Jenna Mulhern, a Furman-bound senior at West Chester Henderson High in Pennsylvania, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to reflect on her third-place finish Dec. 11 at the Eastbay Cross Country Championships at Balboa Park's Morley Field in San Diego, Calif., and a fourth-place performance Dec. 4 at the RunningLane Championships at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala. Mulhern, 17, became the sixth female athlete in Pennsylvania history to place in the top three at the Kinney/Foot Locker/Eastbay national final, in addition to the only girls competitor from the Northeast Region to finish in the top four of a pair of national championship races in consecutive weeks in December, including Nike Team Nationals and Nike Cross Nationals, along with the RunningLane Championships. She revisits her first race of the cross country season Nov. 27 at the Eastbay Northeast Regional at Van Cortlandt Park in New York, and the emotions leading into the competition with her needing to place in the top 10 in order to advance to the national final. Mulhern explains her relief over returning to a national championship competition for the first time since racing at Nike Cross Nationals in both in 2018 and 2019, and how much she felt like she had improved since those experiences in Oregon. She shares the unique journey during the fall, collaborating with coach Ray Friedman, who resides in Florida, and having him structure her training as she competed independently from the high school team this season. Mulhern examines the patience she had to demonstrate and the trust she had to have in her training in order to be ready for her postseason opportunities, and how she had to remain confident in her capabilities. She analyzes the reassurance gained from her performances at the Eastbay Northeast Regional and how that provided the belief that she could run with the lead pack in the national races in both Alabama and San Diego. Mulhern expresses gratitude for the experience shared by Karrie Baloga of Cornwall Central High in New York and Juliette Whittaker of Mount de Sales Academy in Maryland from racing in 2019 at Balboa Park's Morley Field. She also speaks about how meaningful it was for the Northeast lineup to work together during the race, producing five All-Americans and a 29-54 victory over the Midwest, securing the first victory for the girls representing region since 2013. Mulhern shares her excitement for being able to attend Furman and be mentored by coach Rita Gary, in addition to being part of a recruiting class that includes Camryn Wennerstern of Garden State Track Club in New Jersey, Carly Wilkes of Glenvar High in Virginia and Emma Jones from Weddington High in North Carolina. She also looks forward to building on the renewed confidence gained during cross country season with her opportunities on the track in 2022, with a potential focus in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters as a student-athlete at Furman.