Cross Country, Track
Favorite athlete: Jenny Simpson
Favorite team: I don't really have one!
Favorite memory competing in sports: Meeting professional runners at big meets like Footlocker Nationals and The Millrose Games.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: My freshman year we had to do a timed 2 mile. As I was about to lap one of my teammates, she just completely fell. She got back up and kept running and about 100 meters later, she fell again. We talked about it today, and it is one of the funniest things that has happened.
Music on iPod: Eminem, Drake, and Nicki Minaj are my favorite artists to listen to.
Future plans: I will be attending Penn State in the fall. I will major in Biobehavioral Health.
Words to live by: 'Believe in yourself.'
One goal before turning 30: Win an NCAA title.
One thing people don't know about me: I am terrified of bridges. I get sick just thinking about them.
By Alex Frazier
No one said it would be easy.
When Pennridge senior Tori Gerlach first started running, she asked her mother, “When does it stop hurting?”
“Never,” answered her mother. “No matter how good you get, it still hurts.”
Standing on the podium at Shippensburg last Saturday after winning the state championship in the 3200 for the second straight year somehow made all that pain worthwhile.
Dana Gerlach started Tori running in fourth and fifth grade for a CYO team.
“She wasn’t very good,” said her mother. “I thought maybe running wasn’t her thing.”
Instead Tori excelled at soccer, which she played at Deep Run until her freshman year.
Gerlach returned to track in middle school and was decent.
The day before cross country started when she was about to enter her freshman year at Pennridge, one of her friends called and convinced her to go out for the team.
Having run cross country on Council Rock’s 1984 state championship team, Dana Gerlach told Tori she couldn’t just show up for the team.
But Tori insisted she would be just fine.
“She wasn’t even close to fine,” said her mother.
“I thought I could race myself into shape,” said Tori.
To her mother’ astonishment, however, that year she finished 28that the state meet.
“It’s been a complete surprise how much success she’s had,” said Dana Gerlach, who admits there are a lot of girls out there with more talent than Tori, but few with her determination.
“She doesn’t back down from anybody; she just has something inside that you can’t coach or teach.”
Heading into her sophomore year, Gerlach made sure she trained over the summer.
That year she told coach Bill Smith she wanted to be an elite runner, and he told her that she was a very good runner, but it was very hard to be an elite runner and that it was okay just to be good.
“She didn’t like being told she was good,” said Dana Gerlach. “She wanted to be great, so she sacrificed so much to get herself to where she is. She studied and she ran for four years. She’s very driven to be successful.”
From that 5-2, 82-pound novice runner, Gerlach has turned into a 5-7, 109-pound running machine.
As a sophomore, she came down with the flu before cross country states and finished a disappointing 141st. But her junior year she rallied to finish 11thand this year came in 12th.
This year she also finished 10that the prestigious Foot Locker Meet to qualify for a trip to San Diego for nationals.
But Gerlach’s strength is on the track. As a sophomore she finished sixth at districts in the 3200 and 10that states. As a junior, she was second in the 3200 and won the mile. At states, she won the 3200.
This year she won both the mile and 3200 at districts, an incredible feat in itself. She tried to duplicate that at states, but on a hot humid day, after she won her second 3200 title, her legs gave out on her in the final 200 meters of the mile, and she had to settle for sixth. Only three runners have ever won both events in Class AAA state history.
“It’s an extremely difficult double,” said Smith. “It was brutally hot, but what I was most proud of was that she didn’t sit back and just try to medal. She was trying to win the race.”
“I wanted her to always improve,” said Dana Gerlach. “Her times have improved every year. She far exceeded anything I was even capable of doing.”
“I definitely accomplished a lot of goals I set,” said Tori.
Ironically, of all her accomplishments in running, one of her regrets is that she was never able to claim a state indoor title. She was 11thin the 3000 as a freshman, fourth as a junior and fifth this year. In her sophomore year, she ran the distance medley relay instead of the 3000.
“I just got a little lazy,” she said. “I don’t like the cold and I couldn’t get motivated to go outside and run. I had a few good races I was happy with, but not at the state meet.”
“She’s good at all three,” said Smith, who coaches her all three seasons, “but she’s excelled at spring track. She’s really developed her speed, which has become a tremendous asset for her. She’s able to run any race right now whether it’s from the lead, behind, with a kick or with strength.”
As she graduates from Pennridge this year, she leaves behind an impressive legacy. She owns the school record in the 800, the mile and the two-mile.
“I guess you’d have to say right now she’s No. 1,” said Smith.
She was also instrumental in helping the Lady Rams to an undefeated season, an SOL title, their first district championship since 1983 and a tie for second at the state meet.
“One of Tori's biggest attributes is her drive to succeed,” said Smith. “She’s got a lot of guts and determination. She’s very talented, but she really works very hard to become the best that she can.”
Gerlach was a two-year captain of all three teams.
“I loved it,” she said. “It’s kind of hard being their friend and having to tell them what to do sometimes, but overall I loved it.”
“She’s a vocal leader,” said Smith. “That’s why she became one of our captains as a junior. We needed that leadership. She’s been a strong leader for our team.”
Although running took up most of Gerlach’s high school life, she still found time to be a part of the executive council. She was vice president and secretary of her class.
Next year Gerlach will attend Penn State University on a scholarship. She also considered Maryland, Georgetown and Villanova, but since both of her parents graduated from Penn State, the Nittany Lions definitely had the inside track.
“It seemed like it fit academically and running-wise,” said Gerlach. “I knew when I got on campus, I wanted to go to that school. The girls are great, the coach was amazing and the atmosphere was nice.”
“It will be fun to watch her at Penn State,” said her mother.
She plans to major in bio-behavioral health and minor in kinesiology. She’s looking to the health field as a future career.
“I’m excited to go into college and actually do something I want to do,” said Gerlach.
“She has a lot of potential for the future,” said Smith.
