By Ken Hansard

Goddard Eisenhower senior Madelynn Guerra is relatively new to the cross-country game, but she is looking to make the most of her experiences.

Guerra, who has played competitive soccer since she was eight years old, has enjoyed a lot of success in that sport, so she decided as a junior that she would try something new. “I am proud I made varsity last year. It was my first year ever running cross country, and I was honestly just doing it to stay in shape for soccer. Then I started to realize I had some pretty good endurance with it and that’s when I decided to run another season.”

In the past off-season, Guerra suffered a setback when she had to receive double jaw surgery, causing her to have to sit out of training for several months. But she credits her support circle with her ability to recover and bounce back. “I would most definitely say that running cross country and having such an amazing support system with coaches, teammates, and my family has made not only my cross country experiences good but also made high school so much better.” 

After graduation, Guerra has plans to attend Wichita State University. “I want to be a nurse. I will be a third generation nurse in my family. I have always wanted to follow my mom’s and grandmother’s footsteps in caring for others!”

But before moving on to pursue a career, Guerra is excited about finishing her high school career. “I am looking forward to making more memories with this team. We have such an incredible bond, and all the coaches and teammates get along so great. This has truly been one of the best teams that I could be a part of. The memories that I have made so far, I will carry them with me forever.”