ALLENDALE - McBain native Klaudia O’Malley has been running track at Grand Valley State for the past five years, recently becoming the top-ranked NCAA Division 2 athlete in the 5K. O’Malley also was a standout runner at McBain, where she was the MVP of the cross country team for all four years.
Before O’Malley was an 18-time all-American and racing through Division 2, she was running with her father’s team as he coached the Cadillac Viking cross country team.
“I remember in middle school, I think was like when I started to run with my dad’s team, like a lot more than I used to when I was little, and I kind of just stuck with them on runs and I guess I enjoyed doing it. But yeah, I feel like that’s just how it kind of sparked my love for running,” O’Malley said.
She runs during all three seasons for the Lakers, in the fall doing cross country, in the winter running indoor, and in the spring running outdoor. There is one that stands out for her, though.
“I’ve always loved cross country just a lot better just because I feel like, I just like how cross country it’s more involved with the team and we’re all working for that same goal. In track, my teammates can run a bunch of different races,” said O’Malley. “There’s a bunch of different races we can run, but I kind of just like how in cross we’re all in it together. You need your teammates. If you have a bad day, your teammates can like help pick you up.”
With O’Malley being in grad school, this year has been harder with the practice times not being what they used to be, but she will probably be one of the first people across the finish line in about every race she runs.
“So, this year I feel like has been the hardest year cause I’m in grad school. My classes and my practices don’t really line up with each other. So, I’ve been having to do a lot of the practices on my own or like later at night after class just by myself. I feel like this year has really been like a year where I really need to be motivated and have that inner drive to go out and get out the door and run even though I don’t want to,” said O’Malley. “I just feel like I’ve always been like really competitive. So, like in a race, I don’t really like being beat. So, I guess that kind of fuels my fire as well.”
After the outdoor season finishes this spring, O’Malley will have one more season left in her college career, the outdoor season of 2025.
