The athlete for the month of November is Maxine Pendras, sophomore and runner on the Annie Wright School’s cross country and track team. 

Maxine has been running track since she was in 4th grade. This year, she advanced to State. “It was a lot of fun. I’d never been there before…there were so many teams there, lots of runners. It was really cool,” Pendras said.

One of Pendras’ teammates, senior Lillian Prime, remarked on how Pendras’ mental strength along with her physical capability contribute to her success. “Maxine is able to get in that mindset, and be in the moment and stay present while she’s running,” she said.

Prime added that Pendras is valued by her teammates for how she “strikes the perfect balance between being serious and working hard and being silly and fun and bonding with the team.”

Her coach, Troy Droubay, told Inkwell, “Maxine is great. She always comes to practice ultra-prepared, always puts forth her best effort.” He also commented on how her dedication in track contributes to her success as a student. “She’s a serious student and she’s a serious athlete. She’s always thinking about what she can do better,” he said.

Inkwell had the opportunity to talk to Pendras about her experience in track.

Inkwell: What is your favorite thing about running?

Pendras: I feel like if I run more and exercise more, I am happier. I really like running because it’s outside, and it’s really satisfying when you finish a workout. And I really like the cross country team here.

Inkwell: Do you enjoy the competitive aspect of track?

Pendras: No, I kind of prefer just running. I don’t like competitions as much.

Inkwell: Where do you see yourself in a few years in regards to track?

Pendras: Well, I’ll probably still be in it. Hopefully I can keep getting better. I want to go to State more.

Inkwell: Who do you most look up to for track?

Pendras: Anna Haddad, who just graduated. She’s a role model because she did cross country and track and she’s super good at it, and she worked really hard.