Olivia Cieslak and her mom, Aga, had a running routine over at Rose Tree Park, but as Olivia entered high school, she was outpacing her mom, who had to use a bike to keep up.
“I can still do a shakeout with her, like a quarter to three miles. … But going into high school, I could see she wasn’t an average runner. She’s special,” Aga said.
Now Olivia Cieslak’s a Haverford High School senior who will be competing at Stanford next year, along with Olympian indoor and outdoor NCAA 800-meter champion Juliette Whittaker.
Cieslak has 15 overall state medals and three team trophies in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, writes Isabella DiAmore for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
She’s become one of the nation’s top middle-distance runners, with times in the 800 meters among the top in state history.
Cieslak could be the next worldwide track star and will graduate as one of the most decorated high school runners in state history.
“She is fast from the 400 [meters] all the way up to the 5K,” said Haverford cross country coach Laura Clinton, who’s also an assistant track and field coach.
Find out more about Olivia Cieslak’s running career and about her family in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on DELCO Today in November 2024.
