Amy McKelvey, cross country runner, junior, Shoals Christian

McKelvey recently won the Decatur cross country meet

1. How long have you been running?

I’ve run with my dad since the sixth grade. I realized I was good at it so we started the cross country team at Shoals Christian.

2. Did you go recruiting for members?

We recruited five girls. My older sister ran cross country also. It was the two of us, and we had a couple of girls in each of our grades that we recruited.

3. What did you have to do to recruit them?

Most of the girls played other sports. We tried to get athletic girls who could run. They were all friends. It is pretty slim pickings at Shoals Christian because we are so small.

4. Has the team been as successful as you had hoped?

It’s been very successful. Last year we finished fourth at state. We have really been improving. We are growing slowly but surely.

5. Do you kind of consider the team to be your baby?

I do. As team captain, I try to encourage the girls to run. A lot of them do other activities so we meet at the school and run at 6 a.m. It’s hard to keep them all motivated but we do out best.