A new student joined the Saucon Valley community at the start of the 2024-2025 school year: Virginia Kraus. Since her start, and even before it, she has made waves here with her incredible athleticism, intelligence, and kindness. Kraus is a junior who’s main sports are cross country and track. She has won 3 state titles in her time in high school, which have led her to compete in the national championships this year in San Diego.
One important trait that has led to Kraus’s success is her willingness to work hard. Kraus stated, “I run five days a week, one day of cross training, and one day completely off of training.” This packed schedule contributes to her success in track and cross country. She runs anywhere from 4 to 10 miles every training day for a total of 40 miles every week, a feat only made possible by her determination and drive.
Once she arrives at the races, she also has many superstitions. Kraus said she has to “take off all my jewelry, put on my lucky sunglasses, and write positive quotes on my hand.” These quotes help motivate her through the race, giving her a sort of mantra to repeat in her head. One of Kraus’ favorites is “last one, fast one,” a quote that reminds her to end the race stronger than she started. The inspiration for these quotes is gained from her life, mainly songs, friends, and more.
Not only is she a nationally acclaimed runner, but she plays many other sports in her free time. Exercise and movement are very important to her so when asked what she does in her free time, she said, “I like to play a lot of different sports: snowboarding, skateboarding, ice hockey, ultimate frisbee, basketball, lacrosse, and I play guitar.” One of her favorites is ice hockey, which she said would be her next option if she didn’t run cross country. All these activities also help her be a well rounded athlete and person.
Overall, Kraus is an inspiration for any student. She stated that if she could tell all students one thing, she would tell them that, “it’s really amazing to be involved in sports, so if you’re not, then you should join one.” This advice enunciates the community that team sports, such as her track team, can foster. Her drive and determination mean she has an incredibly bright future filled with success, and her benevolence and kindness to everyone has made a difference in this school. To conclude, we wish her good luck as she goes to represent our school in San Diego at the National Cross Country Championships.
