Stillwater High School senior Sarah Wulfert is in for a busy spring.

A University of Missouri-Kansas City track commit, Wulfert’s a natural runner and has been since before she moved to Stillwater from Piedra Vista High School (N.M.) her junior year. This year, she’s running the 100m, 200m, 400m relay and 800m relay. In her first season in Oklahoma 6A last year, placed fifth in the 100m and sixth in the 400m relay. As a sophomore in New Mexico 5A, she placed third in the 100m, fourth in the 800m relay and fifth in the 400m relay.

“I accomplished all the goals I had wanted to reach [last year],” Wulfert said.

Wulfert is also a talented soccer player for the Pioneers. It’s been a blessing — but certainly an obstacle — to balance both sports every spring. 

“It definitely has its challenges, but my coaches are very understanding and help me all they can,” Wulfert said. “Every day that I don’t have a game or track meet, I go to both track and soccer practice. I will go to track first and then soccer after. The game and meet days don’t usually land on the same day, but when I do, I go to the track meet first and then soccer if I can make it in time.”

Weekends are typically off-time for Wulfert (something she doesn’t take for granted), but she also participates in FCCLA and National Honor Society at SHS. One thing many don’t know about Wulfert is she loves to bake sweets.

“I’ve been into baking ever since I was little. I have a small business I run selling the things I make, but with sports, I don’t always have the most time for it,” Wulfert said.

While she’s had her share in success, Wulfert has suffered setbacks in her athletic career, too. Her sophomore year, she strained both hamstrings two weeks before regionals. She called it the hardest challenge of her career so far.

“I had pushed through as much as I could, but when it came to state, I had to decide what races were most important, so after placing in the first three events, I couldn’t run the 200,” Wulfert said. “It was one of the hardest choices I had to make. It was truly God’s work that I was even able to run the first three.”

It was that summer that Wulfert moved to Stillwater, only adding to the challenges of her recovery process. Regardless, she persevered.

“I learned that a good attitude and mindset is one of the most important things, because you don’t know what could happen,” Wulfert said. 

As she rounds the last curve of her high school career, Wulfert has her heart set on big goals.

“I am working harder to get stronger and faster so I am more prepared to run in college,” Wulfert said. “I would like to get my 100 time in the 11s, and I would like to see all of my relays place at state.”

Above all, she wants to continue to chase the feeling only running can give her.

“Running is special to me because I just love the feel of competing and being able to push myself and others to be their best selves.”