By: Scott Brinton
Her coach, Todd Wolin, suggested that she try some of the longer distances -- 400, 800 and 1,500 meters. Within weeks, Wolin said, he realized Krifchin would someday soon be counted among Nassau's top distance runners. She was a natural.
On Nov. 6, Krifchin, now 16, took first out of 140 runners in the Nassau County Championship meet, qualifying her for the state championship.
Last weekend, Krifchin competed in the state championship race upstate, but was ill and weak on race day. Still, she wanted to run, and managed to finish the race, but collapsed afterward and was taken to a nearby hospital for observation. Her blood sugar was low. Krifchin was disappointed, but quickly bounced back. The next day, she was at practice again, looking forward to major regional competitions in the coming weeks.
Maegan's father, Steven, said of his daughter's performance at states, "I am so totally proud of her. She had to go through the finish line. ... It was in her mind that she had to finish."
Steven said that neither he nor his wife, Jodi, pushed Maegan or her sister, Ali, a Kennedy soccer player, into sports. But, he said, "They're totally dedicated to what they're doing."
For Maegan, becoming county champion was a tough journey. Twice she had to battle back after major injuries. In 2003, at the Conference II championship meet, she suffered stress fractures in her lower leg. She was forced to drop out of the race after the first mile and couldn't run in the county championship the following week. It was a major letdown. She thought she had a shot at the individual county title.
Krifchin couldn't run for several weeks, but eventually returned to winter track. In the spring, she won the county championship in the 800- and 1,500-meter races, helping propel Kennedy to the team championship.
Then, while training over the summer for the Empire State Games, Krifchin pulled a hamstring, which sidelined her once more. Again she worked through her injury, and by cross-country season this fall, she was back to her old form. This season, she placed first in more than a dozen local meets and second in two regional invitational races.
Still, Krifchin was disappointed until the county championship meet. Before that, she wasn't hitting the time goals that she'd set for herself. At the Conference Championship on Oct. 30, she began to approach her mark for 3.1 miles. Then, at counties, Krifchin exploded, blazing over the Bethpage State Park course in 18 minutes, 56 seconds.
Coach Wolin said he expects that Krifchin can continue to reduce her times during her senior year in 2005. At counties, he said, she scorched the difficult Bethpage course, but at the end she was barely winded, a clear sign to him that she could have run it even harder.
Wolin said that Krifchin catapulted herself to the elite of Nassau County's cross-country runners through old-fashioned hard work. "Dedicated isn't the word for it," the coach said. "Maegan will do anything. She's a very dedicated young lady who doesn't like to lose."
Ivy League universities have already sent letters of interest to Krifchin, though they're barred from actively recruiting her until next summer. Krifchin, who maintains a 93 average and takes Advanced Placement English and Honors classes, said she'd like to get into a top-notch college with great cross-country and track teams. And, she said, she hopes to become one of the top runners at whatever school she chooses.
Clearly, Krifchin possesses the commitment to fulfill her goals. She rises at 5:30 a.m. and is off to school soon after. When Kennedy lets out, she trains hard for more than two hours, running an average of five miles a day. Then she heads home, eats, does her homework, and is in bed by 10:30. Jodi Krifchin said her daughter also works with a performance-enhancement specialist, whom she meets with twice a week for weight training and dietary advice.
Jodi, a regional manager for a chain of tennis clubs, said she was ecstatic when her daughter crossed the finish line first at counties. "I couldn't be more proud. I was jumping," she said.
In addition to her success in athletics and academics, Maegan is described as a good kid by those who know her. She's a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions, which fights substance abuse among teenagers. She's also involved in Athletes Helping Athletes, whose members pledge to stay away from drugs and who speak to elementary-school children about the importance of sports. And Krifchin helps raise money for junior-class activities. In short, she's one busy, disciplined student.
Craig Papach, the Kennedy High athletic director, said of Krifchin, "She's the type of athlete who goes 100 percent all the time. She has great spirit. She loves to compete. She makes everyone on the team better because of her work ethic. She's a natural leader, so the rest of the girls follow. She sets a tremendous pace during practice."
Papach added that much of Krifchin's success is attributable to Wolin's guidance. "He puts together rigorous practices for Maegan. He has to get a lot of credit," the athletic director said.
Krifchin is humble about her accomplishments. On winning the county championship, she said, "I'm delighted I accomplished this step, and I'm ready to see what I can accomplish in the future. I'm just glad I have running as part of my life, and I can't imagine not being able to run."
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