One moment she is soaring through the air at the high jump, triple jump, or long jump. The next, she is racing past in a whirlwind of speed. After four years, senior Allie Kunstler has grown into an outstanding track and field athlete. “It’s thrilling to watch when she runs; you can just tell something great is about to happen. You know she’s going to do well just by her facial expression, portraying pure tenacity and concentration,” says fellow senior and teammate Gabby Vogt.

Kunstler has participated in a variety of events over the past four years, including the 100 meter, 400 meter, 4×100 meter relay, and 4×400 meter relay. Dating even back to her middle school days, Kunstler knew the track was an area she could flourish in, and she has stuck with it.

This year especially, she has excelled in jumping events. Kunstler has a personal record of 31 feet, four inches on the triple jump, and has as far as a 15 foot, three inch score on the long jump. These scores are impressive on their own, but when looking at her year-to-year growth and development, it is clear that she practices hard to improve her technique and performance.

The nature of track and field can sometimes make it seem like an individual pursuit. However, Kunstler proposes that her teammates have contributed to her success: “Without my teammates, I don’t think I would have accomplished half of what I have. They are always cheering from the outside or encouraging me to do my best before an event, and that motivation has really pushed me.” On the other hand, running and jumping both take a certain level of mental motivation and discipline to succeed. “My mental motivation tends to peak immediately before I go. I try to block everyone else out and just focus on either the pit or the person that I am going to be handing the baton off t0,” says Kunstler.

Recently, Kunstler attended the prestigious Penn Relays, where over 15,000 participants, ranging from high school students to college track clubs here and abroad, engaged in all sorts of Track and Field events. Kunstler represented LHS with a few other students who also made the trip, including Vogt. Kunstler ran in the 4×400 meter relay at the Penn Relays, which was an unforgettable experience. “Being able to run in what my Coach calls ‘The World Series of Track,’ with people from all over the world, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” comments Kunstler.

Looking back on her high school track career, Kunstler is “proud” at what she has accomplished individually and as a member of the team. Kunstler will be attending Duke University next year.