Posted by By Esme Keon and Lily Nocito
Dylan Friedman,17, is a record breaking star athlete at the New Paltz High School who is known by all at the high school for her uplifting and compassionate spirit.
In the halls, everybody knows her name. This year alone, she medaled in every invitational she went to during the cross country season. Not only did she earn a State Medal by placing 14 out of 121 runners in her class, but she became the first female runner in 10 years to be sent to the Federation Meet. In this meet, Dylan placed 61 in a race of 283 female runners.
Cross country is a strenuous running sport where teams and individuals run long distance races on outdoor terrain.
It is considered one of the hardest sports you can play in high school. In cross country, Dylan powers through the 5k.
Similar to cross country, in track, her events vary from the 3000 to the 800 in the distance division. During the weekend, you can find Dylan at her early morning practices on Saturday, or even competing in a cross country meet. In her remaining time, she’ll use this opportunity to go to work or complete her schoolwork.
“I like connecting with my family over running,”
“I just wanted to spend more time with them and also do the sport that they really loved,” says Friedman.
Dylan started running back in 2020 during covid because running was very important to her father and sister. She explained that by running she grew closer to her loved ones.
“The biggest difficulty this season is just having the confidence to put myself up in the front,” she said.
Every star athlete faces obstacles along the way. Even the best of the best had a bumpy road to the top. As described, this year Dylan has met self-doubt face to face. Through vigorous training and working past her mental block, Dylan achieved quick success to passing opponents she knew she could take on.
While most of her time is spent on school sports, Dylan Friedman is your regular music listening, dog loving, teenage girl. The time and effort she has put into her running and the accomplishments she has achieved from it deserve to be recognized.
“I like spending time in nature, hiking, playing with my dog outside,” Friedman says.
The Maroon 