Sophomore Runner Is Back on the Fast Track

It takes a special dedication to be able to excel in a sport that you haven’t competed in for several months. However, dedication just comes naturally to sophomore Erin Finn. 

Finn is a star in the classroom and on the athletic fields. She is a 4.1 GPA student and has been invited to some of the most prestigious long distance running events in the country. It adds up to a bright future for a student whose high school career is still in its early stages. 

There have been some bumps in the figurative and actual “road.” Last spring Finn suffered a stress fracture in her hip and tibia while running track, missing most of the spring season. It forced her to take a more guarded approach in her cross country season this fall. And she actually turned to swimming as a way to strengthen her body and help her to become a better runner. 

As a part of the West Bloomfield swimming team she achieved significant success. But it also allowed her to compete in selected cross country meets in the fall. 

“Swimming strengthened my upper body and my arms so I did notice that I wouldn’t get as tired running,” Finn said. 

West Bloomfield cross country and track head coach Lee Averill has been coaching for 50 years, but he has never quite seen a talent like Finn from a physical standpoint. 

“I don’t think I have ever seen her get tired after a race,” said Averill. “She has this unique ability to (process) oxygen at an incredible rate. It just seems like she could run forever.” 

While having the physical talent is a major part of the equation, Averill also sees Finn as someone who loves running and thrives on competition – two necessities for long-term success. Averill anticipates that Finn will run some combination of races from 800 meters to 3,200 meters in track this spring, but he wants to closely manage her workload given the recent injuries. 

“Erin really likes to work hard and you don’t find too many kids like that today,” Averill said. “She needs to stay healthy now but she is a special talent.” 

Despite selecting certain events to run last fall, Finn finished fourth in the state at the cross country finals. At the national Foot Locker finals in San Diego, she finished seventh, the highest finish of any underclassmen runner. 

She also ran in an indoor track meet at the University of Michigan earlier this year and on Feb. 27 will be running in a prestigious event in Seattle where all costs for those runners invited are paid for. 

Unofficially, these performances have drawn the attention of cross country coaches at the collegiate level across the country. However, Finn cannot actively speak to recruiters until this summer (before her junior year).

“I do love to plan ahead so I am thinking about what majors I may want to enter (in college),” Finn said. 

At this point pediatric oncology is a specialty field of interest among many options in the medical industry that the sophomore has expressed. She also understands that while running may pay for her education, her ultimate goal is to be in a stable, successful career long after her athletic career ends. 

However, Finn still does have dreams of athletic glory. 

“Maybe if I got to a point where I could qualify for the Olympics then that would be my job for a period of a few years,” Finn said. “But that’s so far off. I just know that getting an education is the most important thing.” 

Nevertheless whether in track, cross country or in her personal life, running will always be there for Finn. It is something she truly enjoys. 

“I’m not sure why I love it but I feel that it does de-stress me a bit,” Finn said. “It is relaxing.” 

That love could get her a college scholarship – and perhaps even more. 

“There’s no question she is a Division I talent and right now she has a great work ethic,” Averill said. “If she keeps that same attitude she could go a long way.”