While many Paly students might balk at being asked to run a mile in P.E., senior Elizabeth Scott frequently runs over nine miles at a time when training for the girls’ cross country team, and has embraced her position as co-captain of the team.

“The things I like most about cross country are the connection with the team, the competition, and how you can always push yourself harder,” Scott said. “It is also a good combination of individual and team efforts.”

As co-captain, Scott has organizational responsibilities to the team, including helping the other captains coordinate pasta feeds before important meets. She hopes to motivate and bond the whole team by connecting with each of the runners on the team and giving whatever advice she can.

“The captains’ efforts have contributed greatly to a close-knit, hard working team,” girls’ head coach Paul Jones said.

With her commitments as a co-captain and runner in addition to school, Scott works hard to maintain balance in her life. She has always considered time management to be one of her strengths, and always makes sure to get plenty of sleep. According to Scott, this is a skill she acquired from doing years of gymnastics.

Scott did gymnastics for 13 years and practiced more than 25 hours every week before joining Paly’s cross country team. The decision to give up gymnastics for cross country was difficult for her.

“I had gotten everything I could out of the sport [gymnastics],” Scott said. “I do not regret how long I stayed with it, nor my decision to quit. It has helped me in so many areas of my life.”

Besides having improved her time management skills in the long run, gymnastics has also affected Scott’s daily running routine. After practice everyday, Scott does handstands.

“I think it helps my running,” Scott said.

As a runner, Scott has set high goals for the season.

“My goals for this season are to keep improving, stay healthy and work towards running in college,” Scott said. “My ultimate goal for this year is to make it to states.”

In order to qualify for the state meet in November, the girls’ cross country team must place in the top three at CCS in November, or Scott must place in the top five as an individual runner. When running in league meets, she has kept her goal of qualifying for states in mind.

Scott has performed well in the first meets of the year, setting a personal record of 13 minutes, 24 seconds on the 2.2-mile course at Gunn.

A particular triumph for Scott occurred at the Lowell Invitational on Sept. 20. Scott started the race off strong and finished with a time of 18:26 seconds. She achieved her goal of breaking 18:45 and dropped 2:24 from her 20:50 finish in 2007. She was the first of the Paly girls to finish the race, and placed eighth in the girls’ varsity division.

“I felt like I pushed myself to go out with the front pack and just got into my own pace for the race,” Scott said.

After strong races by Scott and other members of the team at Lowell and other meets, Jones believes that Scott and the team have a good chance of qualifying for the state meet.

“Despite very stiff competition, we have a solid chance of doing that [qualifying for states],” Jones said.

Scott is a relative newcomer to cross country. She started running her junior year, and ran a good first season, according to Jones.

“Elizabeth’s performance has been amazing for someone who took up the sport just last year,” Jones said.

Over the summer, Scott worked to prepare for this season. She ran with other members of the team and attended the Stanford cross country camp. At camp, she trained with some of the most competitive runners in the country, according to Jones.

“Coaching her has been great,” Jones said. “She is very focused, and works hard and intelligently.”