Athlete of the Week: NATALIE NOVAK

Lakewood Ranch High School senior Natalie Novak ran the leadoff leg of the 4x800-meter relay, helping lead the Lady Mustangs to a first-place finish at the Tarpon Invitational March 23, at Charlotte High.

Novak followed up her performance with a first-place finish in the 800, crossing the finish line in 2:21.77. She also stepped up and took a leg of the 4x100 relay to help out the team.

After this season, Novak will prepare to run cross-country and track at the University of South Florida.

"I was really excited about my 800, individually. I had more of a kick at the end and was able to pass people. I’m not where I want to be time-wise, but I’m definitely improving. Each week, I’m slowly dropping off seconds.

A win is a win. Individually, you’re proving something to yourself. You have your own goal of a set time. I have individual times that I want to reach and little things that I’m working on every race.

The 800 is my favorite race. I feel like it’s kind of like a sprint. I’ve always been a distance runner, but I still have speed. I like how it’s fast paced. It’s a really challenging race.
I want to break my personal record in the 800 of 2:16. I also would like to make it to states in the open 800 and for both relays that I’m on — the 4x800 and the 4x400.

It was really weird running the 4x100. It was fun. I have a new appreciation for people who run the 100.

I’ve always wanted to try the 200. I think it would be fun to see what my time would be in a different race.

My freshman year I ran in the regional meet and finished in second place. I got my (personal record) then. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was a big moment in my high school career."