Junior Claire Crone has made history, beating her own record as well as the school’s at the UIL Track & Field State Meet with a 5:05.84, securing 5th place in the state of Texas for the 1600.

“I never thought it would come to this,” Crone said. “Freshman year in track, I remember thinking ‘Okay, there’s no way that I’ll get to go to state ever.'”

Running has been an integral part of Crone’s life since middle school, when she participated in both cross country and track.

“Running keeps me motivated,” Crone said. “It helps me de-stress. It’s what I do for fun. I’ve also found a group of that I belong to.”

When Crone first arrived at Mike A Myers Stadium at UT to compete, she was ecstatic and humbled.

“I definitely fangirled a lot,” Crone said. “I already knew a lot of the runners’ names and where they were from. I couldn’t believe I was at the same meet with them, much less running against them.”

When Crone crossed that finish line, gratitude for her coaches, teammates and family are what came to mind.

“I still can’t believe it happened,” Crone said. “Whenever people congratulate me, I say ‘Thank you,’ but I still can’t grasp that they’re congratulating me and that I did that. It’s weird to think that I’m one of the best in the state.”

Crone has plans to go back to state her senior year, but this time in both cross country and track.

“It takes a lot of commitment, but it is worth it in the end,” Crone said. “You just meet incredible people that become your family. We’re always there supporting each other, through anything.”