PREPS ALCOVE

Molly Seidel's incredible career could culminate at Olympics

Now Media Group

 As a second semester senior at the University of Notre Dame, Molly Seidel has been taking a course to finish her fine arts degree analyzing the history of the Olympics. The class studies everything from key historical moments to the music selections in opening and closing ceremonies.

In August, Seidel could very well become part of that course's curriculum.

The University Lake School alumna, who became the most decorated distance runner in state history, has gone on to rack up four NCAA Division I national titles in cross-country and track and field. Now, the 21-year-old is ramping toward some of the biggest races of her career, with the U.S. Olympic Trials just around the corner in early July.

She has already qualified for one of her two events at the Trials, and knowing her destination means a lighter race schedule at UND.

'It definitely impacts a little bit of how often I race and planning out the season,' Seidel said. 'Especially for longer races, you have to get that setup and good base going. Really, FOR a lot of the big meets, we'll still be there ... the mentality of being able to work and think in terms of weeks and months rather than the next couple races (helps); it really helps having coach (Matt) Sparks to be able to give me that long view as well. It's a little bit more intricate of a planning process. At the same time, it's just running; it's pretty simple stuff at the end of the day, just putting one foot in front of the other.'

 Seidel has been making it look just about that easy for years. She became the second Wisconsin girls runner to win four cross-country state titles (joining Suzy Favor), and she also exceeded Favor in winning eight state track and field titles (four 1,600 and 3,200 races). Favor won four 1,600 races, one 800 and one 3,200 during her career, on her way to becoming a U.S. Olympian.

For Seidel to follow in that landmark footstep, she'll need to qualify at the Trials in Eugene, Ore., in the first week of July. She's already qualified for the event in the 5,000 meters, but even though she won last year's outdoor national title in the 10K (winning in 33 minutes, 26 seconds), she still needs to reach the standard of 32:25 to qualify for Eugene.

'That's going to be the goal at our next meet, something I'm going to be working on,' Seidel said. 'Even last year, I wasn't able to run at the U.S. championships; I've only run the 10k three times, and they've all been very tactical races, do I don't have that fast qualifying time. So there's that chip on my shoulder knowing I still have the work to do. For the 5k, I made the qualifying time at the ACC championships, almost by surprise. We went out, and I knew I just wanted to run a good fast race and put a good effort out there, and I ran a 15:19. For me, it was 'Wow, I can't believe I did that.' I was going out just trying to compete and get points for the team.'

Seidel later ran 15:15 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birminghamm, Alabama, two weeks later to win the national title; the qualifying standard in that event is 15:25. She added an 8:57.13 in the 3,000 meters for another championship, also the fastest time in Notre Dame history. They were huge accomplishments but not necessarily shockers, not after she won the cross-country national title in the fall or an outcome that was a surprise, last spring's outdoor 10K, when she pulled away in the final 800 to pass defending champ Emma Bates of Boise State.

'It definitely helped from a confidence standpoint (winning the 10K),' Seidel said.'Knowing I had the ability to race at that national level and get that confidence was really key for me, getting the mental side down. I've been able to take that and use that and have more confidence in my training.'

When she won the national CC title in Louisville, she became the only women's champion in Notre Dame history and only runner at all from the school to win since 1942.

It's supremely heady territory for an athlete who made her name in the state running for a Hartland school with an enrollment of 70 students.

'I don't really think about it too much in grand terms,' she said. 'You get kind of into the day-to-day grind of it. Sometimes it's cool to be able to think, 'Wow, these are incredible opportunities and incredible experiences.' Yes, these are huge accomplishments, but there's still so much work to do and these enormous goals, even though it's enormously rewarding to win a championship. I'm always happy and excited, but I'm always looking forward and there's always room for improvement.'

The ACC Outdoor Championships begin May 13 in Tallahassee, Florida, with the NCAA regional to follow (beginning May 26) and the NCAA outdoor championships (beginning June 8).

Trophy case

Molly Seidel's run of championships has been impressive:

NCAA titles

2016 indoor 5,000 meters —15:15.21

2016 indoor 3,000 meters —8:57.86

2015 cross country (6K) —19:28.6

2015 outdoor 10,000 meters —33:18

WIAA titles

2009-2012 1,600 meters — 4:51.54*

2009-2012 3,200 meters —10:21.93**

2008-2011 cross country (4K) —13:39^

*Division 3 state record, set in 2011

**Division 3 state record, set in 2012

^Fastest time of any runner at state meet dating as far back as 1996 records, set in 2012

From Wisco to Rio

Germantown's Thielke wins U.S. Olympic wrestling trials

Pewaukee's Pati Rolf headed to Rio as volleyball official