Olivia Cieslak is moving on from her Haverford High School graduation as Pennsylvania’s top middle-distance runner.
This weekend, she’s competing in her final New Balance Nationals, then she’s off to join Poland’s junior national team, before starting at Stanford University in the fall, writes Isabella DiAmore for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
First, she’s competing in the 800- and 1500-meter at the Polish Athletics Championship July 26,-28, then she joins Poland’s under-20 team in the European Athletics U20 Championships Aug. 7-10 in Finland.
Cieslak has dual citizenship in Poland and the United States.
Cieslak has been running since the second grade through the Catholic Youth Organization at St. Pius X in Broomall.
In December, she got her first name, image, and likeness deal with New Balance. Part of that includes New Balance sponsoring this year’s CYO championship meet.
“I wanted to go back to where it started and give these kids an opportunity to have something, so every champion got a free, customized New Balance backpack,” Cieslak said. “I was super excited to be able to do that with them and to give back to that program was super special for me.”
Find out more about Olivia Cieslak’s running career in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
