Megan Kellogg is a senior at St. Lawrence, competing for the cross country and track team for the fourth consecutive year. Her running career began when she competed in 7th grade for her middle school’s modified team, that is, if you don’t count field days during elementary school. Subsequently, in 8th grade she was called up to race for her high school in Queensbury, NY. Her interest in running stemmed from her dad’s passion for the sport. He attended and competed for the same high school and shows his support for her by attending almost all of her collegiate meets.
One of her favorite running memories took place during her senior year of high school. Prior to that year her team had never made a state meet, but that year not only did her team make states, but her school hosted it. She was team captain with her best friend at the time, and she along with her team managed to win states. She reflected that there was nothing like being a senior on your home course and winning states. It was a “moment of disbelief” said Kellogg.
Another of Kellogg’s treasured memories was during her first year at St. Lawrence when she competed as an All-American athlete and led her team to third place at Nationals. It was a great experience for a first year because she went through it with her team by her side, and she was reassured that she is able to compete at a national level. She realized how much potential she had as a runner and reflected on earlier, in the same year, when she questioned if she would improve and saw how much she grew as a runner over that duration of time. She didn’t realize what she was capable of performing at that level until she did it. This realization resulted in an increase in confidence, which helped her improve as a runner. Competing at Nationals every year helped her understand how high of a level she was and still is competing at.
She has very much enjoyed her time at SLU thus far. She first visited campus on a recruiting tour and “automatically fell in love”. She regards the athletic facilities as amazing and feels that her coaches have positively impacted her running career in a great way. Her teammates feel similarly about her. Cassidy Scott, a teammate as well as a fellow All-American athlete, revealed that, “Meg is a great teammate who always encourages the rest of us. She has achieved so much in her time at St. Lawrence but you wouldn’t know it just by speaking with her. For a lot of us, she serves as an example of what can happen if you work hard and are kind to others. I’m really lucky to have her as a teammate!”
Kellogg’s advice for first year competitive runners has the same underlying message of unity and support for teammates. She knows that chemistry throughout the team has allowed them to succeed, not only on the track but in the classroom too. Further reflecting on her great time at SLU, she also advised first years to enjoy every moment because it goes by so fast. Finally, she emphasized believing in yourself and being confident because if you’re passionate, then you’ll see what you’re able to accomplish.
On average, she currently runs 58 miles per week and strives for success with every stride by believing in herself, but also by accepting that there will be bad days that she’ll have to push through. She emphasized not letting her bad days bring her down and staying focused on her goals but also enjoying her remaining time at SLU!