Gazette MVP: Medina's Juliette Keller sets standard for county runners

Before Juliette Keller competed in her first cross country race for Medina High, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. With scores of talented runners who came before her, Keller had one name and time etched into her mind. "I knew that Anna Boyert had the school record, and her time was 18:03," a laughing Keller said. "When I was in middle school, I looked at that and was like, 'Yeah, I want to get that so bad.'" Keller has firmly cemented herself atop Medina's leaderboard and left a legacy for future runners to shoot for. That, along with an impressive senior season that resulted in a Medina County-record fourth All-Ohio honor, helped her garner Gazette MVP. "We ask her all the time, when we talk about race plans, about her plan is and she says, 'My plan is to win.'" Bees coach Scott VanFleet said. "From the Medina Festival up to the regional meet, she was unbelievable. It's so hard to do that, especially with the talent in our conference and region. It was very fun to watch." In back-to-back-back weeks, Keller racked up victories. They weren't easy. Far from it. In each race, Brunswick's Emily Bardwell and others were on Keller's tail before she crossed the finish line. Outside of her convincing Medina Festival win in a school-record 17:55.83, Keller was pushed to the limit at the Greater Cleveland Conference, Medina District and Boardman Regional. After holding off Bardwell in a four-second win to capture her first league title, Keller needed everything to outlast her area rival by 0.48 seconds at districts. Keller then overcame the competition and inclement weather to outsprint Savanna Richards of Uniontown Lake for the regional title. "I love that feeling," she said of being chased in the final mile. "If you're in the lead by a lot, it's easier to say, 'I can just slow it down, and I'll still be OK and I'll win the race.' But when somebody's on your shoulder, you're not only pushing them to beat you, but they're pushing you to be better." That push is something Keller is always searching for, as she usually is by herself during workouts. VanFleet and his coaching staff have had her run with the boys team or with assistant Jordan Olson, a talented former University of Akron runner, just so she has competitive company. "It gets a little bit lonely for her," VanFleet said. "We tailor our workouts to the ability and the experience of our kids, so if we're running repeat 1,000s, she's running 3:30 and the next group is at 4:05. The rest are in groups of six, and she's running by herself." Despite finishing before teammates, Keller always finds ways to keep herself focused. "It's tough, I have to admit, because I like doing workouts with other people," she said. "If I have to do it by myself, I don't mind. I'll get through it the same. It just won't be as fun." The positive mindset came in handy at the Division I state meet, where she placed sixth to earn All-Ohio honors. Keller had a smile on her face and congratulated the runners around her just minutes after finishing. One factor was the Bees broke a school record by placing fifth. "I don't like to say I ever feel sorry for myself. If I don't have a good race, I just try to look back on it and reflect as to what I can do better next time," Keller said. "When I finish, at the moment, I'm happy for other people around me than I am for myself. "I don't know, I've just always been that way. I want people to say about me that I'm a positive person and that I have a good impact on others." When future Medina runners stare at the all-time leaderboard, they will try to carry on that legacy. "It all goes back to her love of the sport," VanFleet said. "She is super competitive but, at the end of the day, she excited that she got a chance to compete and winning is not the only thing. It's a nice thing, but it's one aspect of what she wants to do. "She's always positive win, lose or draw." Contact Dan Brown at sports@medina-gazette.com.