Freshman shows promise

According to Weber State University Head Cross-Country and Distance Coach Paul Pilkington, freshman Sarah Callister has the potential to be one of the best runners WSU has ever had.
“She will end up being one of the better distance runners we have ever had here,” Pilkington said. “Like anything else, distance running takes time to develop, so it takes some patience.”
Callister said she started running in the mornings on a trail behind her house when she was in seventh grade.
“My parents were the reason I started running trails in the morning; they would run and so I started with them,” Callister said. “They have always been willing to support me, even on vacations, or whenever I needed to go running.”
Both of Callister’s parents ran at Highland High School. She said her dad ran track while her mom ran track and cross-country.
Callister’s main event in high school was the two-mile. She currently runs the 5K and 6K for cross-country and said she will probably do the 5K and/or 10K for track.
“Genetically she is very gifted, and she came out of a good high school program,” Pilkington said. “Her coach had developed her; she was one of the better distance runners in the country coming out of high school.”
Pilkington went on to say that WSU has only had one runner faster than her out of high school, and that was Natalie Haws, who is on the team now.
It was Ogden High School’s Coach Don Hall that got Callister excited about track and running in high school.
“Colonel Don Hall loved coaching.” Callister said. “He didn’t have to do it, he just loved it. He was a big help in my schooling, he encouraged strong work ethic and he always made sure whatever needed to be done would happen.”
Callister said she was also strongly influenced by Alydia Barton. Barton is a former WSU athlete who volunteers at Ogden High School to help coach both cross-country and track and field.
“Alydia is one of my best friends, even now she calls me about my races,” Callister said. “She calls to see how I’m doing. She is the reason I ran well in high school.”
Great coaches are important to Callister and she credits a lot of her success to the coaches she has had.
“Coach Pilkington is the reason I came to Weber,” Callister said. “I knew he was a good coach and I wanted to learn from him.”
Callister said her goals for the next year include improving her PR (personal record) in track, and making it to nationals as a team in cross country.
“We are a really young team, there are only four girls that are not freshmen, everyone is going to be back, if we can all work hard and stay healthy I think we can make it,” Callister said. “We are talented girls so I think we can do it.”
Callister said that team championships are much more fun then individual championships because everyone contributes to the team score.
One of the many things Callister said she has learned from track is that hard work pays off and it is fun to work hard and accomplish goals. She said she hopes her future consists of staying healthy, constantly improving in running and having the dedication and work ethic to get into whatever program she chooses to apply to at WSU.
 “She is a very good freshman,” Pilkington said. “She’s got a good future, a good career running wise and academically she is a great student. She just needs to be patient and let things develop and physically let herself develop.”
Pilkington said he is worried about Callister’s dedication. He said she is up at 5:30 in the morning doing her morning run and she is a good student who studies late. Whatever she does she is dedicated to it and she focuses on that and does it well.
Callister’s many accomplishments include: All State in track and cross country, holding the 3A Utah State record in 3200m, State Champion in 1600m and 3200m, cross country State Champion, named to the Academic All State team, and most recently was named Big Sky co-runner of the week for Cross Country Athletes of the week for races ran from Sept. 28th — Oct. 4th.