championships with a third-place finish at the Nike NE Regional.  How tough was it to come that close, and how much extra motivation did those close finishes give you and your teammates to come back this year and try to win the Meet of Champions and qualify for Nationals?

It was definitely really difficult to come so close to our goals, but it has been a motivator for us during the track seasons and the upcoming cross country season. Coming that close has shown us that we are very capable of reaching our goals, and we are going to work very hard to get there. Our team has incredible potential, and our success last year has made us want more success in the upcoming season. Plus we have great chemistry as a team and a lot of fun together. That combination of talent and great chemistry will help us be very competitive this season.

You return almost your whole pack (6 of your top 7 are back) and I know there's a very talented group of freshmen who have joined the team, so how excited are you for what this team can do? How much potential does this team have? Can this team be even better than last year, and what are the biggest team goals for this awesome pack of the Dawgs?

One of the things I am most excited about this season is our freshmen class. Our team is the largest it has ever been, and there is a lot of talent among our younger runners. And last year's pack is even more experienced and hungry to see what we can do. Everybody on our team has been putting in the work this summer, so I absolutely believe that we can be even stronger than we were last year. 

What is the story behind how you became a runner? When did you first start running, and how did it come about? You probably played other sports before you became a runner? 

I didn't really start running seriously until my freshman year. I had run cross country in middle school, but it was a secondary focus to me. From kindergarten to 8th grade, I played soccer. I was very bad (I scored about 7 goals throughout my entire career and I played offense). My mom (Cathy Smith Thomas) ran at UPenn (and at Steinert High/Hamilton East) and still runs today, so I was always surrounded by running and knew that I was going to do it at some point. I fell in love with it during my freshman year and haven't looked back. 

When was your first big breakthrough moment when you began to realize that you could do big things as a distance runner? 

During my freshman cross country season, our team had an incredible class of seniors that made up the majority of the top 7, so it felt like they were in a different stratosphere. I didn't really think of myself as having much talent until the last race of that season, when I won the 2020 JV Open Race at Dream Park. I remember being so shocked as I stepped off of the line as the winner, since that was the first time I had ever won any individual athletic competition. That race really opened my eyes to the success I could have as a distance runner.

Haddonfield is one of the greatest XC and T&F programs in state history with legendary stars like Olympians Erin Donohue and Marielle Hall having run there, and the team has captured a record number of sectional XC titles (30) and has captured dozens of state championships in all three seasons combined. How much inspiration and added motivation does the rich tradition of excellence at Haddonfield push you to perform at a high level every time you put on that singlet to race. I'm sure continuing to add to the great Haddonfield tradition is very important to you!

I have known about Haddonfield's history of excellence in running for years, and it is such a point of pride for me to represent our school. Wearing the big red "H" on my chest reminds me that I have a legacy to uphold and pushes me to perform my best. We talk about the "greats" that passed before us and have a lot of respect for those girls. It's part of the culture of the team, to know the stories of our predecessors and want to be a part of that history.


What do you love the most about running for Haddonfield and Coach Russo? What makes the XC and T&F programs so unique and successful year after year?

Running for Haddonfield is such an amazing experience, and I would not want to run for any other program. Coach Russo is an incredible leader who is completely dedicated to the team. He knows us all so well and customizes workouts based on each individual's needs.. His love of the sport is contagious. He makes you want to perform because he invests himself so much in this team, day in and day out. He and Coach McCalley are among the most important factors in the team's success. They emphasize the importance of team culture alongside our actual training, which has made us significantly stronger. I genuinely love all of my teammates which makes running and racing so much more enjoyable.

What do you consider your greatest strength as a distance runner? 

I think I'm good at enduring pain for long periods of time. I mean, that's distance running at its core, right? I am not much of a sprinter and generally perform better in longer distances, so cross country is my favorite season.. During a 5K, you are certainly running fast, but it is ultimately a test of endurance rather than pure speed and that plays to my strengths.

What do you love the most about being a runner, and what do you love the most about running in N.J.?

I have met some of my best friends through running. There is such a tight bond when you go through the ups and downs of workouts and races, season after season.  Not only have I made amazing memories with my teammates, but it's been fun to become friends with runners from other schools, too. New Jersey is such a competitive state where you are pushed to your limits in big races.. There is so much incredible competition packed into such a tight-knit community. So your competition actually becomes your friends, which I think is unique to running.

When do you plan to open up your XC season?

I plan to open up my season on September 23rd at the Bowdoin Classic. It's always a lot of fun to travel to New York with my team, and I look forward to racing on that course again!

If you could for a long run with any 4 runners (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

I know it sounds cliche', but I'd love to meet Pre. I know he would inspire me to hear how he was able to maintain such a competitive mindset during racing. Also, Athing Mu is one of my heroes. She's so poised and talented and we've only started to see what she can do on the track. Allyson Felix is another person I really look up to as an incredible runner as a feminist icon in the sport. And I would have to say Dave Wottle, too! Years ago, my mom showed me a video of him from the 1972 Munich Olympics and I rewatch it occasionally. His comeback was insane!

How about the future, Ava.  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?

I am wrapping up official visits in the next few weeks, and I hope to commit by late September. I'm looking for a school with great academic opportunities and a team that competes hard and has fun together. I'm excited to see where this sport takes me but it will be bittersweet. I love being part of the Haddonfield team, and I'm not ready to say goodbye! I'm planning to enjoy every moment of my senior year.