Cross Country: Junior harrier breaks the barriers

Those who saw her as a soccer star in high school might never have envisioned this future for Costello. She did not run cross country until her senior year, making her rapid improvement all the more impressive. Costello’s only previous experience had come in track and field, mainly as a sprinter, in which she ran the 100m and sprint relays starting in middle school.

Costello has the strong work ethic and competitive instinct essential to an All-American runner. It is one thing to be fast, yet quite another to thrive in a college environment.

“What is perhaps most remarkable about Liz’ athletic success is her ability to simultaneously manage a very demanding courseload and to maintain a real social life,” junior teammate Alexa Glencer said. “She is the definition of balanced.”

Costello trains 60 to 80 miles per week year-round as she balances one of Princeton’s more difficult schedules as a chemical engineering major. She can frequently be found at dance parties, whether at Cottage Club, in dorm rooms or in the locker room. Despite her busy schedule, Costello found time to join Jock Jams, an on-campus singing group, so one might ask how she manages everything.

“Last year, I simply didn’t manage,” Costello admitted. “My less-than-adequate sleeping schedule really caught up with me toward the end of cross country and outdoor track.”

After a spectacular sophomore season, Costello led the fourth-ranked and previously undefeated Tigers into the 2007 NCAA Championships with high expectations. She had yet to learn how to balance the strains of being a star athlete with her academic responsibilities, though, and her performance on the course suffered as a result. Costello ran the first mile aggressively in 21st place, a pace she should have been able to sustain on a normal day. While battling an illness brought on by lack of sleep, however, Costello collapsed and fell all the way to 247th, finishing ahead of only six runners.

After realizing her limitations, Costello returned for her junior season determined to avoid the previous year’s meltdown and help the team perform to its potential on a national stage. The plan did not go smoothly at first: Costello, along with fellow juniors Reilly Kiernan, also a senior writer for The Daily Princetonian, and Christy Johnson, all battled nagging injuries, and Johnson, the second-best returning scorer on the team, could not finish the season. Costello also failed to score at the Notre Dame Invitational while battling a staph infection, resulting in a loss to Florida State. The stars did not seem to be aligning. Still, despite the obstacles, Costello never lost focus.

“She brings a work ethic every single day,” head coach Peter Farrell said. “She’s always looking for things to do to give her an edge: agility drills, abdominal work or speed drills. No stone is left unturned.”

Things began to turn around for the star at Pre-Nationals, where her hard work paid off with a top-five finish, leading the team to a first-place tie with No. 3 Florida State. The record setting began two weeks later at the Heptagonal Championships. Costello ran the fastest time in championship history: 16 minutes, 59.9 seconds. The Tigers won their third consecutive Ivy League championship, and their score of 17 was the lowest in meet history and only two points away from a perfect score.

At the 2008 NCAA Championships, Costello ran much of the race around 25th place — similar to the previous year — but instead of faltering, she surged ahead 10 spots over the final kilometer for a top-15 finish. Her improved versatility and responsiveness to tactical mid-race surges has better prepared her to deal with almost any situation.

“I’ve learned not to stress or worry if everything isn’t going well or as expected,” Costello said. “You can never fully predict how a race is going to pan out.”

She does not panic if she falls behind the leaders: To beat Costello, the competition has to run the full 6,000 meters. If the race is close, Costello will run down anyone in her sight, and a tactical race is perfectly suited to her biggest strength: one of the country’s nastiest finishing kicks. True to her roots as a sprinter, Costello’s remarkable closing speed allows her to blow by helpless opponents in the final straightaway.

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“When it comes down to a final sprint, Liz will always find the final gear to pass whoever she’s racing,” Kiernan said.

Even after her historic individual accomplishments this season, it is difficult to get Costello to talk about herself because her focus is squarely on the team. She could barely contain herself concerning the Tigers’ fifth-place team finish at Nationals, the best finish in school history.

“I want my performance to be a necessary contribution to the team effort,” Costello explained. “Individual success is the most rewarding when it helps bring the team success.”

Next year, Costello will be called on not only to provide consistently low scores, but also to lead a team of talented returners with her experience, as she will have to replace the leadership and productivity of departing senior captains Megan Brandeland and Jolee VanLeuven. All the same, Brandeland said she thinks that she has nothing to worry about.

“This may sound funny since I’m a year older than Liz, but I have to say I’ve looked up to her ever since I joined the cross country team,” Brandeland said.

After a season during which she logged more than 1,000 miles of training and racing, Costello is briefly letting her body recover from the physical stresses. She will soon begin full-time training for indoor track. Having reached the semifinals in the mile last season, Costello’s most immediate goal is to qualify for the finals at the NCAA Indoor Championship.

Next fall she will be back on the cross country course, and the Tigers will almost certainly be the heavy favorites to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Ivy League championship. If she stays healthy for an entire season, Costello’s senior year could be filled with even more record-setting performances.