Madelyn Marschel has made tremendous strides as a cross country runner since she picked up the sport in middle school, highlighted by three trips to the state tournament her first three years at Warrenton High School.
Cross country running is in Marschel’s blood. Marschel’s grandfather started cross country at Warrenton High School. After playing soccer from the age of four until eighth grade, Marschel picked up running in middle school and has not looked back. She runs on the cross country and track teams at Warrenton High School. Marschel has participated at the state tournament in both sports.
“I like both,” Marschel said. “I like that cross country is smaller. I also like track with the shorter distance. But I like both.”
Marschel recalled her first cross country practice in middle school when she could barely run a mile. Marschel does not think she was too prepared for the long distance running cross country required her freshman year. She thinks running over the summer after her sophomore year is when she felt more prepared for the season workload.
“I honestly think running over the summer helps a lot,” Marschel said. “Because freshman year, I didn’t really run at all over the summer. So I feel like that helped a lot. This summer, I ran the most. So hopefully that pays off.”
Warrenton cross country coach Jeremy Collins thinks Marschel has looked strong the last couple years since she started running over the summer. Marschel participated in a 14-mile run at the West Plaines cross country camp this past summer.
“Going into it, she’s like, ‘I don’t know if I will do it or not’ because they don’t have to do it,” Collins said. And she decided to do it. She did an awesome job. She’s just gotten a lot stronger. That’s going to really help her at the end of the season I believe.”
One of Marschel’s favorite aspects of running on the Warrenton cross country team is the team atmosphere. The Warrior runners get together and have pasta parties on Fridays before Saturday meets. They also do their best to cheer on teammates running when they are not personally participating in a race.
“I played soccer,” Marschel said. “I know how it is if you’re on a team that’s not so individual. But in cross country, your team also relies on you with points and everything. I think just with it being an individual sport, you want to make sure you’re positive and keep yourself going.”
Collins stressed Marschel is not only the Warrenton girls cross country team’s best runner but is also a great teammate.
“Even though she’s our top runner,” she’s interested in what the other people are doing,” Collins said. “So I think with that encouragement, they see the success she’s had and that she also cares about other people. And so I think with her success but also her being a great teammate is a great encouragement for everybody.”
Marschel hopes to break her personal record before the end of the cross country season. She ran a 21:01 at the state meet at Gans Creek her sophomore season. She ran the state meet last season with shin splints. If Marschel qualifies for state, that would be a meet she could have a chance to run under 21 minutes, Collins believes. She ran a race at Gans Creek earlier this season in 21:26.
“Hopefully she’ll qualify for state,” Collins said. “That would be a meet where she can really have an awesome time. She’s been really consistent. Even though her sophomore year was her best time, she’s been really consistent in that 21 minute range a lot of times. I guess a strength for her is her consistency.”
After she graduates from Warrenton this year, Marschel plans to go to school with the goal of working in the medical field.
“I haven’t decided if I want to run or not,” Marschel said. “But I’m thinking Maryville at the moment. I still need to tour more schools but we’ll see.”
