For Wendy Pavlus ’11, successes run throughout the North Country.  In high school, the Tupper Lake, NY, native and Tupper Lake High School graduate earned All-State honors in each of her four years in cross country and was also the New York State Division II champion in the steeplechase.  She hardly broke stride when she joined the SLU cross country and track squads.

In her first year at St. Lawrence, she won a Liberty League cross country individual title and competed in the NCAA Cross Country Championships.  She is a two-time All-American after finishing third in the 5K at the 2008 NCAA Division III Indoor Track Championships and eighth in the 3K Steeple Chase at the outdoor championships.

Wendy wasn’t sure if she wanted to go to college only an hour from her hometown. “But after visiting another school, I knew St. Lawrence was where I wanted to be,” she says. “My high school coach, who was a St. Lawrence alumna, encouraged me to visit, and I was really impressed with how close she still was to her teammates.  I knew that was something I wanted, too.”

Luckily for Wendy, she found what she wanted within the Saints’ cross country team even before her first season got under way.  “One of my favorite experiences with them was our preseason trip to St. Lawrence’s Adirondack camp,” she says.  “It was really fun to meet everyone, become friends and bond; it’s something I’ll remember for years to come.”

Wendy has learned that finding different ways to make it through those long, grueling races are tools she can use every day.  “Through running, I’ve learned to be patient, which has helped me be successful in the classroom as well as at my summer jobs,” she says.  “My successes on the cross country course and the track have given me the confidence I need to succeed in other aspects of my life.”