Denmark’s Kralovetz runs with love

Leah Kralovetz was a little more nervous than usual.

The Denmark senior was the clear favorite to repeat in the girls 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs on May 11 at the North Eastern Conference championships.

Kralovetz had her usual handful of M&M’s. She also had her cleats with her favorite Bible verse written on them.

However, the University of Iowa recruit frantically had to do some recruiting at her home track to ensure someone would be cheering her on from the corner opposite of the finish line.

Her father usually cheers from that spot of the track, but wasn’t there since he was at a soccer tournament for her older brother, Travis, who has Down syndrome and is her biggest fan.

Travis cheers for his little sister at the finish line by pointing his fingers in the air and yelling, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“He watches WWE wrestling and likes doing the thing that (wrestler) Daniel Bryan does,” Kralovetz said. “He always does that after I run and really loud.”

Much to Kralovetz’s surprise, Travis and her father were able to make it to the NEC meet to see her finish in the 3,200.

Yes, it turns out she’s not the only one in the family that can make good time.

“I’m running for them and myself,” Kralovetz said about her family.

Kralovetz enters the WIAA state track and field meet as the top seed in Division 2 for the girls 1,600 and 3,200 runs.

After winning the D2 state cross-country title in the fall, Kralovetz is hoping to see her times continue to fall to capture a couple more championships in La Crosse this weekend.

That’s her short-term goal. Her long-term goal is to become a special education teacher, like her mother, Deb, and oldest brother, Cory.

Kralovetz is already off to a good start in accomplishing that, as she routinely helps tutor students with special abilities at school.

“She is just a good, kind, courteous, respectful, young woman,” Denmark distance coach Terry Wetzel said. “Every bit of success she’s had on the track or the cross-country course is well earned.”

In only her second year of competitive running, Kralovetz has become a student of the game so to speak.

This spring she read, “Run the Mile You’re In,” a book written by Ryan Hall, an Olympian and the U.S. record holder in the half marathon.

“I’ve been more interested since I’m going to be running at a higher level,” Kralovetz said.

“The book has given me a lot of insight on not just the physical things, but setting more heart goals. They’re called that, like run this race out of love. They’re more mental. It really seemed to help me have a more positive attitude and my times along the way.”

Kralovetz reset both of her NEC records on May 11 to repeat as the conference champion.

She set a personal-best mark for the 1,600 at the D2 Wrightstown regional on May 20 with a time of 5 minutes, 0.48 seconds, which ranks fourth on the state honor roll.

Since Kralovetz usually won most of her races locally by a large distance this season, she ventured outside the state to compete in the Distance Night at Palentine, Ill., on April 20 against top runners in the Midwest.

She placed fifth in the 3,200 at the meet, recording a personal-best time of 10:35.63, which ranks second in the state this season.

“We talk about a calm confidence,” Wetzel said. “Those are the two words we always talk about. Just get out there with that calm confidence. She is obviously one of the best runners in the state, and to run like that.”

After finishing as the D2 state runner-up in the two distance races last year, Kralovetz will obviously be facing a tough challenge to reach the top of the podium.

Gale-Ettrick Trempealeau senior Dana Feyen is aiming to become a three-time champion in the 3,200 and repeating as the 1,600 champion. Kralovetz edged Feyen for the D2 state cross-country title.

However, Kralovetz is focused strictly on running her races this weekend in La Crosse.

“I really want to break 5 (minutes) in the mile,” Kralovetz said. “That’s a big goal. I’m going to try my hardest.”