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Senior Nadia Perez’s hand was shaking with anticipation as she lifted up a smooth, black pen. The atmosphere was filled with an electric amount of energy, as she took in a deep breath. She had been waiting her whole life for this one special moment, the moment that has made every tough practice and brutal meet worth it. And best of all, her best friend, Kennedy Applegate, went through the exact same process, standing by her side through every step of the way.
Both Perez and Applegate, 2022 state championship runners, signed to their respective schools on Noblesville’s signing day, November 9: Perez signed to Xavier University, and Applegate to Taylor University, to run both cross country and track. But their journey to a scholarship wasn’t exactly short for either of them. Perez has been running since she was six years old, and Applegate since she was seven. Both have been involved in a variety of running clubs and cross country and track teams over the years, continuing to feed their love for the sport, and most importantly improve their friendship.
“Running can be a demanding and sometimes lonely sport,” Perez said. “Having a great friend by your side who knows exactly what you are going through can be so encouraging. We run together almost everyday and push each other to complete our tough workouts.”
This friendship began at a local track club called Body in Training, allowing Applegate and Perez to create a competitive, uplifting environment in which they still push each other to excel. Because of momentum, they were able to push their team to Noblesville’s first cross country state championship their junior year. Their friendship will continue after graduation, when both continue to run at the collegiate level.
“I met Nadia 10 years ago, at the age of 7, when we both ran for a small club team, called Body In Training,” Applegate said. “At the time she went to Our Lady of Grace, and I went to Noblesville Schools, but we always stayed so close.”
Throughout their individual progress in their track and cross country abilities, Perez and Applegate also found time to strengthen their friendship, both inside and outside of their sport. Along the way, they managed to create some memorable moments.
“One of my favorite memories happened during a race freshman year. Towards the start of the race, someone stepped on the back of my heel and my shoe fell off. I had to stop, put my shoe on real quick, and keep going. I ended up setting a personal best in that race,” Perez said. “Come to find out, it was Kennedy who accidentally stepped on me. When I told [our coach] what happened, he nicknamed me “Stallion” to go along with [Applegate’s nickname] “Snake.” Those nicknames have stuck with us ever since.”
Aside from their monikers, Perez and Applegate possess significant talents in both areas of running, according to head cross country and assistant track coach Aaron Becker—enough to yield a number of scholarship offers for both girls. Many top high school athletes aspire to receive an athletic scholarship from a college in order to continue to participate in their sport, as well as having part or all of their education paid for. Apart from playing professionally, an athletic scholarship signifies peak athletic achievement in a sport, and Becker is someone who knows exactly what it takes to reach this level of achievement.
“To run at the collegiate level, you have to really want to be there,” Becker said. “You have to spend a lot of time traveling and practicing with your teammates and have an excellent balance between academics and athletics, especially in light of how much missed class time there is.”
In addition to balancing their rigorous athletic schedules along with their academics, Perez and Applegate have dedicated themselves to leading their team to success in their senior year. Becker has seen first hand how they individually contribute to Miller programs.
“Nadia is there to help people who need it and emphasizes attention to detail by adequately preparing herself for races and always maximizing her practices by putting in the best quality training she can,” Becker said. “And Kennedy is adept at including new teammates and making new faces feel welcome and crafting team bonding opportunities for her teammates. Both athletes have considerable attention to detail and are efficient at taking care of themselves to ensure proper recovery between workouts.”
These qualities were one reason their fall 2022 season culminated in the girls cross country team’s first state title. But these characteristics and accolades as individuals were not the only factor that contributed to their recruitment, as both began their process of applying for athletic scholarships early.
“The process of choosing a college was actually pretty simple,” said Applegate. “I sent in athletic interest forms starting sophomore year and went on a few visits junior year. I knew what I was looking for, and feel so blessed to have found that so quickly at Taylor.”
All of an athlete’s hard work, in their training, competing, and even in their recruitment decisions, comes to fruition on signing day. With what felt like a half of the school in attendance, according to Perez, both athletes fulfilled their goal of becoming collegiate athletes. And the two runners cemented a lasting bond.
“Signing for a college can be very exciting and overwhelming,” says Perez, “but to have Kennedy go through the same process made it incredibly special.”
