Kelsey Hildreth, freshman cross country/track and field runner, crosses the tape as Sports’ No. 2 athlete and No. 1 newcomer.

She put together the greatest season in cross country program history and has carried that success over into the track and field season.

Hildreth got her first taste of college competition as a cross country runner in the fall, when she broke the 5K and 6K school records. She became the highest ever finisher in school history at the MAC Championships, where she took fifth and earned All-MAC honors.

Hildreth also became the school’s highest ever finisher at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, where she took 11th place and earned All-Region honors. She missed qualifying for nationals by one spot.

“She’s very calm and collected,” said volunteer assistant coach Ashley Lucas, according to a Jan. 15 Northern Star article. “A lot of freshman, I feel, can get overwhelmed by coming from high school and being a big dog to coming to college and there’s a lot of good people. She doesn’t ever seem fearful of her competition. It’s just like any other race, even if it’s a big race it’s just like any other day.”

Even as the competition increased during the track and field season, Hildreth kept knocking down records. She owns the school records in the indoor 3K and 5K runs and the outdoor 5K and 10K runs. She took third place in the 5K run and sixth place in the 3K run at the MAC Indoor Championships.

“We knew coming in that she was obviously really good,” said junior distance runner Hannah Savage, according to the Northern Star. “We knew her times. But, I never expected her to come in and start, first attempts, just breaking these records. It’s really exciting, and I love having her on the team. She just sets the standard higher than it has been probably ever before. I love that.”