Salute To Seniors: Clare Severe

The 6-time Maryland state champion Clare Severe wrapped up a stellar high school career as one of the best four years by a distance runner from the accomplished distance program at Walt Whitman. Despite juggling commitments to soccer (which she will be playing in college at Lehigh University) and never running cross country, Severe was able to post quick high school track PR's of 2:14 in the 800 and 4:57 in the 1600. Check out Severe's Salute To Seniors interview below. (Photo by Lisa McArthur)

Salute To Seniors: Clare Severe (Walt Whitman)

What was your most memorable race/competition?

My most memorable race was definitely the 1600m my sophomore year at the Montgomery County Championship. I surprised myself by finding a gear that I didn’t know I had in the last lap, to come from behind and win the race, and break 5 minutes for the first time. To this day I’ve never had a faster kick, or beaten that time.

Where did you face your biggest competition?

Usually my biggest competition would be in meets like the Virginia Tech Invitational and Montgomery Invite. Montgomery County has lots of talented runners, but when you step outside the bubble of familiar faces there are so many elite runners from Virginia who were a class above anything else that I faced.

What was your greatest accomplishment?

Honestly, I couldn’t tell you one specific thing that pops out at me. I was so blessed to experience so much success over the course of my high school career, and to be able to share some of it with my teammates.

If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in High School?

If I could do it all over again I would be much more open-minded. I often would let my head get to me, and I scratched a lot of races, because I was be hung up on little things. I would keep my eyes on the bigger picture, and focus on the fact that running is all about improving yourself, instead of focusing on beating other people, or what other people are doing. You aren’t going to win every race, but each one can be a learning experience that helps you grow.

What were your most difficult obstacles to overcome?

The two most difficult obstacles that I faced were myself, and playing another sport at the same time. Often I would psych myself out.. But as I matured as a runner, I learned to be more even keeled and just push through, even though I never mastered it completely. Also, since I always played soccer, I often had to miss practices and meets. I was lucky that my coaches were so understanding, and they worked with me when I did not have the time or energy to follow the schedule and do what the rest of the team was doing.

What will you miss the most?

My track squad, and just having fun with my teammates after meets when everyone is their happiest.

What advice would you give to younger athletes?

Good competition is a gift. Don’t get in your own head about it, just focus on improving yourself. Never get too high, because there is always someone out there who can beat you; but never get too low either, because the bad days make you better and they will always pass if you keep pushing through.

What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?

My coach always believed in me before I did, and for that I thank him. In sports, and any part of life, confidence is a key factor for success, so I am glad that he helped me learn to believe in myself. In the future, I will set high goals for myself, because I know I am capable of reaching them.

What are your college plans?

I will be attending Lehigh University in the fall. I am going to play soccer, and am undecided as to whether I am going to run some track as well.

Who would you like to say thank you to?

I want to say thank you to Coach Hays, my parents, my teammates and the rest of the people who were behind me every step of the way, and put up with all of my antics.