Relentless Runner Carnemolla Redefining Perfection

Faye Carnemolla, senior cross country captain, has made an undeniable mark on the track and field scene. Her imposing speed and determination are matched only by her leadership on the team. Balancing a rigorous schedule that includes outdoor track, indoor track, and cross country, she embodies the spirit of resilience. With a passion for running that inspires teammates and a commitment to excellence, she is poised to lead her team to new heights this season.

The NVL brings fierce competition in the sport of cross country. A handful of standout athletes in the league pose a threat to Carnemolla and the Woodland cross-country team. The Woodland girls cross country team carries the majority of standout athletes in the league. 

“Our girl’s team is one of few that has three standout athletes. The three of us [senior Faye Carnemolle, junior Leah Zainc, and sophomore Ella Iannone make the team dangerous because we can split up in races,” mentioned Carnemolla. 

Although the girls have the security of three reliable runners, cross country is an unpredictable sport. Every year, multiple athletes get injured. The game is constantly changing. One bad race or twisted ankle can define an athlete’s entire season. An athlete can get bumped down in their league rankings after one bad race. That is why constant training on a variety of courses is so important for the Woodland cross-country team.

“The biggest factor of cross country is being able to tolerate a change in surface. A track is more forgiving than concrete, gravel, and grass,” said Carnemolla.

The team focuses their training on mile-based running, but more importantly, they train on surfaces that are very different from a flat track. The team visits trails and parks for their practices and competitions. They race primarily at the Beacon Falls Recreational Park and a course formed around Woodland’s campus. 

Carnemolla individually centers her training around consistently adding mileage and speed to her workouts. 

“What I do is more of an addition of what we do in practice,” said Carnemolla.

Outside of the school team, Carnemolla trains over the summer. She additionally participates in the indoor and outdoor track teams. Running is a nonstop pursuit in the eyes of Carnemolla.

“Running has become full-time for me,” said Carnemolla. “This is the third year that I have run three seasons in a row. Cross country, then indoor track, then outdoor track.”

Her diligence in the sport has earned her a stately lineup of awards. During her freshman year she took All-Copper in XC. During her sophomore and junior year she earned All-NVL in XC. She also earned ALL-NVL in girls indoor and outdoor track those years. In her junior year, she captured the state title for the girls Class M 800m outdoor track race. 

None of these races were “gimmes” for Carnemolla. Day after day, Carnemolla works toward her goals. Throughout the good and the bad, she has seen running as her primary pursuit and passion. At first, Carnemolla struggled with her ideology of perfectionism. But eventually, running tired out her unreal expectations of herself.

“Running beats out my perfectionism,” said Carnemolla. “I’ve always been a perfectionist, and you can’t be with running. You’re gonna have bad days. You need to learn to let it be a challenge. You have to roll with it and do better the next time instead of letting it define you.”

After incorporating this into her training and competition mindset, Carnemolla learned from her bad days. and allow them to better herself as an athlete. The next step for Carnemolla is deciding what she will do with these talents. As far as running in college goes, Carnemolla knows that she is at the level where she can.

“There are a lot of schools I want to go to. It’s a commitment and takes up a lot of time,” said Carnemolla. “I’m planning on going for an intensive major, so I worry that unless I go to a D3 or D2 school, it’ll be tough.”

Running in college is desirable to Carnemolla. But, she is well aware that being a student comes before being an athlete. She is the runner to watch this fall; the results of her senior season of cross country may be a big factor that makes her attractive to her top schools.

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