Nobody in sight behind Jr. Helen Sachs, only the gloomy November sky; she picks up her pace to beat her personal best, breaking through the banner hanging from each post of the finish line. She holds up her pointer fingers signaling her first place finish. Gasping for air while hunched over, the realization hits: she just won the Michigan Girls Division 1 State Championship. She ran three miles in 17 minutes and 18 seconds, not only bringing victory to herself, but helping the West Ottawa Girls Cross Country team take the state title.
Winning the State and Regional titles along with Gatorade Runner of the Year in her 2022 sophomore season, she was unstoppable. Not only was she the fastest female high school cross country runner in the state of Michigan, but in the whole Midwest. In the long run, however, all of this success created an abundance of expectations and pressure.
Sachs has been running cross country competitively since 6th grade, but running has always been an interest of hers. Growing up, she competed in the triathlons hosted by Camp Geneva, which is where her love of running blossomed. Sachs said, “I wanted to do something in 6th grade, and since I’ve always liked running, I thought I would give it a try. It really progressed after Monroe Milobinski was beating me in races and that is what pushed me to do better.”
Because of the competition between Sachs and Milobinski, she worked even harder at running so she could beat Milobinski and get better. Her first record was in 8th grade when she ran a 5:05 mile at the Mega Star Meet. “It felt good, it was a breakthrough race for me.” This race is what started her astounding career. As a freshman, Sachs was breaking records while making a name for herself. Then during her astounding sophomore season she got a PR of 16 minutes and 47 seconds for 3.1 miles at the NXR Midwest Regional championships, which is also her favorite moment in her career. But what does her junior season have in store for her?
After last year’s cross country season, Sachs took a break from running due to a foot injury and for personal reasons. She has not yet returned to competing, but she has started training again. “It feels good to be back because I was off for nine and a half months.” She felt like she had hit rock bottom with no good options. But within the last month or so, she started aqua jogging and will soon get back to running at full body weight. She is excited but nervous to compete in a meet this season, but a more prominent feeling she has is pressure.
Pressure is something that everyone experiences. However, in the sports world, it can be much worse. Athletes can feel so much pressure that even their coaches notice when it starts to take a toll on them. Great Lakes Aquatic’s club water polo coach Chloe Graverson said, “I can definitely notice a difference with some of the girls. One of our players this summer cared about nothing more than winning. This athlete you could tell was stressed at practices, got mad at others for goofing around, and in game was more serious than the other six girls in the pool. Coach Matt Latham and myself tried talking to her to relieve some of the pressure, but nothing seemed to help.” When an athlete places pressure on themselves, it can be difficult to help them suceed or improve and communicate.
Sachs said that while she doesn’t feel any pressure from her parents or coaches, she feels a tremendous amount of pressure from herself, and unintentionally her teammates. “I feel like I’m letting everyone down.”
As an individual racer, it can be hard to deal with the feeling that you’re holding yourself back from your full potential. Sachs said that to deal with this pressure she feels she reminds herself that it is out of her control, and she is doing the best that she can. Pressure is something that every athlete has to deal with, and Sachs handles the pressure with grace.
Dealing with injury has been an obstacle Sachs has had to overcome this year, but going through hard times has only made her stronger. The conclusion to this season is going to be a great one for Sachs; and her coaches, teammates, and fans cannot wait to see what she accomplishes.
