Liberty “Libby” Ley’s approach to cross country is an inspiration to those around her. Tackling the sport with discipline, determination and a positive attitude has allowed her to climb the ranks during her three years running middle school cross country. This is what made her an obvious choice for the September 2022 Middle School Athlete of the Month.
Head coach Dawn Cosio said Libby’s work ethic helped her improve and has encouraged and inspired those around her.
“Liberty has an excellent work ethic. In the 3 years I’ve coached Liberty, she has continued to run and train all year round. I’ve seen her running in the neighborhood on her own and she has joined other run clubs to enhance her training,” Cosio said. “She never complains in 100-degree weather or 20-degree weather. She always does her best and works hard. If anything, we’ve had discussions on how and when to back off a little. I’ve never seen Liberty give less then what she could give at any given moment.”
Libby’s consistenly finished in the top 10-15 at her 2022 meets. Cosio said on the PRA team, Ley finishes first or second in every meet, evelating her team with her scores. During the 2022 season, Libby’s finished third place overall at hte Centaurus Invite, eighth place out of 300 girls at the St. Vrain Invite, and 11th place overall at the Wolverine XC Invite.
Libby exemplifies the PRA Way (Prepared, Respectful, Accountable), Cosio said, by coming to practice ready to go with a great attitude; being respectful of her coaches, teammates and competitors; and keeping up with her training, even when other commitments mean she misses practice.
“In September Liberty had to skip practice for a yearbook assignment,” Cosio said. “She came to me, asked me what we were doing at practice, and went home to run 4 miles on her own, while her mom rode her bike alongside her. This is typical behavior for Liberty.”
Cosio said Libby is an excellent example to her teammates. Her positivity and hard work inspire her younger teammates to not only work hard but to cheer on and support each other.