On Feb. 11, 2011, Central Bucks East seniors Katie Kinkead and Jen Guidera were recognized at a special news conference for signing letters of intent to compete in cross country and track at the collegiate level.
Jen Guidera – Harvard University (Cross Country/Track)Major: Neurobiology
Final list of college: Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Princeton
Reasons for choosing Harvard: “I was lucky enough to go on a few official visits, and I got a pretty good idea of the atmosphere of the different schools that I visited. I just fell in love with Harvard when I visited. I felt like this is where I could feel at home, and I really fit in well with the team there.”
When did the idea of running at the collegiate level start to become a reality? “I started running my freshman year, and at the time, I was doing karate. I ended up having to stop karate to dedicate myself to running, which was no problem because I fell in love with running right away. I never really thought about running college until last year in winter. At that time, I wasn’t really sure if I was a high enough caliber to do it, but I had a really good season last spring, and that’s when I was like, ‘I’m going to go for this.’ I can’t really imagine myself not running. It’s just such a part of my life. It’s part of me, so I think it’s the right decision to run at college.”
Coach Matt Catinella says: (See comments below.)
Katie Kinkead – Syracuse University (Cross Country/Track)Major: Possibly Exercise Science or Nutrition
Final list of colleges: Syracuse, Georgetown, Villanova
Reasons for choosing Syracuse: “I really liked the coaching, and I liked the area. I’d rather run in cold weather than in hot weather - I get tired sooner if it’s hot. The team was really great. It just sort of pulled me in.”
When did the idea of running at the collegiate level start to become a reality? “I was a soccer player, and I wanted to get in shape for soccer, so I started running as a ninth grader. At the end of my sophomore year, I realized I had the potential to run for a Division One school.”
Coach Matt Catinella says: (See comments below.)
Coach Matt Catinella says about Kinkead and Guidera: “They’re two special people. It starts with where they come from. They both have great families, they both have great personalities – the character of both them, they both had their ups and downs through high school, and I think their ability to persevere says a lot about them, and it’s a big reason why they are where they are now.
“The work ethic (they have) I have only seen in one or two high school kids before. They’re extremely disciplined. There’s an old adage – I ask them to jump, and they’ll ask how high. I’m very confident I could tell them to do something on the weekend when I’m not watching, and I know for a fact it’s being done.
“They’re both very similar (runners). They both have a really good feel for pace, they’re both very intelligent runners and racers. They both have their strategies down pat. They both have a game plan before they go into a race. A lot of high school runners just go into a race and run and just try to compete, and they don’t really have a game plan. Both of them are very intelligent. They like to go into races with a game plan and execute it.”
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