WOODBURY — Most people find it difficult to take leadership in a team setting, but most people aren’t Ellie McDonald.
McDonald is a three-sport athlete; she plays soccer in the fall, and runs outdoor track in the spring. She played basketball the winters of her freshman and sophomore years, but switched to indoor track for her junior season.
The defining moment so far in McDonald’s track career isn’t positive; in fact, it’s the opposite.
“Our biggest challenge that my team and I faced was our 4×400 [relay race] in [the Class M state championship],” said McDonald. “We had won first, crushing both the other teams and the [school] record, but then were disqualified due to another team impeding us.”
Even after going through this rough patch, McDonald and her teammates grew from this devastating experience and improved themselves.
“Right when we found out, we were in shock,” McDonald said. “We had celebrated for 10 minutes on our record-breaking time, and being All-State [for winning], and then it all came crashing down. We all came together and tried to be there for each other. We could not believe it. After a while of trying to understand the officials and see if they made a mistake, we accepted it and got frustrated that it had to happen to us.”
Even though this was a disappointing and challenging moment in McDonald and her teammates’ careers, she assures that they are going to use what they went through to get better and to learn and grow with each other.
“This frustration is what is pushing us now for indoor [track] and in this outdoor [track season] to be faster and stronger,” said McDonald. “We will take the anger and use it to push ourselves to be even better than last year.”
“Throughout the season the goal is to get faster,” McDonald continues, “but especially this year I want to become stronger and more technical with each part of my races [to prepare for the next level]. In college, the goal is to run track and have a great education.”
Along with track, McDonald’s top priorities include her academic aspirations.
“As of right now, I want to go into a good medical program and run on a good team,” said McDonald. “I have talked to some coaches already across all [NCAA] divisions; however, I do not know where I want to go yet. All I know is I want a good medical program and a good track team, preferably somewhere warm.”
McDonald has a good handle on what she wants, but there are characteristics – her team spirit and supportive nature, to name a few – that are guiding what she wants for her future. These things are what makes track the most enjoyable for her.
“The thing I like most about track is the team; we all grow very close over the season, as well as everyone is so supportive cheering for everyone at every race or field event,” she said.
One of McDonald’s closest friends, junior Katie Farrell, has seen her best friend grow up as both a person and athlete.
“Ellie has always been fast since elementary school, but her confidence and skill has really grown since then,” Farrell said. “I hope that she is very successful in the future both on the track and with school.”
Even though Farrell and McDonald don’t do track together, they do share experiences with each other thanks to the three seasons of Nonnewaug soccer they have played together.
“It’s super fun to play next to your best friend, especially when you help each other and even score together,” Farrell said.
Farrell and McDonald were both starters for Nonnewaug starting during their sophomore year.
After McDonald’s final years at Nonnewaug and being a part of Nonnewaug track, she expresses what she is going to miss the most.
“I am going to miss [coach Arleigh Duff] and the bond the team has made the most after high school track is over,” McDonald said. “In the future I see myself running just in college and then staying athletic after my four years are done as I go more specialized into my career.”
