By Mike Buchanan
mbuchanan@digitalsports.com
Kirsten Dahlberg is a girl who loves to run. She has proven
herself to be one of Mount de Sales’ top athletes, leading by example in
competition and practice. Injuries and illness limited her achievements, but
her desire and determination never diminished.
Dahlberg was named the DigitalSports Applause Award
winner for the fall season, joining Jen Schmidt from Friends (winter) and
Lauren Ahrens from Chapelgate Christian (spring).
Dahlberg is a truly well-rounded person, excelling in
academics as well as being extensively involved in a wide variety of school
activities plus 4-H, and art, all the while dealing with various medical
conditions, injuries and illnesses.
Even though she was named for the fall season, as a
cross country runner, her accomplishments, as well as injuries, were spread
throughout the school year since she also participated in track in both the
winter and spring seasons.
Mount de Sales has a rich history in track and field
that includes five IAAM indoor or outdoor team championships, and multiple top-10
rankings.
Dahlberg has excelled in that environment during her
two indoor, and three outdoor track and cross country seasons, and was named
captain of all three running teams during her senior year.
“Kirsten has a passion for running which has driven her to push through
injuries and illnesses that would have caused other athletes to choose to quit,”
said Mount de Sales Cross Country Coach Liz Johnson. “From injuries in her back to her hips to her
feet, Kirsten has learned to deal with pain. Often times we had to force
her against her will to sit out or cross train. For Kirsten, not being
allowed to run is the worst punishment. She would rather deal with the pain in
order to reap the rewards she feels when she runs. To have an athlete with Kirsten's passion,
drive, and work ethic is every coach's dream.”
Her athletic accomplishments include being a member of IAAM champion 2007
outdoor track 4x800 and the 2006 IAAM 4x400 meter relay teams. She is a six
time IAAM medalist (top 3) at the indoor and outdoor track championships and
holder of three MDSA school records.
Kirsten ranks among the top 10 in the 400, 500, 800 and
1600 meter runs on the MDSA all-time indoor/outdoor performance list as well as
numerous relay teams.
“While reaching this top level of competition she has
suffered enough injuries and illnesses over the past three years to challenge
the Biblical trials of Job,” said Mount de Sales Athletic Director Gene
Williams. “That list includes battling genetic arthritis, chronic asthma,
chronic allergies, blood blisters and plantar fasciitis. But, at the top of the
injury list was a complete break of the L4 and L5 vertebrae of the spinal
column during her sophomore year while playing junior varsity basketball.”
That injury kept her sidelined until late spring when
she was able to recover enough to run as a member of the IAAM winning 4x400
meter relay team. Looking at individual
results, 2007 was her best year with an IAAM win in the 4x800 relay and second
place finishes in the 800 run (by .05 of a second) and the 4x400 relay. Hopes were high for her senior year.
However, in 2008, she was again beset by illness and
chronic pain but still took a pair of fifth places during the IAAM 800 meter
title races in the winter and spring seasons. Additionally, she was part of the
indoor and outdoor track school record 4x400 relay teams.
Steve Weber, who coached Kirsten in track along with
Williams, shared a story that showed Dahlberg’s true resolve. “She would run the anchor leg of the relay,
and that would sometimes trigger her asthma.
She would then go sit in the swimming pool area of the PG Center, and
that would help to relax and soothe her breathing, giving her time to recover
and race again. Then she would come out and help as win the 800 meters. And then she would even stick around and help
us in the 400-meter relay if we needed her.
She just plain loves to run,” said Weber.
A Member of the National Honor Society (3.84 GPA),
National Art Honors Society, Distinguished Scholar Honorable Mention for
Maryland, Recipient of MDSA Art Scholarship, National English Honors Society, were
among the numerous academic honors that Dahlberg earned. And she excelled in the classroom despite
having dyslexia - all because of the same hard-work ethic she displayed on the
track.
At the Mount de Sales Honors Assembly Kirsten received
the Presidential Education Award, National Art Education Rising Star Award and
the MDSA David B. Wilkens Courage Award.
“She has to work twice as hard but still excels
academically and was inducted into the National Honor Society this past March,”
said Karen Fuchs, MDSA’s director of
guidance. “She did it all with very
few, if any accommodations and never once complained, even though it has been
very difficult at times for her.”
In her spare time the Westminster resident is deeply
involved in 4H programs attending national and state leadership conferences,
completing over 50 projects while volunteering hundreds of hours to projects
and winning numerous awards.
In fact, this week she is working at Camp Hashawa, her
fourth year as a leader after six as a camper, guiding the younger ones in
nature, crafts and recreational activities.
Kirsten will attend High Point College in the fall and
compete in Cross Country and Track and Field.
With her success in cross country and track and the
classroom, Kirsten Dahlberg is certainly prepared for whatever challenges she
will face in college, and beyond.