Mars’ Hailey Long, lacrosse standout, has hit new level ahead of WPIAL Cross Country Championships
Hailey Long doesn’t seem to know how to do something at half speed or take it easy.
The Mars senior, who considers lacrosse her No. 1 sport, is arguably Butler County’s top female cross country runner. She competes in both sports while holding down a job and a high GPA.
She’s setting herself up for her best cross country postseason yet, if all goes well.
“Lacrosse is first for her, definitely, but Hailey has picked up her intensity in cross country this season,” Mars cross country head coach Dan Carlino said.
“A top-three finish in the WPIAL meet, top 10 at states, are very realistic goals for her.”
Long now runs about 40 miles per week in training, Carlino said, up from 20-25 miles a year ago. She has run her personal-best times in both of her last two meets. She won her section championship meet in 17:50.91, beating the runner-up by 30 seconds.
At the Virginia XC Showcase Oct. 17, she placed 25th with a time of 17:49.4. Each time Long lowers her personal-best time, she lowers the Mars school record, as well.
“I want to get that time as low as I can before I’m done here,” she said.
Long placed fourth in the WPIAL Cross Country Championships last season, then placed 14th at the PIAA championships. She did not run her sophomore year due to an injury suffered in lacrosse.
She is committed to Nova Southeastern, a Division II school in Florida, for lacrosse. The Sharks are entering their first season next spring.
“I’ve been playing lacrosse since second grade,” the Planet midfielder said. “I started doing cross country as a way of staying in shape for lacrosse. But I love competition in all forms. I have to get the best out of myself.
“My goal isn’t to finish in a certain spot at the WPIAL race or any race. Just push myself as much as possible and those finishes will take care of themselves.”
Long trains for both lacrosse and cross country every day in the fall. She plays on three club lacrosse teams, as well.
She’s been holding down a job in a store on top of all that and she’s carrying a 4.5 GPA while taking advanced placement classes. Long plans to major “in the medical realm” in college.
“I’ve cut my hours to part-time so I can handle everything,” she said, laughing. “I’m used to being busy. I’ll go from lacrosse practice over to cross country practice. My body gets tired, sure. But it’s all worth it.
“I stay up pretty late sometimes (to do homework). Whatever it takes.”
Carlino expects Long’s work ethic to pay off in the end.
“She still has that big, big performance inside of her,” the coach said. “It could happen at WPIALs, at states, I don’t know. I just know it’s coming. She’s so locked in.”
Long said she plans to talk to her Nova Southeastern lacrosse coach, Heather Coppola, about running cross country as well because she doesn’t want “to give this up.”
Long is also considering running indoor track this winter and competing for the Planets track and field team this spring, along with playing lacrosse.
“I’m still undecided on all of that, but I’m thinking about it,” she said. “This is the only time I’ll have a chance to do all of that.”
